8 



Report on the Mackemie Manuscripts. 



that the tenets taught by Pythagoras were those of the Indian Digam- 

 fcarfl.s, or primitive ^a?fa?fl^'A/*^A' ; and throw out the conjecture as per- 

 haps meriting altention. 



.Secr/o^i 5. — Represenlalion of the Jainas the Chettupat district. 

 A petition to Colonel Mackenzie, Surveyor General. 



The Jaina system was established in the Peninsula from very early 

 times, and had many fanes, with other buildings for sacred purposes, 

 well endowed. The Saiva and Vaishnava systems arose in opposition ; 

 and the Brahmans of those classes, by their learning and magical arts, 

 brought over the kings, or other rulers, to their mode of credence, 

 followed up by persecutions of the J a in as ; their champions in pole- 

 mical discussion being first overcome by nuigical means, and aftervv ards 

 destroyed. Some well disposed rulers, knowing these proceedings, pro- 

 tected the yoma^', and made allowances to their religious edifices. A 

 J^a^?^rt king from the north, named Temasitala, came to Danda- 

 cdranya (the great peninsular forest), and clearing it, brought a large 

 colony of people from the north. But Kulottuvga Chola, and Adondai, 

 took the country, and by the counsel of the Brahmans many Jaina 

 edifices were appropriated to the Hindu system of worship, and other 

 edifices were destroyed. At a subsequent period, the conquerors re- 

 lenting, five Ja/wa fanes, at places specified, were protected and en- 

 dowed. Picratna-chola especially made a free-grant of land to the 

 village of Chitambur ; copy of the inscription on stone, recording this 

 grant, having been sent to Col. Mackenzie, with the petition. About 

 six hundred years ago, Yedata rayer and Vishnuva-devarayer gave 

 1400 pagodas as a free donation : the inscription commemorating this 

 grant remains. About two hundred years ago, Fencatapati-rayer gave 

 a free donation of one thousand pagodas ; copy of the inscription, re- 

 cording the grant, transmitted. The rulers of the Carnataca country 

 gave donations. During the rule of the Mahomedans, as the Brah- 

 mans were their agents, these, without knowledge of their employers, 

 resumed the whole of the grants with the exception of only 200 pa- 

 godas. Besides, Ibrahim Subadar fought with Bay aji of Arcot; and, 

 taking possession of the whole, very unjustly left only 40 pagodas of 

 the annual endowment. The Jainas complained to the Nabob (name 

 not specified) who issued an order on the subject; but the messenger 

 bringing the order was seized by the Subadar, and ill-treated. Terri- 

 fied by this proceeding the Jainas made no more complaints ; but com- 

 mitted their cause to God. When the British assumed the country? 



