1850.] or Chronicles of Tripurd. 543 



long, in order to find out the most accessible part of the fort, the 

 soldiers tied a string to the animal's body and let it loose, it entered 

 the fort and the string served as a clue to the soldiers who passed into 

 the fort, the guards being drunk ; all the males were put to death and 

 the females were taken captive, Raya Chachag then proceeded to the 

 conquest of other countries to the East, he was accused by the Kukis 

 of an attempt to make Samul an independent state, but was acquitted 

 of the charge. In 1512 A. D. he conquered Chittagong and defeated 

 the Gaur troops who defended it. 



Haseyn Shah sent a strong force from the twelve provinces of Bengal 

 under the command of Gaur Malik, which took the fort of Maharkul ; 

 but the Bengal troops were repulsed before another fort. At the 

 suggestion of an eunuch in the Tripura army they made a dike of 

 Sonii Mati or red earth across the Gumti and bunding in the waters 

 for three days, they then broke it dowu — the torrent caused all 

 the Mogul troops to retreat. The Raja Sri Dhyan in order to destroy 

 the enemy offered up a human sacrifice, a black Chandal boy, to 

 Bahbachari (the wife of £iva) on the banks of the Gumti, the head 

 was thrown in among the enemy ;* it is said this so pleased the goddess 

 that at night she came among the Mogul troops and made so loud a 

 noise as to create a panic, and the troops all fled from Chandigar. The 

 Raja marched on Chittagan, the enemy fled and he proceeded further 

 in his conquests. Hoseyn Shah sent another army under Hyten Khan 

 to conquer Rangamati, the capital of Tripura, after a battle which 

 lasted a day, the Tripura troops were obliged to retreat ; on this the 

 Raja summoned the Dam or witches to know why they did not aid 

 him ; the chief witch promised to stop the stream with her body, and 

 then to rise up and let the torrent sweep away the enemy's troops. 



* Human sacrifices prevailed at an early period in Tripura, and even of late 

 years strong suspicions have been entertained of the practice being occasionally ob- 

 served at the shrine of Kamakhya in Asam, and at Kali Ghat in Calcutta. But in 

 no part of India were more human victims offered than in Tripura, which appears 

 to have been one of the strongest holds of Hinduism ; the Eastern districts formed 

 favourable settlements for the Brahmans as is shown by the magnificent architectural 

 remains in Asam of the Hindu conquerors who entered that quarter probably from 

 the North West, while colonies of Brahmans from Mithila, confirmed by the tie of 

 religion what was begun with the sword. 



4 A 2 



