1 837-] Historical Sketch of the Kingdom of Pandya. 



149 



It is then added that he assembled his whole family (or tribe of de- 

 pendents) and proceeding with them colonized the extreme south, 

 again establishing Bamesuram, and then going westward, cleared the 

 w r oody-ground on the banks of the Vaigai river, built a town with its 

 complement of fanes or shrines, and appointed the rule of cultivation, 

 by which a small revenue at first would be gradually increased from 

 year to year, by receiving a larger proportion of the produce. There is, 

 however, throughout no mention of this person's proper name, nor any 

 specification of the particular country or " kingdom" whence he came. 



Now, I should not suppose that this statement would be considered 

 sufficient to set aside such authorities as the Hari vansa and Agni Pa- 

 rana, with that of other manuscripts given by me in the translations 

 more than once referred to. The account is simply that of a native 

 Tanjore Christian, ignorant of just rules of criticism, and exceeding the 

 bounds prescribed to him by his religion, which would allow him to 

 despise the superstitions of the heathen, but not haughtily to reject the 

 evidence of documents, claiming to be historical, and to substitute his 

 own possibly veracious legend in their place. With the assistance of 

 the Chola-desa purvika Cheritra written by the same individual, the 

 broadest proof can at any needed time be adduced of his unfitness, 

 through religious prejudice, to discharge the office of an impartial his- 

 torian, even though it should be of faults, follies, or errors. Of course, I 

 do not think his Christianity concerned in the matter ; for the same 

 want of candour or rectitude that I should blame in a Porphyry or a 

 Voltaire, I should blame in a native Christian, if I saw it taking a con- 

 verse direction in its bearing on native annals : be their subject what it 

 may. Unhappily, as 1 think, Professor Wilson reposed too much con- 

 fidence in the dashing, free-thinking, statements of this native, as is 

 very visible in the catalogue. A somewhat fictitious importance has 

 devolved on the passage of the native author's book which has been 

 in question; but remembering that Professor Wilson, while justly in- 

 sisting that he found in the translation ostensibly by Mr. Clarke, traces 

 of this interpretation, has given up any thing beyond that, I will close 

 this discussion by stating my own full concurrence in his admission, 

 in these words---" that Pandya of Oude," or " a northern Pandion 

 had any personal part in the settlement of the country is equally im- 

 probable.* Nevertheless the fact would have been received as un- 

 doubted, on the authority of Professor Wilson, had no counter-evidence 

 appeared. 



The next point which I consider it of any importance to notice, is 

 the identifying Kurk'hi with the Kolkhi of the Periplus ; and both, fol- 

 lowing D'Anville, with Kilkhar or Kilakarai, a sea-port on the Coro- 



* Supplementary Note to Hist, Sketch, para. 4. 



