MISCELLANEOUS

record the construction of the mosque and the water trough by Sa‘id, the Governor of Gingee, evidently under the emperor Farrukh-Shiyar. These three inscriptions have since been published in Ep. Indo.Mos. for 1937-38, pp.42 ff.

Library attached to the temple at Śrīraṅgam.
   70. The mention of libraries in connection with temples or religious institu- tions like maṭhas is somewhat rare in inscriptions. The reference to a library (Sarasvatī-bhaṇḍāram) attached to the temple at Srīraṅgam mentioned in an inscription copied during the year (No. 139) is therefore of considerable interest. According to the āgamas, a temple of the first magnitude should have a library attached and the Śrīraṅgam temple being of this type and being an important centre of religious activities in the mediaeval centuries, it is but natural that it must have been provided with such an institute for the dissemination of the Vaishṇava religion. The library under reference is stated to have been founded by Pālappaḷḷi Nīlakaṇṭha-Nāyakar, who from No. 4 of 1938, is known to have made an endowment in the 14th year of the Hoysaḷa king Vīra-Rāma- nāthadēva. He also appropriately set up the images of Hayagrīva, Sarasvatī and Vēdavyāsa, the three presiding deities of learning in the maṇḍapa in which this library was situated and made provision for their daily worship. Reference may be made in this connection to a record of the Western Chāḷukya king Tri- bhuvanamalla Sōmēśvara from Nāgai in the Hyderabad State (Hyd. Arch. Series. No. 8), which records the provision made for the maintenance of six Sarasvatī-bhaṇḍārikas or Curators who looked after the library attached to the college endowed by a general of the king ; and to two records of the Vijaya- nagara kings Bukka II and Dēvarāya secured from the South Kanara district mentioning a library attached to the Śrīṅgēri-maṭha which received royal patronage (Ep. Rep. for 1936-37, para. 55). There should have been many such institutions and these should have greatly helped the spread of learning in ancient times. Besides these, royal encouragement was given to individual scholars in the shape of bhaṭṭa-vṛitti gifts.

Appointment of a new committee to select Sanyāsins
for looking after the properties of the Raṅganātha temple.
  71. A record from Śrīraṅgam (No. 51) engraved in characters assignable to the 14th century A.D. purports to be an order issued by God Raṅganātha himself directing a council of 23 members— ten selected from out of the 10 kottu of the temple, 4 from the Sanyāsins and the dēśāntris, 5 representing the 18 maṇḍalas and 4 representing the Chēra, Chōḷa, Pāṇḍya kings and the Kshatriyas of the north¬¬—to appoint sanyāsins versed in Vasihṇava lore and with the interest of the temple at heart, to look after the properties of the temple situated in several places, with provision made for their maintenance. The mention of armed Vēḷaikkāras placed at their disposal to help them in the discharge of their duties is interesting. The appointment of sanyāsins for the management was probably dictated by the belief that beside acving disinterestedly they would also command respect among the people.
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Dupleix’s inscription at Pondicherry.
   72. An estampage of a unique inscription of Dupleix, the French Governor at Pondicherry, dated in A.D. 1745 was sent to me by Mon. Dubreuil (No. 319) along with those of certain fragmentary Tamil inscriptions ranging from 13th to 15th centuries A.D. (No. 320). The record is found on a slab built into the wall of the fort at Pondicherry, and it states that at the request of the inhabitants of the place, for the security of the town and for its embellishment, this ‘Porte Marine’ along with the fortifications on the shore was built by the Governor, Joseph Francois Dupleix, in the reign of Louis XV, king of France. In a note sent to me along with this inscription Mon. Dubreuil states that in A.D. 1745, Dupleix came to know that the English of Madras would attack Pondicherry and that on his recommendation, the French authorities gave him permission to built fortifications on the sea fort, but since there was no money in the treasury of the town, Dupleix defrayed the expenses from his private purse and finished the work by the end of A.D. 1745. This inscription, besides perpetuating the noble benefaction of the French Governor, may be said to be the only stone record of his found in the place.

Tirukkami-Avadhaniyar, author of an ula.
   73. An inscription of about the 18th century A.D. from Kāppalūr in the North Arcot district (No. 261) mentions a certain Tirukkāmi Avadhāniyār as the recipient of a gift of land from Sokkappiḷḷai, agent of Appayyan and the tānattār of the Tirukkāmīśvara temple, for having composed an ulā and for

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