Indian Antiquary Vol 31

SR No.: 032523
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 556
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 351

Avaust, 1902.]
NOTES ON MALABAR AND ITS PLACE-NAMES.
347
The other theory is that the word is derived froin keram, which is an ahbraviation of the Sanskrit word nd likéram, meaning Cocoanot, and that the name Keralam was applied to the coast on account of its producing the cocoanut in abundance. Abundant as the cocoanat palms have been in Malabar from early days, it may be noted that the inventory of articles contained in the Periplus (1st centory A. D.), as forming the staple of commerce between the East and the West, does not make the remotest mention of the tree or of its produce. It bas been described as the "great not of India," and more than one author has remarked that it is sufficient to build, riy, and freight a vessel with bread, wine, water, oil, vinegar, sugar and other commodities. A medieval couplet referring to the cocoanut palm says tbat it
"Yields clothing, meat trenchor, drink and can,
Boat sail, oar, maat, Deedle, all in one." If the tree had existed in Malabar at the time of the Periplus, it is difficult tu believe that its noteworthy producte would have escaped the attentiou of the shrewd early Greek merchants. In Photio's abridgment of the Indika of Ktesias (about B. C. 400), reference is made to "palm trees and their dates," which were said to be thrice the size of those in Babylon, and in another abridgment vf the same author by a different editor the palm fruits are referred to as the “largest of nate." It is conjectared that these refer to the coccanut tree and its fruit. We have, however, an accurate description of the tree given by Kosmaa Indikopleustes (525 to 547 A, D.) under the name argolli, in his Topograbia Christiana. The word argellia is evidently an erroneous transliteratior of the Sanskrit word narik@lam or nalikhram denoting the cocoanat. It would not be far wrong to say that the tree inust have been introduced into Malabar between the dates of the Periplus and of Kosmas. Mr. Logan considers that the cocoanut tree was introduced into Malabar by the Tiars or Dvipars, or lelanders, who came from Ceylon, 1. e., Simbalam, i.e., Ilam, and are therefore called Itsvars. In their migration into Malabar they are traditionally stated to have brought with them the ton-kay-maram, 1..., "the Southorn fruit tree. T'he Tiers are rocognised as an organised civic guild in the Syrian Christian Copper-plate Grant of the 9th centary A. D. So that we may take it, that the tree was cultivated to a large extent on the coast at the date of the deed. If the views above set forth are correct, we can hardly believe that the country came to be called Kerala so early as the 3rd century B. C., because of the juxuriant growth of the COCOADnt palm, which seem to bave been introduced, at the earliest, between the dates of the Periplus and of Kosmos, i. e., beiween 1st and 6th centuries A. D.
We now come to the terms Malabar and Malayalam. Ai Bironi (970 to 1039 A. D.) appears to bave been the first to call the country Malaber. No doubt, before him Komas Indikopleustes, the Egyptian mercbant, who, in the course of tratto, made some v gares tu India, mentions sport named Male, where the pepper grows on the West Coast, which he says was most frequented on account of its extensive trade in that spice. Dr. Robertern, the great historian, is disposed to derive the word Malabar from Male. He says that Malabar means the country of pepper. On the other hand, Padre Paolino de San Bartolo neo, the learned Oarmelite, who was for long a resident in Malabar, more specially in Travancore, points out that the country was knowa As Malanadu and Malaikara, and from the latter has been formed by various contortions the word Malabar. He further assures as that the opinion of Fr. Ranlin, who contends that Malabar ir of Arabic extraction, being compounded of Male and Barr, has no foundation. Both Al Idrisi, the Muhammadan Geographer at the Court of Roger II. of Sicily (1153-54 A. D.), and Abulfeda (1273 to 1831 A. D.) bave sl-Manibar,
41 Day's Land of the Periodla.
Dr. Day, Via Bartolomeo, and other. + " See Cathay and the Way Thither, Vol. I. p. 176. Soe also Yule and Burnell's Hobson-Jobeon. Logan's Malabar Manual, Vol L. p14
* Historical Diagulation courwing Ancient India 4T A Fayage to the End indoor, p. 108.