The blind Mohammed did not long retain his newly-acquired dignity. Modúd, the son of Masúd, was not without suspicion that his uncle had been privy to his father's murder. The former received the news of this event by a letter from his uncle, who affected to lament a brother's death; and the answer to the fratri­cide was as biting and sarcastic, as condolence was ill-dissembled and uncalled for, in his nephew's opinion: “May God lengthen the days,” said he, “of so merciful a king, and grant that his mad son Ahmad gain glory in the practice of regicide, till he obtains his reward at our hands!” At this time, Modúd was at Balkh, whither he had been sent, after his father's defeat and retreat to India. Indignant at his uncle's supposed hypocrisy, this prince, on first receiving intelligence of the event, was anxious to march directly on the Panjáb, that he might revenge his father's murder. From this he was dissuaded by his friends; who induced him first to go to Ghazní, and take possession of the ancient capital of his ancestors. His approach was hailed with acclamation by the citizens, who thronged to meet him. From this he hastened to the banks of the Indus, to oppose his uncle's army, which had marched from Lahore. The struggle of the parties was soon decided; a battle was fought between them, in which Modúd was victorious; and his father's murderers were put to death. There was now no rival to oppose his pretensions to the throne of Ghazní, except his brother Majdúd;* who had been left, as before noticed, in the government of the south-eastern states. Hansi was, at this time, the capital of the younger brother, who refused to bear allegiance to the elder. The latter had failed by persuasion to bring the other to obedience, and had no choice left him but to trust to the sword for the issue of the contest. A force was sent to the Panjáb; when Majdúd, hearing of its approach, left Hansi, and hastened to oppose it. Soon after, however, he was found dead in his bed, without any previ­ous complaint; and left his brother undisputed possession of the kingdom.

Revolt among its principal governors, increas­ing

The Hindús
regain posses­sion
of several
subjugated
places.

encroachments by the Saljúk Turk­máns, and the domestic quarrels of its princes, had much embarrassed the affairs of the Ghazní government. The Hindús were not slow in perceiving this change in the power of their conquerors; and, having experienced nothing from their government in the height of its prosperity but insult and dishonour, were glad to perceive the day of retribution approach­ing, and hastened to assist in its downfall and disgrace. Priestcraft was at work with the credulity of the people, and zealots of all parties perceived it was their interest to unite against their oppressors. A numerous host was col­lected, under the command of the Rájá of Dehlí and his confederates; and Hansi, Nágrakót, and Thánesar, were retaken; the dilapidated temples were rebuilt; idolatrous rites re-established, and the Mohammedans of Lahore nar­rowly escaped the horrors of a storm. While the relative power and knowledge of parties, since those days, has turned much in favour of us as conquerors, the principles of human nature, and the incitement to action, are indelible and unchangeable; and the lesson ought not be forgotten by those who have succeeded in possession.

A.D. 1043.
Review of the
state of India
at this period,
and the distri­bution
of the
country among
its Hindú
rulers.

In order to fill up the periods of fable, and bring down its history to the time when Mohammedan annals of India commence, the Voidya monarchs of Bengal, cotemporary with the Rájpút princes bearing the title of Pál, are made to succeed them in the general system of Hindú chronology. This, as will presently be explained, is founded on misconception and ignorance. The last but one of the Voidya Rájás, Lakshmana Sinha, is well known to Mohammedan history as Laka­mir, and gives name to an era in Bengal. Their original seat of government was Naddia;* but Gaur, or Laknauti, on the left bank of the Ganges, near Malda, afterwards became their capital. Cotemporary with this state was that of Benares and Gaur; which was governed, in the reign of Mahmúd of Ghazní, by Rájás of the Buddhist persuasion; of whose former existence and belief the urns found at Sarnáth, four miles north of Benares, and the inscription on the statue of Buddha, afford us unequivocal proof.* The contiguous Hindú principality, north-westward, was Kálinjar, tributary to the Buddhist princes of Benares; and further east­ward than that the kings of Ghazní do not appear to have advanced. The first of the Benares family, Bhúpála, otherwise named Mahípála, was succeeded by his sons Sthirapála and Vasanta­pála, who erected the temple of Sarnáth.* If the Srí Deva Pála, of the Mongír grant and inscription from Buddal,* be not the same person as the last, though differently entitled, he cer­tainly succeeded this family, not long after A.D. 1027. Ten years subsequent to this time, the name of Yaso Pála occurs. He issues his com­mands in the fort of Karrah,* but ruled the realm of Kausamba, or Rangamatty, situated on the Brahmaputra river. This can be no other than Srí Deva Pála, who was mighty lord of the great Sugats or Buddhists, and had for his subjects the Gaur, Khoso, Laasata, and Bhoto, or the people of Bahar, Kassay, Lhassa, and Bhútan. He travelled on his pilgrimages from the sources of the Ganges, at Kedar Náth, to Gúkerna on the ocean,* and overran the kingdoms on his route. These conquests were not permanent; but the occurrence of such indicates the unsettled habits of the military class of Hindús in those times. As the prince who made them is said to have acted according to the Shástra, or the law, and emulated a God in his actions, he may have thus received the title of Srí Deva Pála; while his other title of Yaso Pála would express his celebrity. On the west of India, Dhúrlabha Chalukya had abdi­cated, at Nahrwálah Patan, in favour of his son, or brother, Bhíma Rájá I; and made his pilgrimage to Gayá. One of the Gohila family occupied Ajmír, and, in the south of India, the Belál princes, who afterwards took possession of Dwárá Samudra, had swerved from their alle­giance to the Chóla Rájás, and founded a new state north of the Krishna.*