542 Analysis of the Bengali Poem Edj MdM, [No. 7. 



empire who were cut off at a stroke in 1826 ; like them and the Mama- 

 lukes of Egypt, these generals appear to have been always more or less 

 involved in political intrigues. The people of Tripura like the Sikhs 

 were a military race, and their soldiers often played the same part as 

 the Pretorian guards did in Rome. The Raja subsequently invaded 

 Bengal (some of his troops were taken prisoners by the king of Gaur 

 who ordered them to be trampled to death by field elephants) ; he 

 took Khandal and plundered it so thoroughly that the inhabitants 

 were obliged to clothe themselves in the bark of trees ; after this he 

 returned and devoted himself to works of charity, endowing lands for 

 Brahmans, giving marriage portions to their sons &c. ; he dug a large 

 tank at Kamillah called Dharma Stigar which occupied him two years ; 

 he once gave a great feast to the Brahmans and their relations, they had 

 to cook their own food j he ordered the commanders of the Kuki troops 

 to count their men, they did so with a stick while they were eating, the 

 Kukis were required by their law to drop eating, but through fear of 

 losing their lives they swallowed the food which was in their mouth, — 

 they have had a nick -name applied to them ever since on account of 

 this. 



In the city of Thanansi which was the capital of Tripura until the 

 marauding expeditions of the Kukis caused it to be removed to some 

 securer place,* a white elephant was caught, the king of Tripura 

 claimed it as his property, but the Raja of Thanansi refused to give it 

 up, on this siege was laid to the town which lasted six months. Raya 

 Chachag the Tripura General, was very much annoyed at this delay, he 

 told his soldiers to betake themselves to the spinning wheel, and in 

 order to stimulate their exertions he had their houses unroofed so 

 as to let in the cold and rain. One day having caught a guano 12 feet 



* The Kukis have long been noted for their fierce, barbarous manners : like 

 the Indo-Chinese races they have flat noses, small eyes and broad round faces ; their 

 language has a strong affinity with that of the Mugs, and their tradition is that they 

 and the Mugs are descended from the same ancestor. From their mountain eyrees 

 they have often sallied down on the inhabitants of the plains and their adventures 

 often remind one of the "border raids" so graphically described by Scott. Their 

 history is almost a repetition of that of the North American Indians, — the quarrels 

 of rival clans and occasional forays on the more civilized inhabitants of the plains. 

 They were the Mahrattas of the Eastern districts of Bengal, but had not the energy 

 or perseverance of the Bargi lok. 



