April — sept. 1859.] Copper Plates of Malabar. 



33 



(River) and Gokurnom, soon detached themselves from the above 

 two grand divisions, together with that part of the country, and 

 instituted therein a separate government. This on their subsequent 

 decay was eventually taken possession of by certain llajahs of the 

 adjacent eastern countries ; but I will go no further at present on 

 this subject as it relates to Mangalore ; my object being now sole- 

 ly to explain the contents of the Copper Plates which refer only 

 to the remaining part of the country now called Malayalom, or 

 Malabar Proper. 



This Malayalom country, from the southern boundary of Man- 

 galore to Travancore inclusive, was then constituted a separate 

 Government under the hands of those called the pure Boar-vil- 

 lagers and Bird-villagers, but unfortunately for them, they soon 

 began to contend among themselves regarding the affairs of the 

 Government, and this ultimately induced them to seek Peroomals 

 (chief) from Chera or Salem, under a condition that each Peroo- 

 mal should rule for 12 years only; moreover from fear of en- 

 croachment by the Peroomals, several of the Brahmins of the 

 two grand divisions formed themselves into four principal and 

 several other petty Talis (or associations with certain powers to 

 check any unwarranted acts of the rulers of the country), under 

 the Peroomals, retaining for this purpose in their own hands vari- 

 ous executive and fiscal prerogatives. The four principal Talis were 

 located at Cranganore (Codungalore), which place all the Peroo- 

 mals with the members of those four Talis made their chief abode. 

 These members were called Taliyadrimar. The Plate No. I. also 

 makes mention of the said four Talis. Some of the places where 

 the petty Talis were originally located still bear the affix " Tali" 

 in addition to their proper names, such for instance as Calicut Tali, 

 Chenengat Tali, Koote Coomnut Tali, Neeleesuwaruth Tali, &c. 

 The names of the four principal Talis were Mettali, Keettali, Nee - 

 diy Tali, and Chingapooruth Tali. 



The power and influence of the Peroomals however, gradually in- 

 creased, while those of the Talis has progressively decayed ; during 

 this period, the Peroomals had sons and daughters both legitimate 

 and illegitimate by females belonging to the family of the original 

 Veera Kerala as well as by those of other families — and some of 

 Vol. xx. o, s. Vol. ti. h. s. 



