History of Bengali Language and Literature c7.s2.7

c7.s2.7

long years held possession of the village. The tradition prevalent in the country also supports the grant. The probable causes of the anomalies found in the copper-plate inscription may be thus explained. The copper-plate would be naturally in the custody of the eldest member of the family, and the other descendants interested in the endowment would, according to custom, be permitted to retain copies of it. Supposing that the original copper-plate was lost, the descendants were no doubt reduced to the necessity of preparing another from the copies they had with them, in order to satisfy Rājāh Todar Mall who surveyed the lands during Akbar's time. If this supposition is correct, it accounts for the introduction of the Hijrā era into it, and also for the comparatively modern style of the characters used in the inscription.