Indian Antiquary Vol 08

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 82

62
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1879.
favour, sent to him some dancing women from The followers of Harirâja were well his country as presents." These girls were received by Govindaraja, and appointed exceedingly beautiful and highly accomplished, to suitable offices in the kingdom. Govindar and they drew to themselves the king's heart so râja was paralyzed at the sad news of the fall much that all his time was usually spent in their of Ajmer, and the death of Hariraja, to company, in listening to their music and seeing whom he paid the last rites. For some years their dancing. At last matters came to such a after this Govindaraja ruled well and justly. pass that most of his revenues were squandered At last he died and went to heaven. on musicians and dancers, and nothing was left After Govindaraja, Balhas succeeded to with which to pay the salaries of the servants of the throne. Bálha na had two sons-Prahthe state, who naturally were disgusted with lâ da, the elder, and Vâgbhata, the younger. the king and his manners. His subjects also Being brought up and educated together, there were dissatisfied.
was between them very great brotherly affection. Apprised of these circumstances, Shah & b. When they came of age, their father, who had u'd-d in thought this a favourable opportunity grown old and feeble, placed his elder son for destroying Hariraja and his power. He | Prahlada, upon the gadi, and appointed the therefore marched his army into the country of younger, Vågbhat a, to the post of prime mi Hariråja. Ever since the death of Prithvi- nister. The old king did not long survive this råja, Hariraja had vowed not to see even arrangement. Prahla da was a just king, the face of the hated Muslim, and he passed his and, as he ruled mildly, his subjects were time, as described, in the company of women. contented. He was therefore ill prepared to meet Shahâb- One day, however, as fate would have it, he a'd-din in the battle-field. As a last resource, went out to the forest to hunt. The hunting Harir ája determined to perform the sak.' party was a grand one. There were many dogs Ho gathered together all the members of his with them, and the party was dressed in blue family, and ascended the funeral pile along with clothes. Merrily they went that day over hill them, and so went to the other world.
and dale, and the prey was unusually heavy. Hariraja had no son, and Shahâbu'd-din Many a mighty lion was made to bite the dust. pressed his followers hard. In the utmost con- While the party was thus engaged, the king fusion and misery, therefore, they assembled in saw a big lion lying at his ease in a patch of council to deliberate on the course they had tall reed grass, and, being dexterous with his best adopt. They were now, they said, without bow, aimed an arrow at the lion and killed him. a leader, while their army was so disorganized The attendants of the king raised a shout of that it could not look the enemy in the face. joy at this feat of royal archery, which had the Shahâbu'd-din was a great warrior and they effect of rousing from his slumbers another were weak. It was impossible that they should lion that was hard by, but of whose presence be able to protect themselves and their capital. they were not aware. In an instant the brute They therefore resolved to abandon the country rushed on the king with the swiftness of to its fate, and go and live under the protection lightning, and seizing one of the king's arms of Govindaraja, the grandson of Prithvi. in his mouth tore it from the body. This sad raja, who, having been banished the kingdom accident pat a stop to the sport, and the party by his father, had by his bravery acquired & bore the wounded monarch home, where the new kingdom and established his capital at l effects of the poison of the animal's bite termiRanathambhôr. They accordingly gather- nated his life. ed in all the remnants of Hariraja's power The death-bed of the king was an affecting and wealth and started for Ranathambhôr. scene. He placed on the gádi his son ViraAjmer, vacated by Harirâja's party, was now nå råyaņa, and called to his presence V å gpillaged and burnt by Shahâbu'd-din, who took bhata, his brother and minister, and said to possession of the city.
him that the three qualities of bravery, pene1 Gujarat in ancient times was famous for the number dancing girls. The professional dancing, girls of Persia and beauty of its dancing girls. One of its kings was are said have been the descendants of this stock! Vide forced to give his daughter in marriage to an ancient As. Res. val. IX., "Bickram and Salibahan.' Persian king, who took with him from the country 1200