A long time passed before Sind became flourishing. The original work gives a long description of the country, its rivers and wonders, and mentions the foundation of cities. The city which the queen made the capital, is called Askaland.* A small portion of the country she made over to the Jats, and appointed one of them as their chief; his name was Júdrat. Similar arrangements were also made for the Meds. This government continued for twenty and some* years, after which the Bhárats lost possession of the country.
ACCOUNT OF THE FALL OF THE PÁNDAVAS AND HISTORY OF BRAHMÍN.* —Injustice was the cause of the fall of the dynasty of the Pándavas. Fortune had grown indifferent towards them, and they ended by becoming tyrants. One day they carried off the cow of a brahman, and were about to kill him, when the brahman warned them, and said, “I have read in books that the prosperity of the Pándavas will fall when they shall kill a brahman for the sake of a cow—do not kill me.” They did not heed him, but killed both him and the cow. That brahman had a son named Brahmín, a strong and tall man, who dwelt upon a mountain. When he heard of this nefarious business he arose, and said to himself, I will go and take away the sovereignty from the Pándavas, for they have killed a cow, (and) a brahman: the words of the sages cannot prove false, so the time of the fall of their dominion is come. Men laughed at him, but a party assembled round him. He took a city, and his power increased day by day, until he had a large army; and he went on capturing cities until at length he reached the city of Hatná,* which was the capital. Kúyáhúrat marched out to the battle, but was slain, and Brahmín assumed the sovereignty. Wherever he found any one of the race of the Pándavas he slew him. But a few escaped, who concealed their extraction, and employed themselves as butchers and bakers, or in similar crafts. Brahmín acquired the whole of Hindústán. They say that a daughter of Bol [Nakula], son of Pandu, went to him, and gave him such counsels as induced him to desist from slaying the Pándavas. But he put them all in prison until a large number was collected, when as a condition of their deliverance* he made them follow certain trades, so that no one would give their daughters to them, or take theirs, or associate with them. He proclaimed this throughout his dominions. Their position was lowered to such a degree, that they took to the occupation of musicians. It is said that the Hindu lute players belong to this family; but God knows.
HISTORY OF SUNÁGH.—They say that Brahmín felt remorse for the slaughter of so many persons, and said, I substitute worship on the summit of a mountain for the slaughter of men. One day a brahman named Fásaf [Kasyapa] came to him and admonished him. Brahmín said, It is even so; I myself repent, and I will now give this kingdom to thee. Fásaf said, It is no business of mine; but Brahmín replied, Do thou receive it from me, and appoint some one over it by thy own authority. There was a servant named Sunágh, and him Fásaf seated on the throne. Brahmín then returned to the scene of his devotions. Sunágh practised justice and equity, and pursued a worthy course. The sovereignty remained in his family until fifteen kings had sat upon the throne. Then they became tyrants, and the sovereignty departed from them. This was in the reign of Gustásf, king of Persia. It is said that in the life-time of this Gustásf, Bahman led an army to Hindústán and took a portion of it; as to the other parts every one (that could) seized a corner. No one of the family (of Sunágh) retained any power. Bahman founded a city between the confines of the Hindús and the Turks, to which he gave the name of Kandábíl, and in another place, which they call Budha, he founded a city which he called Bahman-ábád. According to one account this is Mansúra; but God knows. At this time he returned to Persia, when he received the news of the death of Gustásf, and assumed the crown. This account I found in this book, but I have not read it elsewhere. The mother of Bahman is said to have been of Turk extraction; but God knows.
HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF KASHMÍR AND HÁL.—It is said that Hál was the descendant of Sanjwára, son of Jandrat and of the daughter of King Dahrát. He inherited in Hindústán the dominion which had been occupied by Jandrat and Dassal and their descendants. He became a very important personage, and built a fine capital and several cities. His country was remarkable for the superior quality of the cloth that was manufactured there. The exportation of this fabric, without the stamp of the king, was prohibited. This stamp was an impression of his foot with saffron.*
It happened that the wife of the king of Kashmír bought some of that cloth, and having made up a dress of the same, she appeared before her husband, who at the sight of the stamp got jealous, and asked her whence she got the cloth, and what stamp was on it. His wife replied that she had bought it from a merchant. The merchant was sent for, and the king made enquiries about it. The merchant said that the stamp on the cloth was an impression of king Hál's foot.* On hearing this the king of Kashmír swore he would go and cut off the foot of king Hál. His Wazír observed,— “that place is the land of the brahmans, you will gain no victory there.” The king of Kashmír did not heed this advice, but marched out with his army. When Hál heard of the king of Kashmír's intentions, he was alarmed; he sent information to the bráhmans and told them the king of Kashmír's threat, and said it behoved them therefore to throw obstacles in his way. The bráhmans offered up their prayers, and counselled him to have an elephant made of clay, and to have it placed in front of the battle-field. Hál did so, and when the king of Kashmír's soldiers advanced under their commander-in-chief, flames burst from the elephant and burnt many of them.
The king of Kashmír was then compelled to sue for peace, (at the
conclusion of which,) Hál sent many presents to him. And the
king of Kashmír, in order to fulfil his oath, cut off the leg of an
image made of wax, and returned by the river.*
He was advised
not to proceed by water on account of its turbulence. In compliance
with this advice he travelled along the bank (sáhil) until
he reached a stage some parasangs distant from the country of
Kashmír, when the waters subsided.*
In that place he built many
houses and villages. The sea in Hindí is called Sávandar*
(Samu-