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 to an end in the sixth century A.D., at which time the country was annexed by a powerful monarch of India—Vikramaditya of Ujjain. As the reign of this king determines an important period in the history of India, so his conquest of Nepal indicates a useful landmark in the records of the State.

Vikramaditya is to the Hindus what Alfred the Great is to the English people, and innumerable tales and legends, current to this day, familiarize his name to the rich and poor, the learned and the ignorant, the high and the low. He favoured the Hindu religion, but never persecuted the Buddhists. Personally he seems to have left few records of his occupation of Nepal, but indirectly his association with the country was significant. It coincided with the opening of a new dynasty which heralded a noteworthy king, and it began a new era. The dynasty is known as the Thakuri, and the king was Amcuvarma, while the era is that of the Samvat, the system on which historical dates are founded. Amcuvarma, or "Glowing Armour," has left several inscriptions which record much activity in his