kingdoms, each of which, required a particular history: and of which we know only fuch parts of it, as were interwoven with the history of the conquering country. Many of these old Hindoo kingdoms, bore the fame names as the prefent foubahs (or viceroyalties) do; and had, probably, nearly the fame limits. The history of the Deccan, is yet more obfcure than that of Hindooftan being brought into view later, as the Mahomedan conquefts extended thither and which began to encroach on it about the year 1300, although the entire conqueft of it, was not made until late in the 17th century. made It may be observed that the first Mahomedan conqueror who any establishments; that is, Mahmood, found little lefs difficulty in fubduing the country, than the latter conquerors did; when fo many kingdoms were united under the Patan Emperors: for these kingdoms, now become provinces, were too extenfive, and compofed of materials too difcordant to unite properly: not to mention, that they were never long enough united, to produce the happy effects refulting from a long period of intercourse under one common head, and which affimilates the whole into one mafs, like the French or British provinces. And this must ever be the cafe, in very extenfive empires, where a delegation of great powers, and diftant fituation, prepares the provinces for independency, whenever the supreme government happens to be placed in weak hands. Hence, Hindooftan, even under the Moguls, may be confidered only as a collection of tributary kingdoms; each accustomed to look no farther than to its own particular Viceroy; and, of course, ever in state to rebel, when the imbecility of the Emperor, and the ambition of the Viceroy, formed a favourable conjuncture. To this must be attributed the little refiftance that was made to the arms of Tamerlane, Baber, Humaioon, and Nadir Shah; although so many provinces were at thofe times united, under one Prince. The first Mahomedan conquefts that led to permanent establishments in Hindooftan, were thofe of the beforementioned Mahmood, Emperor of Ghizni: for I make a diftinction between thefe, and the first irruptions of the Mahomedans; which left fuch flight traces behind them, as to be fcarcely apparent. Among others, was that of the Caliph Valid in the first century of Mahomedanism. The empire of Ghizni was founded by Abistagi, Governor of Korafan (A. D. 960) who revolted from the King of Bucharia ; whose ancestor, in his turn, had arifen to power, on the ruins of the Caliphat empire, about 87 years before. Ghizni confisted chiefly of the tract, which compofed the kingdom of Bactria, after the divifion of Alexander's empire: that is, the countries lying between Parthia and the Indus; and fouth of the Oxus*. Ghizni (or Gazna) a city placed among the western fources of the Indus, and not far from the Indian Caucafus, was the reputed capital; though Balk or Balich claimed this honour, likewise. Mahmood (commonly styled Sultan) was the third in fucceffion from Abiftagi: and was himself the fon of Subuctagi, who appears to have meditated the conqueft of the western part of India; and, like Philip, left his projects, as well as his kingdom, to his fon. Subuctagi had carried his arms across the Indus, and ravaged the Panjab; but made no establishments: for we find, that at the time of his fon Mahmood's invafion, a Prince of the Bramin race, or religion, named Jeipal, poffeffed the whole country, along the east fide of the Indus, to Cashmere; and that he had the Kings of Delhi, Agimere, Canoge, and Callinger, for allies: fo that it may be concluded, from the circumftance of the frontier provinces being under a Hindoo government; and from the state of the Hindoo religion, throughout the scene of Mahmood's conquests; that the Mahomedans, whatever ravages they might have committed, previous to this time, had not, as we have before obferved, The reader is requested to confult the map at page :02, for the countries lying between the Indus and the Caspian sea. formed formed any establishment in Hindooftan: but that the whole country was perfectly HINDOO, at the time of Mahmood's conquest. It must be obferved, that I do not clafs the country of Cabul, or any of the provinces on the weft of the Indus, as belonging to Hindooftan proper. Before Mahmood began his firft expedition into India, which was only three years after his acceffion, he extended his empire northward, by reducing Bucharia; from whofe king, his ancestor had revolted, as has been obferved above. In A. D. 1000, he entered Hindooftan: but in the course of eight years, he made no further progrefs than Moultan. The people of Moultan, who were the Malli, and Catheri (that is, the Kuttry or Rajpoot tribe) of Alexander, must have preserved their ancient fpirit, to be able to oppose, for so long a time, fuch formidable armies, headed by fo furious an enthufiaft. In 1008, we find all the Hindoo Princes, from the west of the Ganges to the river Nerbudda, united against him, for the common defence of their religion; the extirpation of which, was to Mahmood, an object equal to that