OR CUTTACK. 255 



state ; and the Gajapati, the master of elephants. Others have it that the 

 epithets were derived from the designations of the four gates of the palace, 

 at which the chiefs in question took their stations, when present at the capital. 



The recollections preserved of these races of Princes are by no means 

 confined to Orissa. In the Canara Raja Padhati translated by Dr. Bucha- 

 nan, the fabulous monarchs are first described as usual beginning with Yu- 

 dhisht'hira, and the author then states, "After this Narapati, Gajapati, and 

 Aswapati, three thrones were established." He then details the Princes of 

 the Narapati line, who ruled over that portion of the Deccan. They are 

 now probably forgotten in upper India, but seem to have been perfectly 

 well known and familiarly spoken of, even at Delhi, only two centuries 

 ago. There is a highly curious passage in the Ayin Acberi, where treating 

 of the game of cards with which the Emperor Acber recreated his royal 

 mind, the writer observes, "This is a well-known game. At first the pack 

 consisted of twelve kings with eleven cards dependent upon each in the 

 following order. First, Aswaput, the king of the horses. He is painted on 

 horse back like the king of Delhi, with the Chutter, Alum, and other ensigns 

 of royalty. Second, Gujput, the king of elephants, is mounted on an ele- 

 phant like the king of Orissa. Third, Nurput, the king of men. Like the 

 king of Vijayapur, (Quere, Vijayanagara?) he is seated on a throne and has 

 different kinds of soldiers attending him on foot," &c. &c. 



It is of the fourth and probably least important race of Hindu monarchs 

 of the middle ages, the Gajapatis* of Orissa, that I propose to offer an ac- 

 count in this part of my paper; but to render the chapter complete, I shall 

 add a sketch of the history of the province down to the date of the British 

 conquest, A. D. 1803. 



The earlier native hi&tcries of the country are of the legendary or fabulous 



* Derived from Gaja, an elephant, and pati (potens,) a master or potentate. 



