Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/105

Rh within, whilst the Korotuatini of Tu-te-rangi-marama had many rooms. This would seem to show that the Polynesians have a traditional recollection of a higher civilization at one time prevailing.

If we take the period of Tu-te-rangi-marama as that at which the wars above referred to commenced, and suppose—which is not at all unreasonable—that it would take a long series of years for the invading people to drive the Polynesians seaward down the course of the Ganges; if we allow 100 years for this strife to have continued, it will be about the time (B.C. 315) when, as stated by Logan (see ), Chandragupta, the Maurya, established the kingdom of Magadha.—Herein we may possibly see a reason for the wars referred to in the tradition, and a further reason for the migration of the people.

Forlong states ( hereof) that it was about the year B.C. 300, that according to Javan tradition Arishtan Shar led to the Archipelago from N.W. India 20,000 families most of whom dispersed en route, probably in Malabar, Maladiva, and Malagassa. Is it not possible—nay probable—that these people were the forerunners of the Polynesian migration? To be followed 10 years after (B.C. 290) by the "Second Indian invasion of Java from the Kling coast, of 20,000 families who established Vishnuism." Or, on the other hand, the movement of this body of people may have been the active cause of the Polynesians moving on to the east, to the islands of Indonesia. We have again in Forlong's statement—"A large body of Desa-Sagala from Panjab went to Java B.C. 200–150," another probable cause of the Polynesian movement to the east, to Ceram, Celebes, etc. Tu-te-rangimarama, and others of those mentioned as flourishing during his times appear to have been subsequently deified into gods, which is in accord with Polynesian customs,