Battas of Sumatra* 



143 



derivable from the inscription might be made out ; but I have not full 

 leisure for the process at present. As far as I have tried, and with a 

 few sounds only, it seems to be a soft language, but without affinity, as 

 far as I can yet discover, to any Hindu language; but on this point I 

 would use some reserve. 



4i 7. On looking through Mr. Marsden's work on Sumatra, the great 

 frequency of purely Hindu words struck me forcibly. Not only are 

 these words Indian, but many evidently Tamil, and that, too, of the 

 kind spoken in the southern extremity of the Peninsula j names of 

 mountains, fruits, &c. &c. are of Hindu origin; and in the officers of 

 the King's Court at Menang-cabowe, I note the precise system of 

 aboriginal Native Courts, the Mantri, or chief minister, having the 

 same title in both cases, and, in other three instances, the office is the 

 same, the names being varied. It may be observed, that these coined 

 dences are most distinct in Mr. Marsden's account of the Rejangs, 

 concerning whom he is most full, as he but superficially notices the 

 Battas ; so that as to them they are less distinct. The feudal govern- 

 ment of the Battas by chiefs, having a nominal respect or allegiance 

 to Menang-cabowe is, however, an Indian feature. To detail the whole 

 of the resemblances and coincidences, derivable from Mr. Marsden's 

 work alone, would require an essay ; and cannot be attempted in this 

 brief notice. 



" 8. Adverting now to the word Battas, it appears, that it is properly 

 Battak : the question, whether this difference occasions any difficulty, 

 arises ; and it seems to vanish at once, when we remember, that the low 

 Tamil plural is formed by kal, so that Buttar and Buttakal both are 

 plural, and differ only dialectically. But, again, there are various 

 uses of the same word, or similar words. Batta denotes the gold- 

 smith's tribe. Bhatt (vulgarly Butt) is the distinctive name of a class 

 of Bramins in the north ; and in the south the same class bear the dis- 

 tinctive title of Pattar. Buttar denotes, as aforesaid, the Bauddhas* 

 Etymological conclusions, by consequence, cannot be certain. If the 

 inscriptions, in the singular building (of Hindu origin) at Delhi, could 

 be deciphered, I think light would be thrown on this question. 



P 9. Referring to Raffles' History of Java (which I had not previ- 

 ously read), all uncertainty as to Hindu relations with that island is 

 dissipated, by the strongest assurance. Either the Yavanas, as cele- 

 brated, as they are obscure, in the annals of this Peninsula, must have 

 come from Java to India, or else they must have proceeded from India 

 to Java; the former is not probable, and the Javanese trace their 

 origin to India. "With antique Deva-nagari inscriptions ; with other 

 inscriptions, resembling what is in this country considered to be Hala 

 Canada ; with Hindu buildings ; with Hindu tales and genealogies ; 

 they must have had a relation with India. It is simply impossible, 

 that the case could be otherwise. For instance, Brata-Yudha, the 

 title of the Javanese version of the Mahahharata, is quite Tamil. 



