Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 47

FEBRUARY, 1917)
MISCELLANEA
47
Such is the account of the origin of the modern state of the Tondamân as given by M. Nelson. According to this, the Toqdamgns are a very modern dynasty, who came to prominence only in the latter part of the 16th century. The palace records and the indigenous chronicles, however, claim a very ancient origin to the dynasty. They assert that the first of the line, "the founder of the family, was one Tirumalai Tondaiman," who emigrated from Tirupati or Tirumalai in Tondamanlalam, and settled in Ambukkóvil
(22 miles east-north-east of Pudukko tai), seventeen generations before the middle of the 17th century. A Telugu poem, apparently composed about 1760, refers to one Avadai Raghunatha Tondaman, the 18th in descent from Tirumalai, as having distinguished himself by oapturing an elephant in one of the hunting expeditions of Sri Ranga Raya of Vijayanagar (about 1638-78), and as having been rewarded with the title of Râya and several other distinctions. The fact that he obtained this title from the Vijayanagara king is also mentioned in a Pulukkôt ai grant as early as 1709. The same chief is state 1 in the memorandum of 1819, already mentioned, to have conquered thë Pallava Rayas in 1639, with the permission of the Vijayanaga a king, and to have laid the foundations of the present Pudukkotai State. His son served the Nâik king of Tanjore for a short time; but in the end left his patron and annexed to his dominiony several of the Tanjore villages. The sam: Ton lamân is said to have given his sister to the Kilavan," the notorious Satupati of Râmnâd, and to have received, about 1675, as a gift from the Setupati, the country of Pudukko tai, which his father represented in the palace memorandum to have conquered in 1640."
The edito: of the Trichinopoly Gazetteer believes that the second version, i.e., traditional account given above,"is inadequately supported by contemporary evidence and is in many ways improbable," and he therefore thinks that Nelson's theory is the correct one. It seems to me, however, that there is no inconsistency between the two theories. It is quite possible that, while the Pallava Rayas were ruling at Pudukkôtrai, there was a contemporary local line of chiefs at Ambukkôvil. Most probably the two lines of chiefs were constant rivals, till at last he who was ruling at Ambukkóvil in the middle of the 17th century, conquered his contemporary at Pudukkottai ant got himself confirmed in his n3w asquisition by Kilavan Setupati, as he was his brother-in-law. As regards the title Tondamân, it had been assumed by both the dynasties, and is now continued to be worn by the surviving one.
(To be continued.)
MISCELLANEA.
SURGEON GABRIEL BOUGHTON.
| article would seem to anit. H, has coasulted IN & paper entitled 4 Jahånår" and published certain sources which he has either particularly in the Journal of the Panjab Historical Society noticed by name, or omitted to do so, as the Vol. II. No. 2 (1914), the author has controvert- context would show. As an Editor of a history for ed the assertion that Surgeon Gabriel Boughton the B. I. Edition, now in course of publication and did not take part in the treatment and recovery of an employé of the Bengal Asiatic Society, be Jahånära Begam, daughter of Emperor Shah Jahân. must have read the paper on Surgeon Boughton The learned author has noticed the "Boughton and the privileges to the English traders published Legend" at greater length than the scope of the in 1912 in the Society's Journal, and Mr. William