1844.] of the Syrian Christians and Jews of Malabar. 141 



mountainsplitter the chieftain of the Curumbar or jungle-dwellers, 

 so called either from his mines at Tamracheri or from a pass he 

 opened through the Ghauts. It does not seem that in the time of 

 these three Documents the northern Malabar or Colattiri did belong 

 to the Perumals : for if it did, its Rajas would certainly have obtain- 

 ed as high and conspicuous a place in the line of witnesses as their 

 relations of Venadu, to whom in old times they appear certainly 

 superior. They recognized perhaps a Tulu or Maisur dynasty as 

 supreme Lords. 



The Jewish version adds "iTUl npn3»J«V^Tp^Vo«in^3l ans 



" Perimpadappu who is now the Raja of Cochin is here not men- 

 tioned because (the Perumal) made him his heir and successor." 

 There is certainly some truth in this remark, from what is said I, PL 

 i. 1. about the name Vira Kerala, now the standing appellation 

 which the Perimpadappu assumes on his accession to the throne. 



Conclusion. This III. document leads us info a time plainly 

 distinct from that of the Syrian grants. The Perumals sway 

 extended over a greater stretch of country, there is no recog- 

 nition of the Brahminical hierarchy, the manner of marking 

 the year is likewise peculiar and referring perhaps to an era 

 of important political and religious changes. The Kerala 

 Mahatmyam and the Kerala Ulpatri speak of one Buddhist 

 King, whose reign they strive to shorten without account- 

 ing for the great change they confess to have been wrought 

 under him. And certainly this first introduction and natura- 

 lization of foreigners is less likely to have been the work of a 

 Brahminical government than of any other under the sun. 

 The Bramins, when their authority was re established, may 

 have continued and imitated what had been done by their 

 predecessors chiefly if they found the Syrians conniving with 

 idolatry, as their own tradition makes them, but they could 

 hardly have been the first to suggest such a plan To indulge 

 in conjecture about the meaning of " Bauddhas," [Budd- 



