OR THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN RAJPUT STATES OF INDIA BY LIEUT.-COL. JAMES TOD LATE POLITICAL AGENT TO THE WESTERN RAJPUT STATES EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY WILLIAM CROOKE, C.I.E. HON. D.SC. OXON., B.A., F.R.A.I. LATE OF THE INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. III. HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON EDINBURGH GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE BOMBAY 1920 CONTENTS PAGE BOOK VIII SKETCH OF THE INDIAN DESERT CHAPTER 1 General aspect—Boundaries and divisions of the desert—Probable etymology of the Greek _oasis_—Absorption of the Ghaggar river—The Luni, or salt-river—The Rann, or Ran—Distinction of _thal_ and _rui_—_Thal_ of the Luni—Jalor—Siwanchi—Machola and Morsin—Bhinmal and Sanchor—Bhadrajun—Mewa—Balotra and Tilwara—Indhavati—Gugadeo-ka-thal—Thal of Tararoi—Thal of Khawar—Mallinath-ka-thal, or Barmer—Kherdhar—Juna Chhotan—Nagar Gura 1257 CHAPTER 2 Chauhan Raj—Antiquity and nobility of the Chauhans of the desert—Dimensions and population of the Raj—Nagar—Bakhasar—Tharad—Face of the Chauhan Raj—Water—Productions—Inhabitants—Kolis and Bhils—Pitals—Thals of Dhat and Umrasumra—Depth of wells—Anecdote—City of Aror, the ancient capital of Sind—Dynasties of the Sodha, the Sumra, and the Samma princes—Their antiquity—Inferred to be the opponents of Alexander the Great, and Menander—Lieutenant of Walid takes Aror—Umarkot: its history—Tribes of Sind and the desert—Diseases—Narua or Guinea-worm—Productions, animal and vegetable, of the desert—Daudputra—Itinerary 1275 BOOK IX ANNALS OF AMBER, OR DHUNDHAR CHAPTER I