Indian Antiquary Vol 53

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 24

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUABY
[ JANUARY, 1924
stands to reason that the chance of nightly depre- ( is identified with the famous city of Hastinapura, dations in Poona must have been effectively mentioned in both the great Epics and by Panini. minimised by the very strict curfew-order of the During the rule of Janamejaya's successors Peshwa, which the average Londoner in 1810 great misfortunes befell the Kurus, and the seat of would not have colerated for a moment. It is the dynasty had to be transferred to Kausambi, satisfactory to note that Dr. Sen refers more than the old capital having been destroyed by the Ganges. once to the evidence of Colonel Tone, the Irish In consequence the Kurus lost their dominant soldier of fortune, who commanded one of Baji political position, and the most notable figure Rao's regiments. Grant.Duff refers only once, of the seventh century B.C. Was Janaka of Videha. or at the most twice, to Tone's testimony, which In his day, according to tha Brahmanas and is unquestionably valuable in reference to Maratha Upanishads there were nine important states in affairs and deserves to be better known.
northern India besides Videha, viz., Gandhara, In conclusion, let it. suffice to remark that Dr.
Keksye, Madra, Usinara, Matsya, Kuru, Pafchala, Sen has produced an admirable work of refer. Kasi and Kogala. The author identifies all these ence for students of the history of the Deccan in
states and, by means of quotations, gives much the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
interesting traditional information about them.
The Kurus, we are told, had to leave their country, & M. EDWARDES.
probably in the reign of Nichakshu, owing to &
visitation of Matacht, which Dr. Bhandarkar POLITICAL HISTORY OF INDIA FROM THE ACCESSION
declares to be a Sanskritised form of the Kanarese OT PARIKSHIT TO THE CORONATION OF BIMBINARA.
word for "a locust." By HEMCHANDRA RAYCHAUDHURI, M.A. Reprint.
After discussing the mattor of Janaka's successors,
Professor Raychaudhuri deals in turn with the ed from the Journal of the Department of Letters,
Deccan kingdoms in the time of the later Vaidehas, Vol. IX. Calcutta University Press, 1923.
suggesting incidentally that the Mutibas of the This little book is an attempt to trace the history Aitareya Brâhmana are identical with the Mushikas of India from the time of the famous struggle of the Markandeya Purana, with che sixteen states between the PÅndavas and Kauravas down to the (solasa maha janapada) which existed between sixth century BC. The author admits that the fall of the Videhan monarchy and the rise & single tangible relic of this dim period exists, of Kopala. under Mahakosala, the father-in-law of and that dependence has therefore to be placed Bimbaskra, and finally with the fall of Kasi and upon ancient Brahmanical and other literature, the ascendancy of Kopala in the sixth century B.O. ranging from the last book of the Atharva Vedá, The last chapter of the book is devoted to an enquiry the Brahmanas and Upanishads, the Puranas into the character of the monarchy, which was and the two great Epios, down to the Buddhist the prevailing form of government during this Suttas and Jatakas and the works of the Jaina prehistoric age. Though the cautious scholar will canon. In brief, his task is to attempt a review naturally hesitate to accept the author's outline of the misty period preceding the reign of the fifth (1) as strict history, one cannot wholly reject. 88 King of the Saisunåga dynasty of Rajagriha, based imaginary the traditional figures mentioned in upon tradition enshrined in ancient Indian literature, ancient literature, particularly when their existence
The author commences by discussing the identity circumstances and achievements are so carefully of King Parikshit and tentatively places him in
co-ordinated and illustrated by quotation as they the ninth century B.C. He is said to have been
are in this modest, but withal interesting, volume. succeeded by Janamejaya, whose capital, Isandivant,
8. M. EDWARDES.
NOTES AND QUERIES. SIVAJI'S SWORD, "BHAVANI."
by one of that family to Maharaja Sivaji with Can any reader of the Indian Antiomary throw a view to securing his friendship. any light upon the present whereabouts of Bhava. Grant Duff, in his History of the Mahrattas. ni, the famous sword of the Maratha hero, Sivaji mentions the sword three times So far as my enquiries go, our present knowledge (a) On page 230 (Vol. I, revised ed., Oxford of the history of the sword is briefly as follows:
Univ. Press, 1921), he writes "The The Shindigvijaya Bakhar, quoted at page 181 sword, which he constantly used and of Professor Surendranath Sen's recently publish
which he named after the goddess Bho. ed English translation of the Sabhasad Bakhar,
wanee, is still preserved by the Rajs states that this sword, which was “an excellent
of Satars with the utmost veneration, dhop tariar worth two hundred Hons," originally
and has all the honours of an idol paid belonged to the Savants of Wadi and was presented
to it."