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OCTOBER, 1924)
BOOK-NOTICES
229
I find only three pure Tamil inscriptions in which the form kogukka is used. One Tanjore inscription dated S. 1368, i.e., A.D. 1446-47, and the Kasukuti plates of Nândivarman Pal. lavamalla (eighth century) use the form kotukka once each (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. II, Part III, pp. 339, 352). Wo find it again in the Tirukurralam plates of Pantya Kulasekhara. dova Dikshitar S. 1670, i.e., A.D. 1753 (Trav. Arch. Series, Vol. I, No. VI, p. 150). In fact we find the form kutukka twice and kogukka once in this record.
From all this we understand that kutukka was the recognised Tamil form till very lately, but we do not find the form kutukka in any inscription of the Malabar Coast later than the tenth century. The form kotukka, as is already shown, came into use in Tiruvalla (Middle Travancore) during the time of Parkara Iravi (sixth century) and even in such a southern part as Quilon during the ninth century. It must have come into use in Cranganore very much earlier. We find in our copper plate the form kutukka not once or twice but nine times.
The above named pieces of linguistic evidence make it abundantly clear that the docu. ment under discussion is a very ancient one and that Mr. Venkayya was far wrong in ascribing it to the fourteenth century.
(To be continued.)
BOOK-NOTICES. THE SUBJECT-INDEX TO PERIODICALS, 1920 and gives his reasons for asserting that it was
Issued by the Library Association. I. Lan. roally & record of Queen Sundara Mahadevi's time. guage and Literature, Pt. I. Classical, Oriental No. 35, the Ambagamuva Rock-inscription of and Primitive. Agents: Messrs. Grafton & Co., Vijaya.Bahu I (1058-1114 A.D.). Here again Mr. 7-8, Coptic Street, W.c. 1; London, 1923. H. C. P. Bell comes to the fore. This inscription
In this publication, very valuable to scholars, of this great monarch is gone into at length and we have 639 entries obtained from the examina. "the principal events of Vijaya-bahu's career" tion of 100 periodicals. Judging from the refer- are fixed after consideration also of the literature ences to this Journal, the sociation editors have on the subject. done their work admirably, and I have no hebi. No. 36, the Polonnaruva Slab-inscription of tation in recommending it to all Indian scholars SAhasa-Malla is of great importance as "the car. desirous of knowing where to find what contem. liest yet come to light” with a definite date in poraries are doing in their own line of study. the Bauddha Era : dated." Wednesday, 1743
R. C. TEMPLE. years, 3 months and 27 days of the Buddha varsa,"
most probably Wednesday, 23rd August 1200 A.D., EPIGRAPHIA ZIYLANICA, Vol. II, Pt. 8. Edited thus fixing the initial at 544 3. C. On this as. by Don Martino de Z. Wickremasinghe. Govt.
sumption much important history can be built up. of Ceylon: Humphrey Milford, Oxford Univer. No. 38, the Polonnaruva Anaulundâya Slabsity Press, London,
Inscription (Reg. No. 1) is of great interest, for This part contains six inscriptions, some of them it refers, as Dr. L. D. Barnett has assisted in point. of much interest and value. It is admirably ing out, to the Kanarese "guild of merchants edited with fine plates, in the style inaugurated called Vira-Bananiju or Vira-Valañjiyar," and by the late Dr. J.-F. Fleet for his Indian inscrip- thus in showing that they extended their trade tions.
to Ceylon in the twelfth century A.D. No. 34, the Dimbulagala Mâr&-vidiyo Inscrip- No. 39, the Polonnaruva Pot-Gul Vehara Intion is a new edition based on fresh material scription, very difficult of accone, the Editor thinks brought by Mr. H. C. P. Bell. Don M. Wickre- belong to Lilâvati, the widow of Parakkama. masinghe points out that it "belongs to Queen bahu between 1197.1200 A.D. Sundara-mahadevi and not to the reign of Jaya
R. C. TEMPLE. bahu as Mr. Bell contends, for the simple reasons that Jaya-bAhu was no longer living when the
THE LIBRARY SYSTEM OF THE BABODA STATE. inscription was indited." The Editor then na
By NEWTON M. DUTT, Curator of Libraries, turally proceeds to discuss "the anomaly of dating Baroda State. 3rd edition, Baroda, 1924. from the coronation of a deceased king, the first This little pamphlet of 45 pages relates the story of its kind yet known in Sinhaless chronology," of a remarkable achievement, es "H. H. the