122 Ancient documents engraved on copper in possession [No. 30. 



recalls some of the confused traditions, touched upon by Wil- 

 ford,. of the introduction of Simhalese castes by the Christians. 

 Several Kerala Ulpattis say, the five Artificers emigrated once 

 after having provoked the PerivmaPs wrath, and found refuge 

 in Ceylon, from whence they were brought back by the in* 

 tercession of foreigners, and in their train the cast of Cocoanut 

 tree cultivators [called Ilawar i. e. " Simhalese" from Ham — 

 Sihalam in Pali ; also Tiyar or Dwipar, " Islanders" and Cho- 

 kar i. e. Sevakar " servants. "J One Kerala Ulpatti of the Nas- 

 ranis saj^s, that their forefathers with the help of these Simha- 

 lese peasants built Codungalur, as may be learned from the 

 granite inscription at the Northern entrance of the Tiruvanji- 

 culam temple. Farther investigations on the spot are certain- 

 ly desirable. 



ii, 2. "waterpossession." Every freehold or jenmam is given 

 with the ceremony of pouring water with some flowers strew- 

 ed upon it, into the hands of him who by drinking it, brings 

 the property designed, into contact with his body. This 

 property may either consist in grounds or in hereditary rights, 

 [here the power of Sovereign commerce and rule over some 

 castes.] From a comparison of the 3 Documents with each other 

 it witl appear that the landed property of the Jewish and 

 Christian princes was the least part of their princely power. 

 As the Perumal could not lower himself to deal with stran- 

 gers, being only accessible to the nobility or the jenmis of 

 the land, the necessary consequence of a thriving intercourse 

 with western shores and of a more or less stationary residence 

 of foreign merchants was this, that this newly forming power 

 witnin the state should be recognized and brought in har- 

 mony with the old institutions by the elevation of a respon- 

 sible head Merchant to the rank of a Jenmi and hereditary 

 crown dignitary. This was effected by making him Prince 

 over a small territory. The Syrians and J ews may have had 

 great landed possessions on inferior tenures ; but not the ex- 



