286 



Report on the Machenzie Manuscripts. 



[Apri V 



ditya wi'ih his minister Batti and destroy bj^ bim, the Mahomedan?;. 

 Siva will order Vicramadilya, born as Vira Vasa7ita-rayei\ to reign 

 with his posterity, during a period of seven generations, and 540 years. 

 After that, while performing worship with eyes closed, the Moghul 

 Padshah will come and destroy him. The Rasgiri Moghul and his pos- 

 terity will reign 5 generations or 360 years. Vicramaditya, will <igain be 

 born as Rana-kandi Vira Vasanta-rayer and rule wilh his posterity 7 

 generations and 540 years. Another Padshah termed Cola Cala will 

 then come and destroy him, and rule for 5 generations and 360 years. 

 Vicramadilya will then again be born at Raya Velur, and destroy the 

 Coia-cala Padshah and rule with his posterity 27 generations and 2160 

 years. After that he wall be taken up alive to Kailasa. Some other 

 similar matters being stated, it is added that the Chola and the Pandiya 

 dynasties will become extinct, and Cheruman Perunial's race alone re- 

 main, ruling in the Co??^«-country. Suntarer Murti carries Cheruman 

 /*erwmrt/ into the presence of Sada Siva ; and there he remains in a 

 state of beatification. 



There are a few more palm leaves, containing poetical stanzas on the 

 boundaries of the Tamil countries, of no consequence; similar ones 

 having been translated and printed. They are allowed to remain at- 

 tached to the book. 



Remarks. — It appears to me that this rather extensive piece of com- 

 position is, in its introductory portion, a species of historical romance ; 

 but, like many other such romances, containing some fragments of real 

 history. The first date that is met with, fixing the destruction of Sdli- 

 vahana at Cal. y. 1443 (orB. C. 1659) is calculated to reflect disgrace 

 and discredit, not only on the chronology, but also on the entire com- 

 position. There seems however to be something more credible when 

 the installation of Cari Cala ChoJan is dated, C. y. 3567 (A. D. 465). 

 Just before there is an artificial structure visible in the 26 Cherans, and 

 26 Pandiyans, and 25 Cholans, and ascending upwards with these 25 

 generations from, say about C. y. 3559 to C. y. 1443, the result would 

 be 80 years to a generation, far beyond probability ; and yet apparently 

 to make room for so many generations, the author threw the earlier 

 date so far back ; forgetting that the era of Salivahana, by common 

 consent, did not commence until about 77 A. D. Besides, in the arti- 

 ficial, and untrue, representation of the three kings being so much and 

 so long together, and uniformly of the same mind, there is a violation 

 of what we know to be history, so far as they are concerned. The ut- 

 ixiost that can be admitted is, that the author put together, in the best 

 manner he could, the disjoiatcd fragments of traditions which he 



