From this period, the race of Bali Rami, called the Bali Putras, gradually declined on the throne of Magadha, till A. D. 191, when a new dynasty arose. The native country of this new dynasty was Gaut; but they took their appellation from the province of Andhara, between Nellore and the Godavery, of which they were at one time sovereigns. The interval between Chandra Gupta, and the establishment of the new dynasty, was filled up by twenty-four kings; ten of whom were of the family of Sonia, ten of the Suraya Varshas. The most remarkable of these was Vicramaditya, whose reign furnishes the date of the common sera of India, beginning 56 years be fore that of Christ. The four last kings of the old dyn asty were of the Canwa race ; and it was during their reign that the Andharas gradually rose to power. In A. D. 151, Sipaca, one of the Andharas, murdered the last Canwa prince, and placed himself on the throne of Magadha.
It is not easy to determine the exact extent, or the pre cise boundaries, of the dominions of Sipaca. In some grants of lands by him, which still remain, lie styles him self lord of Tri Calanga, or the three shores. Hence it may be inferred, if this be not an oriental exaggeration, that he reigned over the whole of India. Of the dynasty of the Andharas, there were three races. The first was of the genuine family ; the second of a spurious branch; and the third consisted of the servants of the latter, who at first governed, and at length dethroned their master s. Of these different races, little remarkable or authentic is recorded. The last of the second race, Puloman, is re presented as a %varlike and pious prince. After a life of heroic exploits, he voluntarily destroyed himself in the holy stream of the Ganges, imitating in this respect the example of his grandfather, who closed in a similar man ner a brilliant career of conquest. Respecting the precise acra of Puloman there can be no doubt, since the Chinese annals coincide with those of Ilindostan, in fixing his death A. D. 64S.• After that event, the greater part of India seems to have been divided into a number of small monarchies, which arose out of the confusion consequent upon the intrigues and establishment of the third and last race of the Andharas. Maharajahs, or great chiefs, established themselves at Canoge, in Guzerat, at Marthala, or Tirhut, Santa or Oude, Varenesa or Bemires, and Taniralipta or Tamlook. The kingdom of Magadha had originally com prehended South Bahar only ; but under the lunar race of kings, or Chandra Varslina, its boundaries wet e very much extended. During the sovereignty of the third
race of the Andharas, it was reduced to its original limits of South Bahar. The foreign princes who principally contributed to diminish its extent were, the kings of Guar, or Bengal, who at length became such power lid and troublesome enemies, that the scat of the government of Alagadha was removed from Palibothra to Patna, as being at a greater distance from the frontiers of Bengal. About this time, it appears from the Chinese annals, that the country to the westward, or that portion of Hindostan called the Punjab, was ravaged by a tribe of Huns, whose savage appearance, and manners, and warlike character, so completely terrified the native monarchs, that they de fended their territories in a very feeble and inefficient manner.
We now arrive at a period of the history of Hindostan not only of great interest and importance, but which is also made known to us in a much more ample and distinct manner than the events which preceded it ; we allude to the 111ahomedan conquest of that country. The first at tempt of the Mahomedans to conquer India was made during the reign of the Kalif Omar, A. D. 636, but it failed of success. In the reign of the Kalif Walid, the conquest of Sinde was accomplished. Before this time, the Calif Ali had sent a general, who effected some tri lling conquests on the confines of this country. But, after long and bloody conflicts, he was forced to desist. As soon as the Kalif \Valid had achieved this important con quest, the incursions of the Mahomedans into the fertile countries of Hindostan became more frequent and success ful. They do not seem, however, to have attempted per manent conquest till neatly two centuries after they had obtained possession of Sinde, the first Mahomedan prince who made a serious impression on India having been the Sultan Mahmoud Sebectaghin, who reigned at Ghazna. The empire of Ghazna was founded by Abistaji, governor of Khorasan, who rebelled from the king of Bucharia. His successor, Scbectaghin, the father of Mahmoud, ap pears to have meditated the conquest of the western part of India. Ile actually carried his arms across the Indus, and ravaged the Punjab; but he made no establishments there ; for at the period of his son Mahmoud's invasion, a prince of the Brahmin race possessed the whole country along the east side of the Indus as far as Cashmere, his allies heing the kings of Delhi, Ajmeer, Canoge, and Callinger.