;>4 On the Syrian and Jewish [No. 9, new series. 



the sons thus descended were appointed by successive Peroomals 

 in various places as petty chieftains governing, subject to them- 

 selves, the districts thus conferred on them ; but without the title 

 that is now assumed of Rajah. This latter fact is proved not only 

 from the Copper Plate No. I, but also from the other two ; for 

 those plates merely mention the names of such chieftains as wit- 

 nesses thereto without assigning to them any title which belongs 

 to a Rajah. 



The popular tradition of the present day, that all the present 

 Rajahs of Malabar first derived their origin from the last of the 

 Peroomals, and that that personage embraced the Mussulman 

 faith has not the least foundation ; though it must be here ad- 

 mitted that the title of " Rajah" was first given to most of 

 the former chieftains by this Peroomal, with a view to gratify 

 and encourage them to oppose Kistna Row, the Rajah of Ana- 

 goomty (situated on the banks of the Toombudra), who was then 

 making preparations to invade Kerala. The numerical mottos 

 which were then adopted with the view of fixing the date of the 

 assumption of the title of Rajah, and which are still in existence, 

 show the dates from which they thus had that title — for instance 

 Raveeloke Sharajay, is the motto of the Cochin Rajah ; Shulbha- 

 gastamsharajay, of the Palghaut Rajah ; and Devalokesharajay, 

 is the motto attached to the Calicut Rajah, the last preferred by 

 the Peroomal to the dignity of Rajah, and who was selected to be 

 the head of the warriors against the above Kristna Row. All 

 these dates coincide with A. D. 325, there being a difference of 

 only a few days between them. This last Peroomal was the only 

 person who was permitted to evade the rule as to 12 years resi- 

 dence only in Malabar, and to remain in power more than 36 years 

 in consideration of the services he had rendered to the Taliyadri- 

 mar, and for having defeated and driven out Kristna Row. This 

 Peroomal afterwards resigned the country and proceeded to Mecca, 

 called in Sanskrit Magadha, in or about A. D. 352, or 217 years 

 previous to Mahomet, the founder of the Islam religion being 

 born, and this departure was due chiefly to the religious induce- 

 ments of Majains called Jainias or Boudhas, who as a people were 

 then settled in Arabia, and many of whom visited Malabar. The 

 original name of Mahajains became in time corrupted into Magains 



