294 Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts, [Oct. 



document was Avritten on very inferior country paper, considerably damag- 

 ed : though as yet remaining legible. I have had it restored, in a more 

 permanent form. 



It is entered in Des. Catal. vol. 1, p. 206, art. xxvi. Tlie authorship 

 is ascribed to Tennamanar-'kavi, The object of the war is not accurately 

 stated: and the word Tumbi seems erroneously used as a proper name. 



Section. 4. Jati nul, the rule of Castes. 



The usual invocations. The author undertakes to give an account of 

 the existing divisions, and differences of caste. His name is Ulaga- 

 "ddtlmn : he wrote it, by desire of others. Benefits resulting from reading 

 It. Four chief castes. First rank, men ; inferior class women. 



Five divisions among the Saivas. Adi-savvar-MaJia-saivar only specified. 



Then the usual account of the origin of the four divisions from the head, 

 shoulders, waist, and feet, oi Brahma: which is amere symbolical emblem. 



The minute details of numerous sub-divisions which follow, are not well 

 capable of being abstracted. 



Most of these minute sub-divisions are traced to irregular intermixture 

 of different castes, originating minor sub-divisions. The reading over 

 of the statements produces a strong impression, on my own judgment, of 

 an artificial structure. Nevertheless, as several of the names occur in the 

 practical intercourse of life, and others are connected with doubtful and 

 unsettled questions in history, a translation, as a document to be weighed 

 in evidence, might be desirable. It is to be observed, thai the title 

 mentions a composition in verse ; but this seems to have been accompa- 

 nied with a prose explanation, which latter only is contained in this paper. 

 It is a sort of j)oetical prose that would be ridiculous were it the primary, 

 and not the secondary, or explanatory, composition., It is observable that 

 the poetical author availed himself of every opportunity to throw in orna- 

 ment of a kind acceptable to the taste of his countrymen ; though not 

 absolutely essential to the subject. My opinion is, that the composition 

 of a poem was more an object, than precise accuracy ; and that, v.diere the 

 writer was ignorant of the origin of any particular kind of people he, drew 

 on his invention. 



Remark. — ^The document is written on strong and durable paper, not 

 da.mao-ed ; and the ink, though a little faded, will continue legible very 

 many years. Restoration is therefore not required. I do not know po- 

 sitively whether the author be the same person with Ulaga-nafha who 

 composed the Ulaga-iiiti., though it is probable that he was the same. If 



