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SEPTEMBER, 1895.)
EARLY SOVEREIGNS OF TRAVANCORE.
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Rajendra. The inscription, bowever, proves, for one thing, that the Vêîâd principality was gradually emerging, with the opening years of the fourth century M. E., from the effects of the Chilukya.Chola eclipse. The receipt of a grant is an acknowledgment of the right of the grantor to make the grant. His action argues, therefore, both practical shrewdness and statesmanlike sagacity on the part of Vira-Kerala; for he is shewn thus to have fully recognized the situation and made the best of it.
II. That the policy of conciliation with an enemy too powerful to at once overcome, was only a preliminary for the recovery of lost territories, as opportunities occurred, is proved by the document I have next to present, dated just eighteen years later. This inscription comes from Tiruvallam,si a petty village near the old mouth32 of the Karamanai river, about four miles to the south of the Trivandram fort. Within a rectangular enclosure, on the eastern bank of the river, stand three chief shrines, of which the easternmost, dedicated to Mahadeva, is certainly the oldest. The middle one — the smallest of the three - is low said to be sacred to Brahma, and it is on its western wall that the following grant is inscribed, in rather small and superficial Vatteluttu characters, running over ten closely packed lines. Being close to a holy bathing ghál, still in ase, and being in some measure related to the central temple in the capital, all the three shrines are in pretty good condition, though, because of the exposed situation, the inscription itself is fully open to the effacing influences of the sun and rain. The translation of this rather lengthy record would run thus :
Vatteluttu No. 47. Old Malayalam.
Tiruvallam Inscription of Vira-Köraļavarman. "Hil! Prosperity ! In the Kollam year 319, with Jupiter in the sign of Scorpio, and the sau in Capricornus (i. e., the Malabar month of Makaram), was done the following deed.34 Teiganida, belonging to the loyal chieftains of Sci-Vira-Keralavarma Tiruvadi, graciously ruling over Vånid, being recovered, 35 the said chieftains make over in writing the tax payable ia paddy within the area of Nigamattûr, amounting to *, and the duties called chévadu and alugerudu, as well as the tax on hand looms, in order to provide daily, in all, 7 náli of rice, for the use of Brahmana worshippers (namaskaram ), and for evening offerings to the Maha diva, Tirukkannappan, 36 and Ganapati in the temple of Tiruvallam, and also to provide once a inonth one candelabrum ( dipamdla ), for each of the first two deities. Accordingly from this time forwards, Mahadeva shall have two nali of rice, Tirukkannappan two nú!, Gagapati one nali, and the worshipping Brahmaņas two náļi. Moreover, the eight coing97 given in addition by the men of Kaţtuśêri, being also handed over as néli, to Náraņa Tadar, he shall make a set-off with that money for the amount he has invested in the purchase of Araviyûr-compound, and he shall further, after making forth with a flower garden therein, supply the three deities with two garlands each, and take for himself (in return for his labour ) the boiled rice offered to the gods. Nåråga Tadar, on his part, while accepting the aforesaid grant of the tax due from Nigamattúr, amounting in paddy to * * , and the duty called alugerudu, as well as the tax on hand looms and the 8 coins given as néli, agrees to colleat the said dues in half-yearly payments, to grant receipts therefor, to meet the charges thereon, and to furnish the dipimáli, as well as the garlands from the flower garden (now
31 l'allum means, according to Dr. Gundert, a place for watering fields. Would not vallam mean the same in illavuti chellavuri vallavuri varddhikkurit in the Siva-Purana?
32 This river seems to have frequently altered its place of discharge even in recent times. The shifting boundary of the two adjoining taluks is a guide as to what the course was, when the administrative divisions were last arranged.
35 Old Malayalam differs but little from current Tamil. I should have reckoned it as Sen-Tamil but for certnin inflexions --for instance tarwvidu instead of varuvalu; uimaskdraftingu instead of numaskirattirku. 34 "Sayda kariyam-Aviduo is an expletive to introduce a document.
B6 The word is siyittarlel. 34 There is nothing to shew that the Tamil saint of this name had ever a temple at this spot. The word refers ouly to Krishna, now the prosiding deity.
97 Achchu clearly means a coin, though it is impossible now to dete mine its value.
