156 



Miscellanea. 



herself to give Bhutalapandya, otherwise called Jayapandya, as a sacrifice ; 

 that thereupon, all the riches that came on the ships of the said Devapan- 

 dya were, for reason of the human sacrifice aforesaid, obtained by the sister's 

 son of Bhutalapandya instead of by the children(sons) ; and that, therefore, 

 theAliyasantanaduKatturules haveheen made to the effect that for the future 

 the rulers and the subjects should get (their) maternal uncles' estates just 

 as the sister's son Bhutalapandya obtained, his. If Devapandya's wife re- 

 linquished her claim to his property in order that her children's lives 

 should be spared, even at the loss of property, rather than be offered as a 

 sacrifice at a certain place and time, it is not just that it should be 

 presumed that the wife of every one would behave in the same manner, 

 and that so the Aliyasantana system should be introduced on setting aside 

 the Makkalasantana system. 



As regards rules : it has been told that the people of three castes such 

 as Kshatriyas, Vaicjas, and $udras have to follow the Aliyasantana 

 (system) while Brahmans have to pursue that of the Makkalasantana. 

 As the Brahmans were men of learning, wisdom and expertness, it was not 

 possible to subject them to the Aliyasantana system, but, as the other 

 caste people were weak in sense, Bhutalapandya made this rule for them. 

 It is a timid person that is often put to fright^ ; otherwise, why were 

 Brahmans not interfered with and this burden thrown upon the weak 

 castes such as Bantam and Vakkaluru ? 



The Aliyasantana rules only entailed loss, ruin and distress on the 

 people, but the people have not derived any advantage therefrom. All 

 the possessions of Bantas, Vakkals, &c, have for the most part become the 

 property of the Brahmans, Musalmans and Christians. Any man would 

 naturally have a great affection for his children and not for his nephews 

 (sister's sons) : consequently the manager of the estate alienates the land, 

 &c. by mortgage or sale, and gives away the money to his wife and 

 children in secrecy. The sister's sons, when they become heirs, succeed 

 not only to the assets but also to debts contracted to any extent he 

 chooses. The property falls into the hands of others. Moreover, what 

 will be the fate of the children ? Since they (the managers) attempt to 

 keep in secrecy the money obtained by them illegally, even that (money) 

 would almost fall away into the hands of others (strangers), and so (it) 

 is neither for children nor for sisters' sons. 



As sin, injustice, and vice increase in men, numbers of suits arise, even 

 among the children of the same mother. Nephews (sister's sons) are 

 not generally the sons of the same mother. Devapandva had only one 

 lister and sister's son, (wherefore) every thing passed here smoothly. 

 However if a person had two, three, four or five sisters and these 

 have twenty or thirty children, it is very seldom that good under- 

 standing will exist among them all. While each of these sisters has 

 been endeavouring to get the estate for her children, great injustice and 

 deceit were practised and, suits being instituted (in regard to the 

 same), the estate itself was sold to a merchant before the settlement of 

 all (points therein.) Even the ready money was expended on account of 

 Vakils' fees, false documents, false witnesses and also on account of bribes 

 (to be given) to Gumashtas and Munshis. Thus, the property, wealth, 

 money, honours, happiness and pleasure of the followers of Ajiyasantana 

 system having fallen short (by degrees), the curse pronounced by 

 Bhutalapandya to the effect that the line of the family should become 

 extinct lias come to pass. This however, is not owing to deviation from 



(a) This is a proverb WCosT sT^To^ ^zs'e^sf <3$3o?£>. 



