HISTORY OF CASHMIR. 75 



ate the stain thus contracted, he made liberal donations to the Brahmans, 

 and founded a Mat" ha, but continuing to dwell upon his disgrace, his health 

 became affected, and he retired to the college of his own foundation to ex- 

 pire. 



Before leaving the palace, the king directed the nobles and leaders to 

 elect as his successor, his kinsman Vernata, the son of Ramadeva, pass- 

 ing over his own son Sangramadeva, of whose legitimacy he entertained 

 some doubts : the arrangement thus made was far from agreeable to the 

 men in power, for Vernata was a prince in the vigour of life, whilst San- 

 gramadeva was an infant, during whose feeble administration they flatter- 

 ed themselves they should be able to appropriate the wealth and influence 

 of the government to themselves and their adherents : by their intrigues, 

 therefore, Vernata was thrown into prison, and although he appears to have 

 escaped at the time, he shortly afterwards fell a victim to the jealousy and. 

 ambition of the strongest party, by whom Sangramadeva was established 

 in the government. 



The old king lingered some time after he had made the fruitless dispo- 

 sition of the succession, but he was surrounded by the creatures of the in- 

 triguers, and there is reason to suppose that they accelerated his death by 

 poison ; Parvagupta and his partizans had now obtained what was still 

 but a secondary object of their ambition, and their past success encour- 

 aged them to elevate their views to royalty itself: the seasons befriended their 

 designs, and the discontent of the people occasioned by the pressure of a 

 general scarcity, afforded them a ready instrument for effecting their pur- 

 pose : an insurrection was speedily excited : a tumultuary mob, chiefly com- 

 posed of the military, and headed by Parvagupta and his confederates, 

 attacked the palace; they slew Rama VerdhaNa, the chief minister, who 

 had attempted in vain to defend it, and penetrated to the presence of the 

 king Seizing his person they bound him with fetters of flowers, drag, 



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