. Pictorial history of China and India; comprising a description of those countries and their inhabitants. obtain a reputation for sanctity by imposingon themselves, or seeming to do so, the most painful austerities; but theirinfluence gradually declined ; some of them were in time treated with con-tempt as impostors, while others inspired dread by their lawless deeds. Tothe latter class belonged the Nagas, who were at once monks, soldiers, androbbers — sometimes engaging, for pay, in the services of different princes,and at other times forming themselves into large armed bands for the pur-pos
. Pictorial history of China and India; comprising a description of those countries and their inhabitants. obtain a reputation for sanctity by imposingon themselves, or seeming to do so, the most painful austerities; but theirinfluence gradually declined ; some of them were in time treated with con-tempt as impostors, while others inspired dread by their lawless deeds. Tothe latter class belonged the Nagas, who were at once monks, soldiers, androbbers — sometimes engaging, for pay, in the services of different princes,and at other times forming themselves into large armed bands for the pur-pose of plunder. The personal appearance of these fanatics was forbiddingin the extreme ; for their clothing consisted of merely a coarse hempen-clothtied round them, while their long, shaggy beards and matted hair, hangingover their bare arms, gave them a wild and ferocious aspect. The Nagaswere again divided into other sects, some of whom were worshippers ofVishnu, others of Siva, and desperate conflicts often ensued between them. The emperor Akber, on one of his expeditions, met on the banks of the. Faqui:- 414 INDIA, HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE. Ganges two parties, who with their swords were about to dispute the pos-session of a bathing-place. He humanely endeavored to effect an amicablearrangement, but to no purpose; he therefore stopped to witness the battle,which was fought with great fury, many being killed on both sides; till atlength, one party gaining a decided advantage, the emperor commandedhis guards to interfere to prevent more bloodshed: but even then the con-test was given up with great reluctance. As late as the year 1760, a still more violent affray took place at thegreat fair of Hardvvar, where, it is said, some thousands were left dead onthe field: but this is probably an exaggerated statement. Hardwar, orGanga Dwara — meaning the gate of the Ganges — is situated at the spotwhere that river issues from the mountains, and is a celebrated place of pil-grima
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsearsrob, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1851
