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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DEC. 6, 1872.
simply, in order to obtain specimens of the ancient Gujarati. The oldest pieces in that language are some vernes preserved in Ratnasekhara's Prabandhakosha written A.D. 1347, one of which is ascribed to a Chiran, belonging to R&javiradhavala's camp, A.D. 1235. As I hope to give in my catalogue of Jaina manuscripts an account of the most interesting works bought, I omit here the enumeration of important acquisitions.
My operations since July have had even more important results than those of last year, I have already acquired several manuscripts, which are fully 600 years old, and have full confidence, that I shall obtain others which exceed that age by 200 years. The more I become acquainted with Gujarat, the more offers of old and valuable books I get, and I trust that Government will see fit to allow the grant for Sanskrit manuscripts also for next year.
CORRESPONDENCE. HULLE MUKKALU.
of anything of this sort among the caste. An outIT came officially before me that the goldsmiths caste might create a new caste, but I never thought of a certain village laid claim to the property of they could be grafted on to another. some men of the “Hulle Mukkalu" (old sons) caste
Ilassan, '1872. who had died intestate. That one caste should claim
J. S. F. MACKENZIE. the property of another caste on the grounds that they had performed the burial-service, &c. seemed so
COROMANDEL COAST. strange that I made enquiries. It appears that tho It is now I believe pretty generally accepted that "Hulle Mukkalu" is a caste grafted on to the gold- the first word in the phrase Coromandel Coast' is siniths. The term “ Hulle Maga," an old son, is
derived from the name of a village between Madras now a term of reproach anong the Canarese. Tho
and Pulicat called Coromandel, but how it came to following story of the rise of this caste I have liad confirmed by different meinbers of the goldsmith
be applied to so long a line of sca-board is another
matter. The words Kori manal,' known to the caste - " About 500 years ago in the kingdom of Gol
merest tyro in Tamil, means 'black sand,' and at this konda lived a soucar of the Komti merchant caste
very village there is found the glittering black sand who held some high Government appointment but used so much by native clerks instead of blotting had embezzled large sums of money entrusted to paper. My theory is that one of the early explorers him. This having come to light the king ordered landed at this spot and, being ignorant of the lanthe soucar to be impaled unless he inade good the
guage, went about what appears to me a very money. None of his caste people would assist him.
natural way of solving the difficulty by taking up a In the same village lived the widow of a goldsmith.
handful of this black sand and pointing to it. Tho She had gone to the well to get some water, and on
answer he would receive would be .Kori manal, her way back she met the soucar being led out to
which he would take to be the name of the country execution. She asked and was told all the circumstances of the case. The amount embezzled was
instead of simply the sand grains in his palm. about two lakhs of rupees which she offered to pay
The mistake has, I conceive, been propagatod, and on provided the soucar would bind himself and his
this supposition we have, what appears to ine, a very descendants to become the song of her castu. On simple solution of the question. being formally resigned by his own caste, the Boucar
J. B. J. received a copper grant which created him the "old Palconda, Vizagapatam, March, 17th 1872. son" of the goldsmith caste. This caste is now said to be of 1,000 fanilies: they live by begging
HA'SYA'RNAVA. and from the realization of the following fees
SIR,In the Indian Antiquary p. 340, I find an which the Panchalas pay them -
article on Kalidase by Pandit Sashageri S'astri, (1) The pagoda for every goldsmith's workshop.
B.A., who cites Hasyarnava, among the works (2) One fanam - 4 an. 8 pie for every black
of Kalidasa. It is a comparatively modern work smith's shop.
of & Bengal Pandit, Jagadisoara Tarkalankara (3) One fadam for every marriago ceremony. Prof. Wilson gives a short account of this work,
Admissions to the caste which is performed by in his Theatre of the Hindus, Vol. II., where granting the neophyte a copy of the grant toge- he says, “It is the work of a Pandit named Jagather with a peculiarly shaped knife are still made. 'die'a, and was represented at the vernal festival." The convert's children become " Hulle Mukkalu." Hasyaraava is a prahasana' or farce in two acts. It appears that a similar caste is to be found
There is a modern commentary on it by Mahendra both among the Komtis and the Chuklars, I have
Nath, son of Taraka Nath Tarakavagisha. not however yet had an opportunity of learning
RAN DAS SEN. anything about them. I have never read or heard | Berhampur, Bengal, 11th Nov. 1872.
