TAKSILES. According to the Greeks, the chief who joined with Alexander on his approach to the Indus. Colonel Tod (i. p. 105) thinks the name is Tak-Es, the lord of Tak. The Tnk were one of the republican races whom Justin styles banditti (Justin, xv. 4)--4Contractis latronibus Judos novitatem regni solicitavit.' But the Arattas, who were the dominant people of the Eastern Panjab, are never mentioned in the Malta-, bliarata without being styled robbers (Lassen, Pen tapota Indica)---' Aratti profecto latrones,' and Ballici latrones.' The Sanskrit Irani° is Araslitra, the kingle.ss,' which is preserved in the Adiaistm of Arrian, who places them on the Ravi. They were the republican defenders of Sanzala, or Saknla, a fact which points to their Sanskrit name of Arashtra, or kingless.' But though their power vas then confined to the Eastern Panjab, the people themselves had once spread over the whole country--' Ubi fluvii quini . . . ibi sedes sunt Arattorum ' (Lassen, Peutapot Indica, from the Mahabharata). They were known by the several names of Bahika, Jarttika, and Takka, of which the last would appear to have been their true appellation, for their old c,apital of Taxila or Takka sila was known to the Greeks of Alexander, and the people themselves still exist in considerable numbers in the Pairjab Hills. The ancient extent
of their power is proved by the present prevalence of their alphabetical character, which, under the name of Takri or Takni, is now used by all the Hindus of Kashmir and the northern mountains, from Simla and Subathit to Klibul and Bamian. On these grounds, 3fajor Cunningham identifies the banditti of Justin with the Takka or original inhabitants of the Panjab, and assigns to them the honour of delivering their native land from the thraldom of a foreign yoke. This event occurred most probably about n.c. 316, or shortly after the march of Eudemos to the assistance of Eurnenes. See Tak ; Takshak.
TAK-ul-BOSTAN is parasang from the town of Kermanshah. There are here magnificent bas reliefs, splendid works of art,executed by command of Bahrain iv., the Varanes iv. of Roman history, who lived at the commencement of the fifth cen tury, and who, as it is said, was the founder of Kermanshah.—Ferrier, Journ. p. 27.