Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 76

72
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1918.
MISCELLANEA THE ANTIQUITY OF THE KANARESE what he states therein. I have cre this made PRACTICE OF TAKING SIMPLY THE NAMES
enquiries at many of the Maratha centres in the OF PLACES AS SURNAMES.
South of India, and I have always been impresWe have a copper-plate grant from Haidarabad
sed with the fact that Kunbi is an occupational in the Nizam's territory re-edited by Dr. Fleet,
term and does not represent a caste or trile. above, Vol. VI. pp. 73-4. It is dated Saka 534
Kunbi is, I think, the contracted form of expired, and refers itself to the reign of the
Kutumbi, a family-man. Molesworth does not, Chalukya prince Pulakesin II. Lines 14-15 speak
unfortunately, derive the word Kunbi, but I have of the grantee as follows:वासिष्ठगोचाव तैत्तिरीबाब नगराधिवासिने
little donbt it is the shortened form of Kutumbi.
It is possible that the word is from kudi, a hut चतुवायोंबरखेडकुलनामेधयाय ज्येष्ठशर्मणे Nere the most interesting point is that the
or cottage. The analogous Tamil word is kudi family name of the grantee Jyestha is given. It
or Audiyinavan, both of which are cnrrent The
former means ( according to Winslow ) 'a houseis Umbarakhela. Umbarak heca is unquestion ably the name of a village, and this reminds us
hold', or a family, and the latter, a houseof the practice of the Kanarese Bramaņas of
holder or cultivator, an agriculturist,' thence adopting, as family names, the names of villages
'a subject, and is synonymous with audithand towns, without the addition of any termi
thunnakaran. The eighteen servile castes depenmation such as kar or walld, which is employed
dent on the kudiyanarans are called kudimakkal, in Maharashtra or Gujarat and which sigpities
and include the washerman, the barber, the (originully) residing in." This is highly impor.
potter, the goldsmith or silversmith, brazier, tant, for we can now definitely say that this
mason, blacksmith, oil-monger, carpenter, salt practice which is prevalent to this day in the
dealer, betel-seller, garland maker, the chank. Kanarese-speaking districts can be traced back
blower, the pijari, the tailor, the fisherman, the to the beginning of the 7th century A.D.
palli (agricultural labonrer) and the grave. Now this Umbarakheda, I think, is most digger. The barber is, in a special sense, termed probably Umarkhed in the Parbhani district of kudimagan. In the Mysore State, the terms the Nizam's territory, where an old stone and rakkal and vakkalád var are used in a similar mud fort, partly ruined, still exists. Tagarn, manner. In some Telugu districts of this Presiwhere the grantee lired, and which is referred to dency, the term samsari (lit., family-man) is used in ancient inscriptions and the writings of in a like sense. The term hanli and its Dratiforeigners, has been identified luy Dr. Fleet with dian anologies may, therefore, I think, be appro Ter, 30 miles east of Barsi in the Sholapur priately translated into the English word district. Both Ter and Umarkhel are in the husband man', the word husband itself coming Nizam's dominions, and are not more than 80
(according to Webster) from hus, house, and miles distant from each other. DR. BITANDARKAR.
bandi, dwelling, and hence one inhabiting
honse. RAJPUTS AND MARATHAS.
O. HAYAVADANA RAO I HAVE rend with interest Mr. R. E. Enthoven's
MADRAS, note ante, Vol. XL p. 280, and write to endorse 7th November, 1911. }
NOTES AND QUERIES. POSTHUMOUS TITLES.
e. g., the title of the late Queen Victorin, after POSTHUMOU 8 honorific titles are still commonly death, is Malika-i-MaghfQra Anjah&ni. Will some given to decensed personages of high standing
Indian scholar kindly supply other instances in in Indian literary works and are extended the case of Europeans? occasionally even to very well-known Europeans,
R. C. TENPLE.
1 Liste of Remains in the Nizam's Territory, p. 25.
? Jour. R. 41. Soc. for 1901, July number.