Page images
PDF
EPUB

there fhould be 8oo ftades in a degree of a great circle. M. D'Anville has at different times reckoned 1050, and 1100. I conceive it probable that Megafthenes gave the measures according to the road distance, from one extreme of the country to the other; and not according to the horizontal diftance, or actual length, and breadth of the country. Part of the apparent differences, in the length of the ftade, may arife from these different methods of reckoning distances.

Pliny gives the measures along the coals between the mouth of the Ganges, and Pattala (or Tatta) in the mouth of the Indus, at 3320 miles (Roman miles I fuppofe, of 1000 paces.) The true measure of these coafts, rejecting the finuofities, and attending only to the general form of it, is 40 degrees of a great circle. M. D'Anville allows 75 Roman miles to a degree; and by this rule, the above number of miles, will come out 44 degrees, inftead of 40, the true measure. But if the pace be reckoned at 4 feet, 10,02 inches, English, there ought to be 78% Roman miles to a degree; and by this calculation, the 3320 Roman miles, will be 42°; or within part of the truth. Whichfoever of the two calculations may be adopted, it is clear that Pliny knew nearly the form of the peninfula; and that Ptolemy, who living at Alexandria, might be supposed to be in the way of obtaining the best information on the fubject, was in truth, ignorant of the general form of it, although he knew fo much concerning the particulars.

Arrian's Indian history, which is extremely curious, and merits more notice than it commonly meets with, fhews us how very little change, the Hindoos have undergone in about 21 centuries, allowances being made for the effect of foreign conquests; which, however, have produced fewer changes here, than they could have done, any where else: for cuftoms, which in every country, acquire a degree of veneration, are here rendered facred, by their connexion with religion: the rites of which, are interwoven with the ordinary occurrences of life. To this, and to the feclufion from the

reft

rest of mankind, inculcated by the braminical religion, we are to afcribe the long duration of the Hindoo religion and cuftoms; which are only to be extirpated, together with the very people, among whom they prevail: and which have been proof against the enthufiafm and cruelty of the Mahomedan conquerors; nay more, have taught a leffon of moderation to those conquerors; who at lat faw no danger arifing to the state, from a religion that admitted no profelytes.

We are at the first view furprised to find that Arrian, who profeffes to treat of India, fhould confine himself to the defeription of a particular part only; while he had authors before him, who had treated the subject at large. It may, however, be accounted for, in this manner, that he chose to follow thofe only, who had been eye-witnesses to what they wrote; not compilers: and it is pretty clear that his account of India, is meant chiefly to illuftrate the history of his hero. The following particulars, felected from among others, will fhew to thofe who are converfant with India, how nearly the ancient inhabitants, refembled the present. 1. The flender make of their bodies. 2. Their living on vegetable food. 3. Distribution, into fects and claffes: and the perpetuation of trades in families. 4. Marriages at feven years of age: and prohibition of marriages between different claffes. 5. The men wearing ear-rings; parti-coloured fhoes; and veils, covering the head, and great part of the shoulders. 6. Daubing their faces with colours. 7. Only the principal people having umbrellas carried over them. 8. Two-handed fwords: and bows, drawn by the feet. 9. Manner of taking elephants; the fame as in the prefent age.. 10. Manufactures of cotton, of extraordinary whitenefs. 11. Monfrous ants by which the Termites, or white ants are meant ;. though exaggerated. (Herodotus Book III, alfo mentions the ants and his account is more extravagant than Arrian's.) Wooden houses, on the banks of large rivers; to be occafionally removed, as the river changed its course. 13. The Tala tree, or

€ 2.

12.

Tal;.

Tal; a kind of palm. 14. The Banian (or Burr tree) and the Indian devotees fitting under them.

We may perceive, however, on a reference to Arrian, that in many of the above particulars, he had either been indiftinctly informed, or elfe, mif-informed; as in the cafe of the Tal tree; the white ants (which he difcredits, at the time he relates it) and the manner in which the people daub their faces. The wooden houses, are, as far as I know, peculiar to the fide of the Indus; and are remarked to be so, in the Ayin Acbaree. Arrian informs us, that he took his account of India from Nearchus and Megasthenes. In the account of the wooden houses, it may be perceived that he followed Nearchus; who seeing them on the fide of the Indus, concluded they were in ufe, every where elfe. As to Megafthenes, Arrian thought he had not travelled far over India; although farther than Alexander's followers. This opinion may ferve partly to explain, why Arrian did not preferve the journal of Megafthenes, by inferting it in his history of Alexander; or in his account of India.

