"can be looked on as being in any way an authority on difficult and obscure historical questions, or that the story can be classed as more than a myth, there are no grounds for supposing." No linguistic work of recognised authority was produced in support of the derivation of the word Samantan from Samantran, meaning without mantrams. One exhibit in the case above referred to was an extract from the report of a commission appointed to inspect the state and condition of the province of Malabar. It is dated 11th October, 1793, and in it allusion is made to the 'Tichera Tiroopaar' who is described as a chief Nayar of Nilambur in the southern division of the country. Evidence was given to show that Tichera Tiroopaar is the Nilambur Tirumulpad. And, in a letter from the Supervisor of Malabar, dated 15th November, 1793, allusion is made to Tichera Tiroopaar as a Nayar. Two extracts from Buchanan's well-known work on Mysore, Canara and Malabar, were also filed as exhibits. In one Buchanan relates what was told him by the Brahmans of the history of 'Malayala'. Among other things, he mentions that Cheraman Perumal, having come to the resolution of retiring to Mecca, went to Calicut. "He was there met by a Nayar who was a gallant chief, but who, having been absent at the division, had obtained no share of his master's dominions. Cheraman Perumal thereupon gave him his sword, and desired him to keep all that he could conquer. From this person's sisters are descended the Tamuri Rajahs or Zamorins." In the second extract, Buchanan sums up the result of enquiries that he had made concerning the Zamorin and his family. He states that the head of the family is the Tamuri Rajah, called by Europeans the Zamorin, and adds: "The Tamuri pretends to be of a higher rank than the Brahmans, and to be inferior only to the invisible gods, a pretension that was acknowledged by his subjects, but which is held as absurd and abominable by the Brahmans, by whom he is only treated as a Sudra." An important witness said that he knew the plaintiff, and that he was a Sudra. He stated that he had lived for two years in the Zamorin's kovilagom, and knew the customs of his family. According to him there was no difference between his own caste customs and those of the Zamorin. He said that Samantan means a petty chieftain, and drew attention to the 'Sukra Niti,' edited by Dr. Oppert, where a Samantan is said to be "he who gets annually a revenue of from one to three lakhs karshom from his subjects without oppressing them." There are, according to him, some Nayars who call themselves Samantas, and he added that when, in 1887, the Collector of Malabar called for lists of all stanom-holders [138] in the district, he examined these lists, and found that some of the Nayar chiefs called themselves Samantan.