Indian Antiquary Vol 28

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 78

64
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY..
[MARCH, 1899.
ingreed to meet its cost. By thus rendering my tour possible the Punjab Government bave given once more & proof of their desire to further the objects of Indian antiquarian research. This, I trust, will be appreciated all the more as the field to be explored lay on this occasion beyond the limits of the Province.
The above pages have sbown how much assistance I derived from the kind interest which Major H. A. Deane, C.S.I., has taken in my toar. Students of the antiquities of the NorthWest Frontier region know the valuable discoveries due to Major Deane's zeal for arcbæological exploration and his readiness to facilitate all researches bearing on those territories.
It is an equal pleasure to me to record publicly my sense of the great obligations I owe to the Military and Political authorities of the Banēr Field Force. Major-General Sir Bindon Blood, K.C.B., Commanding the Division, pot only agreed in the kindest manner to allow me to accompany the expedition, but also showed on many occasions his interest in my work and his desire to facilitate it by all means at his disposal. His staff as well as the Political Officers attached to the Force, Mr. Bunbury, C. S., and Lieutenant Down of the Punjab Commission, were ever willing to give me all need fal assistance.
I feel particularly grateful to Brigadier-General Sir W. Meiklejohn, K.C.B., Commanding the 1st Brigade, and his staff for the free scope they allowed for my movements. Personally I doubt whether a civilian on a similar mission could ever have met with a kindlier reception than that which was accorded to me among the officers of the Banēr Field Force.
M. Fazl Ilahi, Draftsman, Public Works Department, who was deputed to accompany me, rendered valuable services by making accurate surveys and plans of all the more important sites and ruins. I must especially commend him for the readiness with which he volunteered for the duty, and the careful and intelligent way in which he carried out his work, often under somewhat trying conditions. Nor ought I to omit grateful reference to the excellent marching of the Afridi escorts furnished to me by the XXth Regiment Punjab Infantry which -nabled me to make full use of the limited time available for my excursions.
A POPULAR MOPLA SONG.
BY F. FAWCETT. The Moplas (Mapillas) of Malabar, ardent and fanatical Muhammadans as they are, are much levoted to songs, mostly religious, about the Prophet's battles and also their own for the most part. But their songs are not confined to descriptions of sanguinary conflicts, and the one which is given here is not in this style. The songs are written in the Arabic character, and their language is curious polyglot patois of Malayalam, the local vernacular, Tamil, Telugu, Hindustani, Arabic, and of many another tongue, & word of which is here and there brought in for some special use. The song here given is exactly as it exists, so far as it can be translated into English. Ite author was one Alungal Kandi Moyankutti Vaidiar. His grandfather was a Hindu, a Vélan or medicine-man, converted to Islam (became a Mopla) and called Uni Mammad Vaidiar after his conversion. The profession of the family was medicine; hence Vaidiar, a term which is synonymous with Vêlan. The poet died six years ago, aged 45. His songs were very popular. Not at all a coltivated man, he was circumstanced just as the urdinary poor and ignorant people of his class around him; and, let it be said, in matters ducational there is no more backward class in India than the Moplas.
He was distinctly imaginative, and he had studied the art of poeby, such as it was amongst the uncultivated Moplas, - but whence did he get his ideas? The poem seems to offer but
instance of how older stories are used, adapted and passed on, just as Boccaccio and Shake
In the difficult matter of translation from Malyalam into English I owe everything to Mr. T. Kannan, B. A., Head- Quartere Inspector of Police, Calient.