National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

party held out the last note of their melody for a time, whilst the other party started
theirs.¹

On the following day we reached Sarāhan. It is the ancient capital of the Bashahr
State, and the palace here is by far superior to that at Rāmpur. Here we found the Rājā
residing. Shamsher Singh, a man of seventy years of age, is the last of a long line of a
hundred and twenty Rājās, enumerated in the Rajowari of Bashahr, which was first
brought to light through Mr. H. A. Rose's exertions. The dynasty claims to have come
from Kāñchanapurī (i.e., Conjeevaram) in the Deccan, and to be of Brahman caste
Once the throne of Bashahr being vacant, it was prophesied that the Brahman who
should enter the palace-gate first, was the destined king. The younger one of two
Brahman brothers, Pradyumna, who came from Kāñchanapurī, entered the palace-gate
first, and was accordingly made king. The descendants of the elder brother became
family priests and are said to be still in office. It is very difficult to believe that the
pedigree with its 120 members can be genuine in its more ancient parts. All the
Rājās are called by the dynastical name Singh (Sanskrit Siṁha), but there is no
instance of any ancient Indian family which makes use of that name earlier than the
15th century. The family of the Bashahr Rājās, as Mr. Howell, Assistant Commissioner
of Kulu, tells me, is recognised all over northern India as very ancient and the other
rājas are desirous of receiving their caste-mark from the Bashahr Rāja, even if the latter
condescends only to put it on their foreheads with his toe.

Shamsher Singh is very favourably inclined to Europeans and wishes to make friends
with all of them. Shortly after our arrival, therefore, he announced his intention to
have tea with me. He was carried in a litter by several of his subjects, and a small
crowd was gathered together near the bungalow to receive him with shouts, " Ho!
Mahārāj." His state is of considerable extent, but thinly populated, and has a future
before it. The Rājā asked us first to take a photo of himself, and then to go to the
other side of his palace and take a general view of it from there. (Plates IV, b and
V, a). The palace presented itself at its best from the mountain side, where it showed
all its symmetrical beauty. It is one of the finest specimens of hill architecture I
have ever seen. Although there are no written records about it, it is evidently of consi-
derable age. The Rājās ought to be urged to keep it in good repair, but not to make any
structural alterations. Like all buildings of the hill-type it is built of layers of rubble
masonry and beams of cedar wood. The roofs are slanting and slightly concave like
those of the Chinese. In the walls of the court, several carved stone images of very
rude execution have been inserted. I was told that they represent Kāli and Bhairava.

There is also an ancient Kāli temple connected with the palace which is not acces-
sible to Europeans. It is said to contain a deep pit. There are rumours that human
sacrifices were offered here every tenth year, and that they are still continued secretly.²
The victim is thrown into the pit. If a human sacrifice be not forthcoming at the