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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1909.
10.
10.
"Dalên dobân muqabila, kal phire chapati."
Angrezkó már leyâ Kila Multân da jihra Aha
yâki. Singh Panjabon nikale ho tara udazf. Hakm hoiê Angrez dà; likh tore kbáti,
"In the meeting of the two armies, the chapatis
will circulate to-morrow." The English slew all the rebels that were in the
Fort at Multân. The Sikhs passed out of the Panjab in despair.13 The rule of the English was established, and the
news of it was sent. The post carried the news, travelling night by
night.
Dakâi khabarâi kîtiyân, char råto-råti.
NOTES AND QUERIES. MEANING OF BRAHMAN."
The word occurs in mandala 1, lymu 10, verse It appears to be generally believed (vido ante,
4, and has been explained both by Yaska and Vol. XXVIII, p. 870) that the word Brahman
Sayana as "food," and this appears to be the throughout the Rigveda signifies without ex.
more appropriate meaning from the context. ception" prayer." There is at least one exception,
S. SITARAMAIYA.
CORRESPONDENCE. WAS TOBACCO IN VOQUE IN 1000 ?
Now let me turn to another point, According 81R, -Mr. Vincent A. Smith published a query to Mr. Smith tobacco was brought from America in Vol. XXXVII, p. 210, headed "Is tobacco for the Arst time in 1558 and was then quickly indigenous to India"? with reference to the spread over the world through the agency of the assertion made by an anonymous writer in the Portuguese, English and Spanish peoples. But Times on the 22nd November, 1902, that there this can hardly be correct, because the Sanskrit could scarcely be a doubt that certain varieties term above mentioned was used by the natires of of tobacco were indigenous in India. He observ. India at a very early period, long before the reign of ed that the writer quoted gave no authority for Akbar, which is practically the earliest European statements which seemed to be opposed to well- period in India. known evidence. He regretted that nobody had In support of my views, the Chinese pilgrim, answered his question, but proceeded to solve it Hiuen sang, relates that some of the columns at himsell on the basis of an article by Sir Ray Sarnath in the Benares Division were erected by Lankester which appeared in the Daily Telegraph Asöka tbe Great. And in fact the ruined columne of March 28th. 1908. Sir Ray referred to and edifices there were erected by Asoka, Kanishka De Candolle's History of Oultivated Plants.
and Abvagbosba from the 3rd century before Mr. Smith says that new varieties of the Christ down to 12th century A. D. I visited tobacco plant produced artificially in parts of Sarnath in 1905. Among the rains I saw two red Asia have been erroneously supposed to be in- earthen hukkas or bubble-bubbles, carefully digenous, and that no Asiatic language has any preserved by Mr. F. 0. Oertel. Now Mr. Smith native word for the herb, which is not mentioned says that the hukka is not mentioned before by any writer on Obins earlier than 1680. In 1600, but if that were the case and if tobacco answer to this I may say, however, that this was not in vogue in ancient times, then why statement is not at all true. At any rate there should the hubble-bubble appear at Sårnith? is the Sanskrit word. ' (tâmrakita),
GANAPATI RAY, and its Bengali abbreviated equivalent
Librarian, ( tänäku). I can quote many Sanskrit verses in
Bengal National College. support of my statement, il necessary.. I Calcutta, 22nd Januury, 1909.
15 Allusion to the departure of her Singh after his quarrol with Mul Rej.
