Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu/126

TIYAN will not help either party with armed men. You must fight it out among yourselves." Then the five classes of artisans consulted one another, and made common cause. The Pānans, Perin Malayans, and Chēn (red) Koravans joined the artisans. The Ven Thachāns, Vēlans, Paravans, Vēttuvans, Kanisan Panikars, and the Pāndi Pulluvans of Vellālanād joined the other side. There was war for twelve years. In the end, the artisans were defeated. They said among themselves " We have been defeated by the fourteenth caste of Veluthēdan Nāyar, who carried away our daughter. Let us leave this country." So 7,764 families, with the women and children, tied up their mats, and left Chēramān Perumāl's country, and went to Izhuva land, which was beyond it. They went before the Izhuva king (island king), and told him their story. Now Chēramān Perumāl used to be shaved every fifteen days. When the barber (Velakathalavan) was sent for, he came without his knife (razor), as his wife had buried it. He said "Oh! Tamburan, have mercy on your slave. Your slave's knife was given to the blacksmith to be mended, and he took it away with him. He gave me this piece of iron, saying " If you want the knife made ready for use, you must come to the Izhuva land for it, and we will mend it on our return." So Perumāl had to go without shaving, and his hair grew like a Rishi's. As there were neither carpenters nor smiths to make implements, agriculture was almost at a standstill; and, as there were no goldsmiths, the tāli-tying ceremonies could not be performed. Nor could the rice-giving ceremony be done, for want of the " neck-rings." Then Chēramān Perumāl obtained advice, and resolved to send the Mannān (washerman of the Tiyans), who was included in the fourteenth caste, and the Pānan, who belonged to the