Ilindostan, fixing to it the limits assigned by the Inn doos, is divided into four large districts. 1st. Northern Ilindostan. This comprises Cashmere on the west, and Bootan on the east ; on the south, it is bounded by the first ridge of mountains that rise from the plains of Delhi, Oude, Bahar, and Bengal ; and on the north by the Hima leh ridge, which divides it from Tibet. 2d, Hindostan proper comprehends the eleven provinces formed by the Emperor Acber already mentioned. The Nerbuddah ri ver divides it on the south from the Decan. 3d, Decan is bounded on the north by the Nerbuddah, and by a line drawn from its source to the mouth of the Ilooghly. The Krishna and Malpurba are the boundaries on the south. This division comprehends the provinces of Aurungabad, Khandcsh, Beder, Hyderabad, Nandere, the northern Cir cars, Berar, Gundwana, Orissa, and great part of Bejapoo•. 4th, The south of India extends from the Krishna to the ocean, and comprises a small part of Bejapoor ; the Ba laghaut ceded districts ; the three Carnatics, northern, central, and southern ; Mysore, Canara, Malabar, Barra ma hal, Coimbetoor, Dindigul, Salem, Kistuagherry, Cochin, and Travancore.
In the present article, we shall confine ourselves, both in the history and statistics, to the second, third, and fourth divisions of Ilindostan, referring our readers to the articlas CASHMERE, NEeauL, and TIBET, for infor mation respecting the first division ; and to BENGAL, CA XABA, CABNAT1C, MALABAR, NIVSOBE, and TRAVANCORE, for more particular information respecting the principal provinces in those parts of I lindostan of which we shall here treat.
The traces of the ancient chronology and history of In dia are very faint and imperfect, and are nearly quite lost in remote antiquity. It is supposed by those Europeans who have made the most elaborate and careful researches on these points, and who have investigated and compared, on the spot, the features, manners, languages and religions of the various tribes who inhabit this vast territory, that a few only of the aboriginal inhabitants are to he found scattered in the hilly counties ; and it is certain, that the Brahmins have traditions that their ancestors came from the north, and, having conquered Hindustan, established there their customs, religion, and languages. According to them, Bharata comprehended ten kingdoms or states, each speaking a different language ; five of these were called Gaurs, occupying the northern and eastern parts of India ; and five were called Draviras, extending from Cape Comorin to Guzerat. The first state of the Gaurs comprehended all the Punjab, as far west as the Indus, and south as Guzerat : it was called Sarcswata from its prin cipal river. The dominions of the Canyacubjas, a war
like nation, comprehended part of the province of Delhi, Oude, Agra, Scrinagur, and probably Allahabad and Cash mere. Tirhut extended from the Cusi to the Gundluk and from the Ganges to the mountains of Nepaul. Benga la extended over the province of Bengal, and probably part of Bahar. Utcala extended along the shores of the Bay of Bengal, from Balasore to Godavery, and inland as far as Sammalpoor. Dravira proper extended from Cape Comorin to between 12 and 13 degrees of north latitude. North of Dravira was the kingdom of Carnatica ; it occupi ed part of Mysore, the Carnatic, and the shores of Coro mandel : its name may be traced in the Carnatic on the cast, and Canara on the west coast. Tailingana extended over the country between the Krishna and Godavery. The country of Mum or the i\laharashtras, now called the Mahrattas, occupied the district to the south of the Ner budda, and the maritime country of the Kocan or Khan dcish. the modern Guzerat, seems not to have changed its ancient limits. At what period these ten great kingdoms of Bharata were formed, or when they were mingled and redivided, is not known ; hut many cen turies before the Mahornedan conquest they had changed their names and relative importance. About two thousand years before the birth of Christ, Bharata comprised four rich and powerful kingdoms, together with many subordi nate principalities. According to the Puranas, or ancient books of the Hindoos, which treat of the creation, and of the genealogy of their gods and heroes, these kingdoms acknowledged, as their common head, the sovereign of the most powerful of them, with whom they all united for mu• tual defence against foreign invasion, and under whom, in time of war, they acted. At all other times, and in every other respect, they were separate and independent states. The kingdom of the Prachii, or Prasii, people of the "east, was the most opulent and powerful : it comprehended the modern provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and part of Oude. The kingdom of Bejanagur, which ranked next that of the Prachii, comprised the whole of the great Peninsula, from the Krishna to Cape Comorin. The third state ex tended from the Gulf of Cambay to the mouths of the Ganges, and from the latitude of 22° to 17° north. The pro%inces of Lahore, Multan, Delhi, and Ajmeer, constitu ted the last of these kingdoms. The sole management of the internal police of all these kingdoms belonged to the rajahs of the several provinces, into which they were divi ded; but these rajahs were tributary and responsible to their respective sovereigns.