Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/196

1875.] Christian missions in India before we get as low as the sixth century.

Mr. Collins points out that Manichæan was a term of abuse among the early Christians. This is a Fact -,* but Abu Said was a Muhammadan, not a Christian, and if he had wished to abuse the Christians ho would have called them all (on I and unorthodox) simply Kafirs. The Arabs of the 9th and 10th centuries were, however, poea of too much culture and too little bigotry to in- terest themselves in the perpetual and trumpery squabble3of the so-called Eastern Churches Thi -y had a distinct name for the Manich sans — Manani. Mr. Collins also urges a new derivation of Mani- gr&mam, viz. from Manava or Mani. Either word might be used in the sense he assigns, but what reason has he for supposing that it was so used in the 8th century P The derivation is in itself not probable. It is evident from the so-called Syrian grant that Mauigr&mam was not a Brahman vil- lage, and of conversions there is nowhere the least mention. Whatever the Manigracuakar were, Mr, Whitehouse'a account (as quoted) gives little reason to suppose that the)' were orthodox Chris- tians. Mr. Collins also urges that Mftflifcavft- chaka {in the Sanskrit form of his name) was not a Manichamn; I cannot imagine how anyone could ever have supposed that he was. This eminent Tarai] reformer is known historically; one temple, at least, founded by him exists still in the Tanjore province, and several of his works (on Saiva doctrine) are popular even now. He deserves better than to be called a * Tamil 80r ' cerer," whatever that may mean. Mr. Collins appropriates Dr. Hang's very im- portant explanation cf the inscriptions as Nes- torian. This lint of their origin, taken together with the use of Pahlavl, seems to mo to explain the whole mutter. Thee rtainly are of about the year 8fK) a.d., and at that time the Nestorian missionaries were very active : the cross and inscriptions Of Si-ngan-fu (in China) was, erected by somo in 781 A». But at thai Pahlavi was nearly extinct in Persia. Why then should Nestorian missionaries use a difficult guage foreign to themselves and hardly used at all, except that it was the language of the people to whom they p rendu -d En South India? Tito in- scription at Si-ngan-fu is in Syriac and Chin The ambiguous Persian names of the witnesses of •-called Syrian grant of about S-o ..n, pre- clude the rapposition of Syrian or of orthodox Christiana. Again, why should Nestorian mis- sionaries have used the formula we find i i ilu-- the people to whom they preached " ll ll iv.'ll kn.-wtj, ami if" i a buok dovuid of stcicutuk vuluo. held Trinitarian doctrines at all? The most pro- conclusion is that the Nestorians came to Malabar as missionaries to unorthodox Persian settlers. For these reasons I still hold to the conclusions at which I originally arrived; they appear to me to be the only reasonable and probable conclusions, except new facts be discovered which may put the whole matter in a new light. The history of the Travancoro Christians affords an ample for research to many living in Travancore who have both opportunity and leisure for the work. Since the last fifty years there have been endless tracts and books written on the subject; 1 have read most, but failed to find any new facts in them, or evidence of original research. Had a real in- vestigation ever been made, it would not have been left to me to bring to light these inscriptions. I can only hope that this subject will be b treated in future, but I cannot myself assist, — I have other work to do. A. Bubsell, Ph. D. Caonoor (NeUgherry WXk), ISth May 1876. MUSALiflN PBATERS. The Rev.T, P. Hughes tells us that prayer (Arabic Snla, Persian and Hindnat&ni Numfy Pushtu Ntnua) is the second of the five fonnd: of Is turn. He translates the words Suta and H by the English word although this cond foundation" of the religion of Muhammad is something quite distinct from that prayer which the Christian poet so well describes as the ''soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed." It would be more correct to speak of the Muhamniudun ': as a 9orvice, ' prayer" being more correctly rendered by the Arabic dua. In Islam prayer is reduced to a mechanical act as distinct from a mental act, and in judging of the spiritual i aetcr of Islamism we must take into careful con- sideration the precise character of that devotional service which every Muslim is required to n mi. v to God at least five times a day, and which un- doubtedly ■ BO great an influence upon the choracter of the followers of Muhammad. It is ab- solutely necessary that the service should lie per- formed in Arabic; that the clothes and body of the worshipper should be clean, and that the praying-place should be free from all impurity. It may be said either privately, or in a company, win a mosque — 'although services said in axe more meritorious than those said elsewhere. In addition to the daily prayers, the following are gpeeia] services for special occasions: SaJ t Boa Col. Yule'a Marco Fvlo, 2nd cd. toL II. pp. 21 B.