The Drama of which the translation is now published, is a work of great interest, both in the literary and national history of the Hindus.
Although not named by the authority from which we have principally drawn our general view of the Hindu dramatic system, the Daśa Rúpaka, it is unquestionably alluded to in the text of that work, and we may therefore feel assured that this play was written earlier than the tenth century: there is every reason to infer much earlier.
The introduction of the Mrĭchchnkati attributes the composition to a king, named Sudraka, and gives him a high character, both in arms and letters: he lived, it is said, a hundred years, and then burnt himself, leaving his kingdom to his son.
The name of Sudraka is very celebrated in Hindu history: according to the most usually received Chronology, he preceded the Sakádhipati-Vikramaditya: the late Col. Wilford, (a. r. vol. IX.) considers him the same with the founder of the Andhra dynasty of Magadha kings, succeeding to the throne by deposing his master the last of the Kanma race, to whom he was minister; but these averments are very questionable: the circum-
