U HISTORY OF CASHMIR. 



(e One Caldron, on one fire, saw seven kings before the flesh was boiled ;" 

 a proverb, which though not of literal, has been in a general sense, of not 

 inappropriate application, to events of eastern history, of a more authentic 

 character,, than the one to which its origin is here ascribed. 



29. Bacra-raj then took possession of Cashmlr, and bequeathed it to 

 his descendants: their names are however unknown, and a blank interval 

 precedes the succession of Augnand the first monarch, with whom all the 

 authorities are agreed to commence, what may be regarded, as the dawn 



of legitimate historical record. 



The list above inserted, although of an obviously fabulous construction, 

 still contains matter to excite curiosity, and awaken some speculation as 

 to the possibility of any part of it being true ; it seems very probable that 

 it originates with tradition, and is not altogether unfounded, although no 

 doubt much disfigured, and most probably misplaced : the tide of Khan at- 

 tached to the names, few of which too appear to be Hindu, indicates a race 

 of Tartar princes, and we shall have occasion to notice the presence of 

 Tartar rulers in Cashmir, accompanied with something like chasms in the 

 history, which I3fdia ad-din's catalogue would enable us to fill, convenienly 

 enough : if we might conjecture from the names of several princes on the 

 west of India, the invasion of Alexander was the period of Tartar rule in 

 this direction, as Oxycanus and Musicanus might easily be resolved into 

 Tartar appellations with the designation Khan attached :• it may be retting 

 too much on conjecture only, however, to give a period of existence to what 



I am not disposed to attach any importance to etymological conjectures in genera!, and 

 merely adduce such analogies, as possible identifications in the absence of better guides ; at 

 the same time I am very much disposed to think with the learned Dr. Vincent, that " most, 

 if aot all of the Indian names, which occur in classical authors, are capable of being traced 

 to native appellations, existing at this day among the Hindoos, at least, if not the Moguls." 

 ( Voyage of Nearchus, 129.; Lieut. Pot tinker finds a similarity between Musicanus and Moo- 

 Sekwatii the names of two contiguous districts in Sind, and usually connected in utterance. 

 They lie exactly, where we are told, the Greeks found that chief's territories. Travels in Bi'-° 

 loochistan. 