His geography of India relates chiefly to the northern parts, or those seen by Alexander and Megafthenes. And his catalogue of rivers, most of which are alfo to be found in Pliny, and among which we can trace many of the modern names, contain only those that discharge themselves into the Ganges or Indus: fuch as Cainas, the Cane; Coffoanus, Cofa, or Cofs; Sonus, Soane; Condochates, Gunduck; Sambus, Sumbul, or Chumbul; Agoramis, Gogra; Commenafes, Caramnaffa, &c. &c.

Of the different hiftories of Alexander that have travelled down to us, that by Arrian appears to be the most confiftent; and especially in the geography of Alexander's marches, and voyage in the Panjab, which country, by the nature of its rivers, and by their mode of confluence, is particularly favourable to the task of tracing his progrefs. Diodorus and Curtius, had, or ought to have had, the fame materials before them, as Arrian: that is, the journals or

relations

4

relations of Ptolemy and Ariftobulus; who as friends and companions of Alexander, had opportunities of being well informed, We may conclude alfo, that there were among the followers of Alexander, journalists of a very different ftamp; and indeed, the experience of our own days, furnishes us with examples enough of that kind, to make it probable: and there are alfo to be found, compilers, who according to their tastes and difpofitions, prefer the relation of the marvellous, to thofe of the fober and rational kind. Such as thefe, we may conceive Diodorus and Quintius Curtius to be; the latter particularly, under whose hand, every incident grows into a miracle or wonder. Arrian too, relates his wonders; but in fuch a manner, as not to commit himfelfor, as if he meant rather not to withhold what he thought himself bound to communicate, than as if he believed them himself, or wifhed to inculcate a belief of them, in others."

[ocr errors]

It is to be regretted that Arrian did not preserve the journal of Megafthenes, as well as that of Nearchus. The lofs of Baton's, or Biton's book, which contained the geography of Alexander's marches, is alfo to be regretted. It exifted in the time of Pliny, who quotes him: but I think, if Arrian had feen it, he would have been more particular in his geography, in certain places; as he ordinarily, ftudies to be. Certainly, Arrian had not read Herodotus attentively: otherwife he would not have paffed over in filence, the voyage of Scylax, down the Indus; nor reprefented his hero, as being ignorant of fo curious a fact as the tides must have appeared, to those who read the fame book. But that he had read part of Herodotus, is evident by his quoting his opinion, refpecting the delta of the Nile; and by an allufion to his account of the ants that dug up gold, in India, &c.

There is no reason to doubt that the Hindoo or Braminical religion was univerfal over Hindooftan and the Deccan, before the time of Alexander's conqueft, if we regard the notices afforded by Herodotus and Arrian. Nor is it more extraordinary that one religion

fhould

fhould prevail over India, although compofed of diftinct governments, than that the Chriftian religion should prevail over a larger tract in Europe; or the Mahomedan over a still larger tract in Europe, Afia, and Africa. But although there might be an univerfality of religion, there were, as the learned well know, many diftinct languages: and hiftory, both ancient and modern, gives us the most positive affurances, that India was divided into a number of kingdoms or states, from the time of Herodotus, down to that of Acbar. Not only Herodotus, Diodorus, Pliny, and Arrian, are pofitive, as to this point; but even Abul Fazil, who compofed a history of the Indian provinces, in the reign of Acbar, in the 16th century. It is probable, that the almost univerfality of religion, and the union of fo large a portion of this vaft region, under the family of Tamerlane (particularly under Aurungzebe) has occafioned an idea, though a very erroneous one, that the Mogul empire, fo called from the Mogul (or Mongul) dynafty, or that of Tamerlane, was always under one head.

But whatever kind of divifion may have taken place in the rest of Hindooftan, there appears to have been, generally, a large empire or kingdom, which occupied the principal part of, that immenfe valley or plain, through which the Ganges takes its courfe: the capital of which has fluctuated between Delhi and Patna, as the limits of the empire. have varied. That fuch a one does not exift at prefent, is probably owing to the Bengal provinces being in the hands of foreigners: but if we confider the union of interests between Bengal and Oude, the cafe is not effentially altered. Leave matters to their natural course, the whole valley will form one ftate again. The kingdom I fpeak of, was that of the PRASII and GANGARIDÆ, in the times of Alexander and Megasthenes and which was very powerful, as appears by the strength of its armies, and the number of elephants trained to war. It seems to have extended weftward to the Panjab country: and if Palibothra flood on the fite of Patna, as late accounts feem to render probable (fee page

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »