DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2374#0370
360
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
CHAPTER
XI.
Dec. l-~'i.
I
Manufac-
tures,
Property of
the soil vest-
ed in the
Namburh.
the west: and Cohnbetore, Dindigul, Daraporam, Salient, Sati-man-
gala, Palani (Pulni), Wudumalay-cotay, Tritchenopoly, Tanjore, Ma-
dura, Tinivelly, Madras, and Seringapatam from the east.
The broker is not answerable for fire, or theft; nor is he even
bound to pay any loss that may happen from the badness of his
storehouses. The commission is £ of a Fanam on every Tolam of
weighable goods, whether they be stored seven days or one year,
which is at the rate of 7-j-d. a hundred-weight. Cloth-merchants
always sell their own goods. On each load, they pay as warehouse
rent half a Fanam. The brokers say, that during the reign of
Tippoo they had a more extensive trade than at present. Even after
Malabar fell into the hands of the English, the trade with Coimbetore
was not interrupted. These assertions appear to me highly impro-
bable ; but I am not able to ascertain the truth; for the reports of
the custom-house, which Mr. Warden was so good as to send me,
through the commissioners, have not reached my hands.
The weavers here are very few in number, and make only very
coarse cloth: but at Colangodu all the kinds are made that are
wrought at Coimbetore. The quantity, however, is very inadequate
to the supply of the country. The weavers are all of foreign ex-
traction, from above the Ghats, or from the eastward; and are all
either Divangas or Coicular. The looms employed in the whole
district, according to the returns made to the collector, are 559,.
I have already mentioned, that the Namburis pretend to have
been possessed of all the landed property of Malayala, ever since
its creation; and in fact it is well known, that before the conquest
by Hyder they were the actual lords of the whole soil, except some
small parts appropriated to the support of religious ceremonies,
and called DSva-stdnam ; and other portions called Chericul, which
were appropriated for supporting the families of the Rajas. All the
remainder, forming by far the greater part, was the Jenm, or pro-
perty, of the Namburi Brdhmans ; and this right was, and by them
is still considered as unalienable: nor will they allow, that any
,
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
CHAPTER
XI.
Dec. l-~'i.
I
Manufac-
tures,
Property of
the soil vest-
ed in the
Namburh.
the west: and Cohnbetore, Dindigul, Daraporam, Salient, Sati-man-
gala, Palani (Pulni), Wudumalay-cotay, Tritchenopoly, Tanjore, Ma-
dura, Tinivelly, Madras, and Seringapatam from the east.
The broker is not answerable for fire, or theft; nor is he even
bound to pay any loss that may happen from the badness of his
storehouses. The commission is £ of a Fanam on every Tolam of
weighable goods, whether they be stored seven days or one year,
which is at the rate of 7-j-d. a hundred-weight. Cloth-merchants
always sell their own goods. On each load, they pay as warehouse
rent half a Fanam. The brokers say, that during the reign of
Tippoo they had a more extensive trade than at present. Even after
Malabar fell into the hands of the English, the trade with Coimbetore
was not interrupted. These assertions appear to me highly impro-
bable ; but I am not able to ascertain the truth; for the reports of
the custom-house, which Mr. Warden was so good as to send me,
through the commissioners, have not reached my hands.
The weavers here are very few in number, and make only very
coarse cloth: but at Colangodu all the kinds are made that are
wrought at Coimbetore. The quantity, however, is very inadequate
to the supply of the country. The weavers are all of foreign ex-
traction, from above the Ghats, or from the eastward; and are all
either Divangas or Coicular. The looms employed in the whole
district, according to the returns made to the collector, are 559,.
I have already mentioned, that the Namburis pretend to have
been possessed of all the landed property of Malayala, ever since
its creation; and in fact it is well known, that before the conquest
by Hyder they were the actual lords of the whole soil, except some
small parts appropriated to the support of religious ceremonies,
and called DSva-stdnam ; and other portions called Chericul, which
were appropriated for supporting the families of the Rajas. All the
remainder, forming by far the greater part, was the Jenm, or pro-
perty, of the Namburi Brdhmans ; and this right was, and by them
is still considered as unalienable: nor will they allow, that any
,