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 368 THE KINGDOMS OF THE SOUTH and Nero, and many other large hoards of Roman coins, gold, silver, and copper, have been discovered in various localities from time to time. It is, therefore, certain that the Pandya state, during the early centuries of the Christian era, shared along with the Chera kingdom of Malabar a very lucrative trade with the Roman empire, and was in exclusive possession of the much prized pearl fishery, which had its headquarters first at Korkai, and afterward at Kayal. From the fifth century onwards, occasional refer- ences to the Pandya dynasty and country are met with in literature and inscriptions. When Hiuen Tsang vis- ited the south in 640 A. D., and stayed at Kanchi, the southern limit of his travels, he ascertained that the inhabitants of the region called by him Malakottai, which was equivalent to the Pandya state and the Mala- bar coast with a portion of the traditional Chola coun- try, were reputed to care little for learning. In ancient times many Buddhist monasteries had existed, but these were in ruins at the time of his visit, only the bare walls remaining, though the country was studded with hundreds of Brahmanical temples and the adherents of the Jain sect were numerous. The most ancient Pandya king to whom an approx- imate date can be assigned is Rajasimha, the contem- porary of Parantaka I, Chola (907 - 47 A. D.), who claims to have defeated his southern neighbour, and " des- troyed " Madura. A great-grandson of the same Chola king fought with a Pandya raja bearing the name of