Relationship not stated, said to be of the
royal race.

Grandson of a younger brother of No. 26,
Thein-tswin.

Son.

The Poems of Chand Barday.-By F. S. GROWSE, Esq., M. A. OXON, B. C. S.

In the cold weather of 1867, I addressed a brief note to the Asiatic Society, in course of which I suggested the desirability of taking some steps towards the publication of the ancient Hindi poems ascribed to Chand Barday. The matter was taken up by Mr. Long and others, and an application made to Government for the loan of the MS. preserved in the Agra College Library. The result was, that in last June, I was formally requested by the Secretary to the Government of the N. W. P. to examine the poem, and write a report upon its value in an antiquarian or general point of view. The MS. was duly forwarded to me through the Director of Public Instruction, and I had made some slight progress in it when a misunderstanding occurred (which has since been fully explained) in consequence of which I abandoned the task, and returned the MS. But before doing so, I had put myself in communication with Bábú Siva Prasad, the well-known Inspector of Schools, who was kind enough to borrow for me another MS. from the Library of the Mahárájá of Benares. I had imagined that this would be useful for purposes of collation; but on inspection found it to be an entirely different poem, and bearing a different name, though written professedly by the same author and treating of the same events. The Agra poem, entitled Prithíráj rás, occupies 1598 folio pages, and is divided into 68 cantos, corresponding apparently with the MS. consulted by Col. Tod. It has all the dignity and proportions of an Epic poem, commencing, with an elaborate introduction, and proceeding through a succession of incidents to a grand catastrophe, viz. the capture of Delhi and the establishment of the Muhammadan dynasty. The Benares poem, entitled the Prithíráj-ráyasá, occupies only 786 octavo pages, plunges at once in medias res, terminates abruptly, and is altogether much less ornate in character. Though it bears the same name as the MS. described in the Proceedings of the Society for July last, it does not appear to correspond with it in any other respect, judging at least from the table of contents, and may be another part of the same work. As copies of the poem are exceedingly scarce, and no two seem to agree,

I think it desirable to place on record a brief notice of each. Accordingly I propose to do so for the copy that I have examined by, 1st, giving a summary of the contents; 2dly, attempting a translation of one canto; and 3rdly, making a transcript of some verses of the original text.

This plan of procedure will indicate the general scope of the work, the interest of the narrative, and the character of the language; which are the three points most to be considered. I should be glad to see the same scheme pursued with all other copies that may be brought to light.

The Benares MS. of the Prithíráj-ráyasá is dated Sambat 1900. It is well written, but has received numerous marginal corrections, and stands in need of many more, being full of clerical errors. It consists of two books entitled I. Mahobe ka samay, and II. Kanauj ká samay. I am uncertain how the word samay is here to be translated; the ordinary meaning time does not seem very appropriate. Sir H. Elliot was evidently in the same difficulty, as appears from a note of his which I shall quote later. The second book has no subordinate sections; the first is divided into 38 cantos. I give the titles as they stand in the original, thinking this the most satisfactory plan, since their brevity makes them often obscure and capable of alternative interpretations.

1. Rájá Chandra-brahma utpatti.

2. Manurpur Bhánḍav jagya.

3. Rájá Parmál Alhan sambodha.

4. Mallakhán mantrain.

5. Mantra subhat pratijná.

6. Mallakhán juddh.

7. Kanaujpur Alhan svapna.

8. Jaganayak Kanaujpur. 9. Jaman juddh Kábiljer. 10. Alhan Gangáju darsan. 11. Alhan Jay-chand miláp. 12. Gájar juddh.

13. Jaganak Alhan sambád.
14. Alhan Jaychand sambád.
15. Brahmá barát Batesvi darsan.