Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/184

 Jrsr OBSEBTATIONK OK THE FCTPUltl. 171 period dy noted tho Greeks in general. In sub- mm, when tho (i reeks were suweceded by tbo Axnbi, itwus the Amis that were donot* "i the Inter Sanskrit of tho Vithtm t'nrdria wn are to understand by Yavnnns not the Creeks, bat tho took widely, tin- hnTmbltonfai oC-both thotm ulf. The name S o n a g a s, by whinh Mu hm ii t nadflim of Arab descent are, itom^ called jn TAuiil, is merely a coemption of the Sanskrit Y a van as. The Arab and Persian Yavaiias.wh linos or .Muhanunadamt, -itoiaed to shave thefr farads, as the Hindus were well aware; and. when mnrcfaanta of hoth creeds name over, many I Ago, from tlu> Persian Gulf-mid the Bod Set* JHul cj on tho Malabar coast, they not only brought -with thorn their own peculiar usages as regard" dress, food, &Q,, bat received exproc* permission from Qui Chora kin pi to rvluiii those nnjltrea and to govern then. their own laws. They received permission also to make converts I Othrc religions, and, b mote n-markablo Mill. lion to incorporate; those cun verts in their community or paste, and make them sharer* together with themselves in tins social privileges that had been -in, intihi'ii ftclf-governtnonL This being iho case, ouufanlOKi to I '60 l iihutuinndanunn came to bo regarded tut a change of auto or nationality, and not merely as a chango of religion. The convert ceased to ho a member of any Hindu caste. II t coaled 1 ".'. n to boa Hindu, m id becaimv as far was possible for him to become, * 6 or an Arab, — that H be became a uu tuber or the Syrian or the Arab caste. He adopted riot only "uriiitan or the Muliummndan pre» t and the drv*sof the Yu vana. He might originally haw beaa u Polia slave, but if ho was thought worthy accepted us a convert, ho was though! worthy alio of being admitted to the caste name and odf, and would ran bo refused tho pBttlegc of connecting himsidf with thnu by Enarriage. The alwsnoi oT tfi m i amongst the Syrian r tions of ihe Wettfirb COMt, as also oniony Indian Mnhainuiadum guilefully (as adherents nay hi* rtt«f« ia tim Mat* jaius tviuiirj M ttw pipm« mtt of on Arabian religion und of Arabian riwgnt)* is therefore to be regarded, not as a proof «f ihrkucjuniiaa asigii.-l ]i ism ao a religion, hut as a sign end memento of their admission into th.> mi- r casta of . whom they wot* verted, and of their adoption, as wa natural bnt nnavoidahltv under rhecirvunwtanoaa, of the Syrian ( V a va n a mode* of U&, iniMiKlins,' drew and the fashion of Wflftnngthr. hnir. It was natural ti itant mission- I'labar coast shonld adrisi< Ikm the praetieo of their .SyriAn pnNteccifoniii this particular, though the imttu- lion of their practice has only been part ml all, seeing- that it does not include a eluutgo in nationality of their oonv a ll due* na t fol- low that the pmeiieo of tho Syrians should be Eotfowod by missiunaries in other parts of India, where tho Syrians are unknown, and whore il-hna never bean eonsidoreil to be noeoaaary or denir- shlo that convertt should adapt a new national- ity, — with- f which tho imita- if the Syrians in one particular abine- eeemB partial and arbttrnry. The example ofth« Syrian-, nu I Arabs was followed to lie Roman Catholic mia- l in the jamc neighbourhood in Ooa, in tho sixteenth century. Tho cot mode by the Portuguese in Ooa adopted a new nationality and a new dross, as well as a now Tin')- assumed the dross and customs of their Partugut«e putruos, and am called 4 Portngoeso' t hy Mahamnmilana, a or froi nity. go not on but also their i rind, as a sitrn of i h in change, iho y uhaniuuw lan t that to, the Y a v a n a dress and mode of wearing: the liair. especially the 'skull-cap,* tiie ecp« of the Arabian or Turkish ' fex :' and mo well il nndff tiiiufumnu tiilkol'the TTrtmit iimoilfintsm in not; >oeomc a iluhanjtuiul.nn littt to . h iif tbrir tatUHIi}. wLkb i« ■ luck of luUr Mibd. r-Jt-. - a> Ka.it tmU*. P- HI- C L K