FEBRUARY, 1873.]

THE CHANDEL THA KURS.

33

THE CHANDEL THAKū Rs. By F. N. WRIGHT, B.A., Oxon., B. C. S.

MONG the many tribes that by migration, whether its cause were conquest, or the mere

desire to obtain relief from an over-crowded home, have established themselves in the Antarbed, the Chandel Thäkärs present perhaps as interesting a history as any. The following particulars are derived from two family histories (Banswala)— the one belonging to the now extinct branch of

Sheorājpúr, and the other to that which, first establishing itself in Sachendi, has covered with

from papers actually in possession of the writer at the time of writing, though lost subsequently in the mutiny, it is to the latter we must look for a trustworthy description of the manner in which the Chandels came to establish themselves

so far from their original home. The Chandels trace their origin through Chandra, the moon, up to Brahma, the great creative principle, including in their pedigree historic names, such as Jijāt and Pär.t. From

its numerous ramifications the whole of the

Brahma to Sati Prasād, the last acknowledged

south of parganah Jājmau, zilla Kánhpūr. The former history is in Persian, the latter in Hindi; and the characteristics of each are so

rājā, 118 generations are numbered; but the various pedigrees collated contain several discre pancies in the earlier names, some of which are noted below. The mythical origin of the Chan

strongly marked, and have so important a bearing on the accuracy of the facts which they relate, that it is necessary briefly to call attention to them.

dels is thus described by the Hindi MS.:—

The account contained in the Persian MS.

“Hemvati was daughter of Indarjit,f Gahlwâr Thäkür, Rājā of Banāras; with her at midnight

was compiled by order of the last rājā, Sati

the Moon had dalliance : she awoke when she

Prasād, in A. D. 1841. The main object of

recovered her senses, and saw the Moon returning

the compilation being an elaborate statement

to his own place. She was about to curse him, and said—“I am not a Gautam woman” (this allusion is obscure), when he replied—“The

of the rights due to, and the wrongs suffered by, the Sheorājpür rāj, little space is devoted to the pre-historic period; but the details of

curse of Sri Krishn has been fulfilled; your son

the more recent events are concise and parti

will become very great, and his kingdom will

cular. Though, however, the phraseology is elegant, and graceful couplets on the attributes of various rājās break the monotony of some what dry detail, the reader is not encouraged

extend from sunset to sunrise.”

to linger till he arrives at the commencement

death in a stranger's house. The Hindi MS., also of comparatively recent date,” is the com pilation of one or more bards; and containing

her this spell—“Go to Asu, near Kälingar, and there dwell. When within a short time of being delivered, cross the river Kin (?), and go to Khajrain, where Chintâman S Banya dwells, and live there with him. Your son shall perform a great sacrifice. In this iron age sacrifices are not perfect. I will appear as a Brähman and complete the sacrifice: then your absolution will

probably the material for many an epic, chanted

be perfect.”

to admiring and wondering audiences round the village chaupil, it is full of mythical and exaggerated details, which, whatever lustre they may lend to the proud family to which they refer, decidedly lessen our faith in the accuracy of all that is not supported by collateral evidence. While, therefore, the Hindi MS. is of

The fruit of this intrigue was Chandra Varma (called in the Persian MS. Chandra Puras, or

of English rule, when the fortunes of the power ful clan began to totter—their final ruin being accomplished by the disloyalty of their chieftain

in 1857, and his imprisonment and subsequent

value in

so far as it corroborates the more

precise record of the Persian document, compiled

• I have in vain attempted to fix the exact date of com

pilation : it is probably not the work of one time only. + This pedigree I have collated most carefully with others in possession of cadet branches. As it is a mere list of

names, I do not give it here.

Hemvati said—

“Tell me that spell by which my sin may be absolved.” Chandra said—“You will have a son,

and he will be your absolution;” and he gave

Chandra Deo); and

the date of his birth

is given as Kätik Badi 4, Sambat 204.

From

him to the well-known Parmál Deo, whose fort,

Kälingar, was taken by Kütb-ād-din, A. D. 1202 (Sambat 1258), there are, according to the Persian MS., 49 generations; but the Hindi MS. reckons only 23. The chronology of the f “Of Hemraj, Brähman in Indarjit's service.”—H. Elliot. § The descendants of this Chintâman for many years retained the office of Diwān to the Chandel rājās. | Elliot's Ind. Hist., II. 231.