7 
1808.] 
in their civil imstitutions or religious re- 
forms. Of these the collection already 
in Major Mackenzie’s possession amounts 
to upwards of one thousand, exclusively 
of grants on paper and palm leaves; and 
this collection is daily increasing from 
the researches of the numerous emis- 
saries whom he has continued to employ 
at a great expence for many years, (and 
particularly since 1796) for tis pur- 
pose, and for the collection of corre- 
sponding manuscripts, which can only 
be trusted in so far as they are con- 
firmed by these authentic documents, 
The collection of manuseript books 
amounts to upwards of four hundred, 
and includes a large portion of the Jain 
manuscripts, which of themselves form 
a new and interesting branch of investi- 
gation into Hindoo institutions. 
“The period which it appears may 
be eventually embraced by this series, 
will extend from about the fifteenth 
century before Christ, until this time; 
but, at present, Major Mackenzie does 
not consider the authorities sufficiently 
numerous for so high an antiquity. 
If the dates of this period, however, 
shall be confirmed, the year 1411, before 
Christ, will prove to be the era of a 
great conquest of Canara and Malabar, 
including Travancore, by which the 
Aborigines of the country were reduced 
to slavery, and the lands conferred on 
strangers ; an event to which we are, 
perhaps, to look for the origin of a more 
perfect proprietary right in the soil, 
(distinct from the rights of the cultivator, 
and the ciaims of “the sovereign) than 
is to be found in any other part of India. 
This dynasty of conquerors had its ca- 
pital at Banawassi, on the borders of 
Soonda, The knowledge of the cha- 
racter and language then in use, will 
probably be lost ina few years, and is 
wow only preserved by a small number 
of learned individuals among the Jain. 
It is the character (so lone unknown) 
of the imscriptions at Mahabalipoorum, 
near Sadras, a fac-simile of which was 
read without hesitation, in my presence. 
Tfit should be found practicable to trace, 
by a series of authentic documents, the 
history of landed property on the south 
of India, I imagine that no subject 
of superior interest. and importance 
can be presented to the attention of 
a British government. The light mu- 
tually reflected by civil institutions and 
istorical tacts, appear to me to furnish 
fairest hope that the successful in- 
’ 
On the Fistory and Antiquities of Bfysore. 
ae 
vestigation of this subject will be found 
practicable ; but it is certain, that. the 
result would unfold the most useful in- 
formation on many important points 
connected with the political economy 
and good government of India. 
ie ‘Even the history of religion, in- 
cluding its piilosophical dogmas, will 
not be without its interest, and its use, 
to those who are fond of tracing the 
progress of opmion under the variety 
of external circumstances which in- 
fluence the human mind. The religion 
of the Hindoos is usually represented. 
as unchanged and unchangeable. Per- 
haps the religious history of Europe is 
scarcely more pregnant with revolu- 
tions; and, unhappily, contrary to an- 
other . erroneons opinion, no country 
on earth furnishes the records of sucha 
sanguinary persecutions, as these which 
have been atchieved by the bramins of 
India. 
‘“¢ Every thing, in short, that is usually 
considered most interesting and instruc- 
tive in general history, may be traced 
and illustrated by the laborious pro- 
cess which Major Mackenzie has de- 
voted the leisure which he has heen 
able to snatch from a course of Bon 
and distinguished public service; and 
government may, perhaps, be eae 
to think that the means of completing 
the series and digesting the results, 
may fairly be considered as a national 
object. Major Mackenzie has been 
particularly happy in the choice of his 
mstruments. One of those ingenious 
natives, whom he had the misfortune 
to lose, had the merit of first tracing 
the cutline of the plan which has been 
so successiully pursued, and his surviving 
brother is a man of singular literary 
zeal and scrupulous research, The 
facility which Major Magkenzie has 
acquired in directing the operations of 
a large establishment maintained by 
him for this express purpose; and in 
seizing, at once, what is useful in the 
materials which they collect, is the re- 
sult of a long experience. The path 
ig untrodden, “and it has too few. at- 
tractions, and too many discouragements 
ever to be trodden by another. The 
object will be accomplished by him, 
or it will probabiy be never accom- 
plished.- «Even if his materials, in their 
present ‘state, were to fall into ether 
hands, they might be considered as lost.” 
, Your’s, &c. 
January 9, 1208. ee bbw Ve 
Te 
