1844.] of the Syrian Christians and Jews of Malabar, 145 



teration of a word which occurs three times in the course of II. document 

 (vide Plate 4. 4th line of 1st Copper Plate, Plate 5. last line of 2d Copper, 

 Plate 6. also last line^ "that there were at first some words in the com- 

 mon Alphabet of the document, but they have become next to illegible by 

 the marked characters engraved over them, nor do I think it of importance 

 to settle what the names erased may have been, but as the interpolations 

 recur three times, there is no difficulty in separating them from the let- 

 ters written at first. I have no doubt they meant Manikkiramam with 

 the last lq repeated, — as often before initial vowels." As regards the 

 term Chakravarti in I. Mr. Gundert adds, that he purposely left it un- 

 translated as the question might arise whether the Perumals had an 

 exclusive right to this title. At present all Kerala Rajas lay claim to 

 both. With reference to the suggested explanation of Anjuwannam as 

 meaning five castes or five colors, which the Jews also have tried. Mr. 

 Gundert observes, that from the uniform language of the documents, he con- 

 cludes it must be meant for a name as surely as Manigramam is one ; and 

 this conclusion is strengthened by the fact that even the very exact first 

 document does not rectify the vulgar pronunciation ^f^sh into enp^gj 

 lest the name should become liable to misinterpretation. Mr. Gun- 

 dert has likewise forwarded a reading of the Cufic signatures which he 

 has made out by means of some inscriptions published in the Bombay 

 Asiatic Society's J ournal, which differs little from the version given above. 



The first word he supplies by tX|.2» " tho' the place" he adds " will 

 scarcely suffice" — the nex t word he omits, *n the third line for Tai he 

 reads Sali — the fourth line he also leaves and the 5th he reads ,j 

 ^ji^tf Asad bin Tohfi. The 1st and 2d names in the 7th linn are also 

 undeciphered. He then adds " as this is the first list of the witnesses sub- 

 scribing (the others being one in unknown characters but clearly Semi- 

 tic, written from right to left, and one in Hebrew) and at the same 

 time the longest and most carefully engraved, it would seem that these 

 witnesses must represent one of the parties treated of in the docu- 

 ment. If they represent Anjuwannam why have we afterwards four 

 Hebrew signatures ? If Manigramam, it would seem that it had at that 

 time passed into Arabian (Jewish, Christian, or Mussulman) hands. Or 

 are these the 600 (II. d.f.) authorized to protect the new Church in con- 

 junction with Anjuwannam and Manigramam?" Mr. G. likewise no- 

 tices the frequent recurrence of the first word in the unknown character 

 —and concludes by adding the following additional remarks by the Rev* 

 Mr. Peet at Mavelecara on the greater Syrian grant : 



