other list and in the Purânas is simply an arbitrary addition. The genealogy of the Pandu is appended to that of the Kuruidæ, Pandu being son of Vikitravirya, the second son of Santanu. From him descended the hero Arguna, as did his brave rival Duryodhâna from his elder brother Dhritarashtra," and 99 others," in order to make up the number of the hundred Paladins. Then comes Pariksit and 29 successors, the last of whom, Ksemaka, "dies in the Kali," i. e. the pretenders to the crown of the Pandava race in the period of anarchy and afterwards, ad libitum. Nothing is recorded of them, but it is noteworthy that the 24th in the series is called Satanika, exactly like Pariksit's grandson (the third in the series), and his son Udayana, the name which, according to some authorities, was borne by the son of the elder Pariksit. The whole race is said to be begotten by Brahmins and warriors.258

There are many other proofs of the historical character of the kings of the older list. In the first place, the hymns of the Rigveda (only indeed the later tenth book) mention Devâpi and Santanu as brothers, the elder of whom embraces the sacerdotal profession, and becomes, according to ancient custom, the first Brahman (Purôhita, "President " 259) of the king his brother. The old Vedic commentator, Yâska, mentions them as being sons of Rishtisêna. This cannot be said to be in contradiction to our list, which, as we know, only professes to record the great and celebrated rulers of the race. The third brother is not mentioned in the Rigveda, but the list states that when Devâpi retired Bahlîka obtained a vast empire. This must mean that he emigrated and became king of Bactria. As he joined Devâpi, the elder brother who was perverted by false teachers, Zoroastrianism evidently here comes into play.

258 Lassen, i. p. xxvi. n. 26.

259 Ib. i. p. 596.

The two lists agree as to these brothers, and they both mention a third brother, Bahlîka, the Bactrian, who in the shorter one appears under the name of the younger brother, Dhritarashtra. In both the imme

diate predecessor is King Pratîpa. In the former, however, the order of the common names is different: Bhimasêna is not the younger brother, but the king; Dhritarashtra is omitted, and only appears afterwards as elder brother of Pandu, and father of Duryodhana. We possess, therefore, historical fragments of an age which was brought to a close by the war of extermi nation among the rulers of Kuru and those of the race of Pandu. There is no historical connexion between them, no historical synchronism, but there are indications of a religious schism which exercised an influence over Bactria.

It is equally impossible to connect the history of these two races with that of the mightiest people in the latter portion of this age, the Pankâla, who, to judge from the situation of their country, probably immigrated before the Kuru.260

In the last period the Pankâla also appear by the side of the Kuru in the great battle of the princes, the people of the five races, whose city, Hastinapura, in the Upper Doab, is situated on the Ganges, north-east of Delhi (Indraprastha), on the Yamuna. They were the most powerful people of that day, for they extended through the whole Southern Doab beyond Benares, as far as the river Karmanvati, which was for a long time considered the frontier line of the two tribes. To cross over it was an accursed thing; on the other side were the impure Turanians.

We were compelled to make this digression in order to show that the only king we have remaining is the Garâsandha of Bagadha, the Barhadratide, in whom was

260 Lassen, i. p. 598.

centred a vast imperial power at the time of the downfall of the then kingdom of India.

We have only to ascertain whether this imperial power extended in a backward or forward direction. The son of Garâsandha was Sahadîva, his predecessor was Brihadratha. The latter founded the empire; under the former it fell into decay. The father possessed powerful vassals, such as the king of Kedi. He had princes among the impure races who were subject to him, from the eastern part of India, north-east of Palibôthra. Their foreign names are given by the side of the Sanskrit.

Even Bhagadatta, indeed, the king of the Yavana, the uncontrolled autocrat of the West, is said 261 to have bowed the knee before Garâsandha. The origin of the name of the Yavana must either be traceable to postAlexandrian times, or be an ancient inaccurate designation of a people and state who pushed on towards the Mediterranean. To the northward the districts on the Sarayu and the Gomati formed a part of his kingdom.

He, therefore, must have been the king who opposed Semiramis on the Indus, or she was not opposed at all.

Assuming, therefore, the synchronism: Garâsandha = the Indian expedition of Semiramis = 1230 B. C., this makes his date precisely that which, from the Indian point of view, would appear the most probable.

Of the extent of the period anterior to him we cannot venture to form an estimate. But the power of the empire of the seven kings of the cognate race of the Moon, in Pratisthana, and afterwards in Hastinapura, from the reign of Pariksit to that of Santanu, must have gone back farther than Garâsandha.

We have during this period a schism connected with the history of Bactria, and the immigration into it.

261 Lassen, i. pp. 551. 609.

Before proceeding to examine farther the connexion between these two events, we are anxious to offer another proof of the historical character of the second

era.

D.

THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF THE NAMES IN THE

SECOND ERA.

Ir the whole Indian history, as embodied in the reminiscences of the people, be not a pure fiction, it follows from what we have already seen, that the second age must commence with the oldest accounts of the holy land of the Sarasvati. For here it is clear that the first establishment of the Brahminical system took place, between which and the religion of the oldest Vedic hymns there is a greater difference, in various respects, than there is between the religious systems of the Brahmans and Buddhists. Buddha was much more of a Brahman than the fathers of the Brahminical system were teachers of the old Vedic religion.

In fact, we find ourselves in the most ancient India, among the first race which stands before us as purely Indian. It is the race of the Puru or Paurava kings, to which in the time of Alexander two princely races belonged, on which account they were both called by the Greeks Porus.

In the Magadha Moon race, as well as in the royal series of Megasthenes, Puru follows immediately after the above-mentioned last patriarch to whom the partition of the world is due. In the first authenticated list of kings of the Mahâbhârata, there are but eight names down to Ilina, after whom there is an unmistakable gap, as we shall see forthwith. The

second list contains 17 kings after Puru, the last two of which are Tansu and ILINA, the predecessors of Dushyanta, with whom the first empire closes. Those names are obviously not to be considered a succession from father to son. For if, as we have seen, the list only contained names of great historical importance in the following period, it would still less represent a genealogical succession here. But it is so stated in plain terms, for it seems to refer occasionally to a king who is not mentioned in the list. 262 The following are the names:

I. Pravira

II. Manasyu J

third and fourth kings in the second list.

It begins with Ganamegaya, who abdicates and becomes a priest. He was succeeded by Prakinvat, whose name implies that he was the conqueror of the East. He could not have been omitted in the first list, had there not been two separate Puru lines.

III. Sakta.

IV. Raudrasva. Had ten sons, the eld-] In the se

est was:

V. Rikeyu, with the epithet Anadrishti.

cond list

10 and 11.

VI. Matinâra, son. It is recorded of him, as it was of Ganamegaya in the first list, that he offered up many horses in sacrifice.

VII. Tansu, with a brother Druhyu, VIII. Ilina.

}

both great con

querors.

The old Anuvansa, which is cited in our list, has this passage (xxi. N. 13.):

"Sarasvati bore to Matinâra a son, Tansu: with the daughter of the king of Kalinga Tansu begat Ilina." In the first part we have a clear intimation that the country about the sacred Sarasvati was the centre of

262 Lassen, i. p. xx. 8.