Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/92

78 LAWS. and among several of the principal tribes, have been committed to writing. I n the languages of the west- ern tribes, these written collections are generally denominated Undang^ a word, which, in the lead- ing language, the Javanese, means a royal order or edict, and points distinctly enough at their nature and origin, being all compilations made by express order oi some particular monarch. None of them, of course, bear date earlier than the introduction of Mahomedanism, and the greater number are in- deed coeval with this event, or were compiled im- mediately after it. It may be presumed, that these collections are founded on the written laws which were in existence with each particular tribe before the conversion. Under the name of Kuntaray for example, the 13alinese have still a collection of na- tive laws, slightly modified by Hinduism, which bears a strong afunity with the Malayan collec- tions called Undang. In attempting to render an account of the jurisprudence of the Indian islanders, I shall freely quote these different col- lections. All of them display a remarkable cha- racter of rudeness and barbarism. Institutions so imperfect, indeed, have never, in all probability, been, among any other people, committed to writ- ing. No attempt is made in them at arrangement or classification, but the most incompatible mattery are blended togetlicr, and the forms of judicatui'^, criminal and civil jurisprudence, maxims of mo-