Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/190

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lIISTOIiY C>r INDIA.

fHooK r.

A I) 1498. and as they were con.siderably nortli of" it, they changed their course to Houtli- east. On the 20th they belield, tf> their uii.speakuble delight, the lofty wofxled terraces rising behiml that city, and shortly after ca«t anchor about two leagues below it.

Calicut, situated on the open l>each, without roadstead or harbour, though ]>artially protected by a rocky bank, inside of which small vessels lie tolerably

Calicut,

Itszamorin.

CALicax. — Bran et Hogenburjj, Theatre des prmuipale^s Villes de tuus les UniveiB, 1574.

sheltered, was then the capital of a Hindoo sovereign, who, under the title of samiry or zaniorin, ruled a considerable extent of country in the south-west of the peninsula. This title is probably the corruption of Tamuri, the name of a rajah on whom, according to popular tradition, a prince called Cheruman. after dividing his territories among his other cliieftains, had nothincr more remainincj to bestow than his sword, " with all the territory in which a cock crowing at a small temple here could be heard '^ The territory thus assigned took, from the singular nature of the grant, the name of Colico-du, or the Cock-crowing, which in course of time was metamorphosed into Calicut. This account may be set aside as fabulous ; but it is certain that in whatever way the original nucleus of the territory was acquired, the sword of Cheruman proved the most valuable part of his bequest, and enabled Tamuri to place himself at the head of all his Ijrother chieftains, and transmit his power to a series of successors. One of these had been converted to Mahometanism " by some pilgrims who had been wrecked on his coast while proceeding to visit Adam's Peak in Ceylon ; and, with the zeal of a new convert, set out on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He never returned; but the favour shown to Mahometans during his reign, and the encouragement which, in consequence of his recommendation, they received from his successor, had induced them to settle in great numbei"s, and enabled them to acquire much influence in Cranganore, Calicut, and the surrounding

' Buchanan, Narrative of a Journey frora Madras, tJirouyh Mi/sorc, Canara, and Malabar, vol. ii. p. 47i. ^ Brigg's FcrUhta, vol. iv. p. 531, 532.

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