of the acquifition of territory, or fubjects. It may be doubted whether the acquifition of fubjects, the rational end of conqueft, ever enters into the minds of barbarous conquerors; fuch as this Mahmood, Tamerlane, or Nadir Shah. One would rather fuppofe the contrary; or, at least, that they were totally indifferent about it, by their maffacres and exterminations. The confederate Hindoos were defeated: and Mahmood's firft effay towards effecting the downfall of their religion, was the destruction of the famous temple of Nagracut, in the mountains bordering on the Panjab country. His next expedition, being the fixth, was in 1011; when Tannafar, a more celebrated place of Hindoo worship, on the west of Delhi, experienced a like fate with Nagracut; and the city of Delhi itself, was taken at the fame time. In 1018, he took Canoge, and alfo deftroyed the temples of Matra, or Matura, (the Methora of Pliny) a city of high antig 2 quity, quity, and no less an object of religious veneration, near Agra. After this, turning his arms against the Rajpoots of Agimere, he found either them, or their country, which is full of mountains and fastnesses, too strong for him. His twelfth expedition, in 1024, was fatal to the celebrated temple of Sumnaut, in the peninsula of Guzerat, adjoining to the town of Puttan, on the fea coaft; and not far from the island of Diu, now in the hands of the Portuguefe. His route was by Moultan and Agimere, the citadel of which he was compelled to leave in the hands of the enemy: and in croffing the desert, between it and Moultan, he hazarded the lofs of his army, for want of water. The destruction of Hindoo temples, with their Priests and votaries, appears to have afforded this monfter the highest de light. Nothing offends our feelings more, than the progress of destruction urged by religious zeal: as it allows men to suppose themselves agents of the Divinity; thereby removing thofe checks which interfere with the perpetration of ordinary villiany; and thus makes confcience a party, where she was meant to be a judge. Such alfo was Tamerlane: but to the alleviation of the misfortunes of the Hindoos, the enthusiasm of Mahomedanifin had loft its edge, before the invasion of Nadir Shah. Had this predominated in his favage nature, the whole scene of his conquefts, must have remained a folitary defert. The city of Nehrwalla, the ancient capital of Guzerat, together with that whole peninfula, fell into the hands of Mahmood; who died four years afterwards (1028) poffeffed of the eastern, and by much the largest part of Perfia; as well as, nominally, of all the Indian provinces from the western part of the Ganges, to the peninsula of Guzerat; and from the Indus, to the mountains of Agimere but the Panjab was the only part of it, that was fubjected to regular government, under the Mahomedans; as being in the vicinity of the Ghiznian empire. As for the Rajpoots of Agimere, they still preserved their independance, among their rugged moun tains, tains, and close vallies; and not only them, but in a great measure, down to the present time: being in refpect of Hindoostan, what the country of Switzerland, is to Europe; but much more extenfive, and populous. From Mahmood to Aurungzebe, the Indian conquerors were contented with the nominal fubjection of those hardy tribes: among whom, military enthusiasm, grafted on religious principles, is added to strength and agility of body; and this race is diffeminated over a tract equal to half the extent of France. It goes under the general name of Rajpootana: and is the original country of the Mahrattas; who about 30 years ago, afpired at univerfal empire in Hindoostan. . The Ghiznian empire, fubject to the fame causes of decay, with other unweildy states of rapid growth, was in 1158, forcibly divided: the western and largest part, and which still retained the ancient name of the empire, being feized on by the family of the Gaurides (fo denominated from Gaur, or Ghor, a province and city, lying beyond the Indian Caucafus) while the provinces contiguous to both fhores of the Indus, remained to Chufero, or Cufroe, who fixed his refidence at Lahore *. And even his pofterity, were in 1184, driven out of their kingdom, by the Gaurides. The Mahomedans, thus become nearer neighbours to the Hindoos, byfixing their residence at Lahore, extended, as might be expected, their empire eastward; Mahomed Gori, in 1194, perpetrating, in the city of Benares, the fame scenes as Mahmood had before done, at Nagracut and Sumnaut. Benares was regarded as the principal university of Braminical learning; and we may conclude that about this period, the Sanfcrit language, which was before the current language of Hindooftan, began to decline in its purity, by the admixture of words from that of the conquerors; until the language of Hindooftan became what it now is the original Sanferit, preferved in their ancient writings, becoming a dead language. Such For the dates of the reigns of the Emperors of Hindooftan, the reader is referred to a Chronological Table, at the end of the Introduction. muta |