history developed. Their innumerable but regular letters have become the skeletons around which the history of Tamilnad was constructed. These letters depicted the conditions prevailing in Tamilnad during those days. It was around these letters that many history books of Tamilnad were written like “The Nayaks of Madura”. A history- political, economic and social-spun from these letters is an important back-drop for the study of these scholars. Their criticisms and commentaries of our works can be better understood in the light of our history and it will enable us to figure out the novel ideas introduced by them and last, but in no way less important, the mistakes they committed.

I undertook a tour along with my supervisor Dr.M. Rajamanickam and a colleague, Professor C.R. Paramesh and Mr. M.R. Shanthakumar – who aided me with their remarkable photographic talents-of those places where most of these scholars lived and pursued their studies. At these places, I tried to investigate whether unpublished manuscripts of their works were to be found in libraries. More often than not I met with success. During this tour I detected a manuscript copy of one of Dr. Pope’s works called “Fifteen Lectures – The Picture Lamp” (Pañcatacap pirakaraṇam, Mutalāvatu Citratīpam.) (See Plate 1). Two manuscripts of Beschi’s were encountered at Shenbaganur. They are (1) Tamil-Latin Dictionary of Common Tamil (which was published once in 1882) and (2) The Portuguese-Latin-Tamil Dictionary. Many oral accounts of these missionaries still circulate around the centres, where they worked. The story goes that Dr. Caldwell died in Kodaikanal but was later removed to Idiyankudi for burial. At Idiyankudi, I found his grave and the epitaph reads:

“Here Rest the Remains of
Robert Caldwell D.D.; L.L.D.
Born 1814. Arrived India 1838.
Consercated 1877. Died August, 28 1891.”

Asst: Bishop in Tirunelveli.

Beside the grave stands a slab engraved with his history.