86 
ON THE OEIGINAL INHABITAXTS 
The five classes of artisans — the carpenters, goldsmiths, 
blacksmiths, braziers, and masons, well known in Southern 
India as Pancdlar or Kammdlar — regard themselves as the 
real Brahmans and, as the descendants of the divine artificer 
Visvakarma, call themselves Visva Brahmans. They assume 
the title of Acdrya, wear the holy thread, and claim the right 
to perform religious ceremonies among themselves, especially 
at marriages. They further declare that there were origi- 
nally five Vedas, but that Veda Vijdsa, in order to curtail 
their privileges, suppressed the fifth and arranged the other 
four in such a manner as suited Vyasa and the false 
Brahmans whom he headed ; that he tried to win the reigning 
king over to his side, and, when he did not succeed, that he 
instigated the king's murder and placed an illegitimate son 
on the throne, who conferred on Vyasa the dignity of priest 
of the royal family. According to one versioa Yyasa induced 
the king to issue a proclamation, enacting that all those 
who sided with the king should be styled right-hand caste 
men, and all those who opposed him left-hand caste men. 
Another tradition asserts that Vyasa's right hand was cut off 
by a bigoted Saiva, who heard Vyasa swear with his uplifted 
right hand that Visnu was superior to Siva and that he had 
never in his Puranas opposed Yisnu.^^ Others transfer these 
or, as commonly though improperly called, the right and left hand castes : the 
former including the whole of the agricultural tribes, who endeavour, under 
a different order of things, to maintain their ancient pre-eminence : the latter, 
including chietiy the trading and manufacturing tribes, who endeavour, and 
in modern days generally with success, to evade it." — According to the late 
Dr. Burnell (see Indian Aiitiqiiary, vol. II, (1S73), p. 274'! : "The distinc- 
tion arises primarily from the landowners and their serfs being the heads 
of one class, and the Brahmans, artizans, and other interlopers forming the 
other. But the constituent castes of either party vary." The Pancalas or 
Kammalar are kno'mi in Tamil by the title of Acdri ^5=,t,t9. 
So far as I am informed, and as I have stated above, the Brahmans are 
not included in cither faction, though some lists mention them as partisans. 
" Compare the Decision of the Ciltur Jilld Court ^ir= tS'ST'ej 
printed at Cittur, 18S1, on these dissensions. An account 
