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Rh and quick communication of any kind in the Tamil country at the time, and the geographical conditions of the country accelerated this splitting up of larger castes and favoured the crystallisation of the smaller communities.

The introduction of the Indo-Aryan caste system in the Dravidian country produced severe social troubles for many centuries. If the Brahmans of olden time were responsible for the superimposition of their own social organization, the measure was one of doubtful expediency. As already pointed out it had been the cause of serious and unceasing disputes, particularly among the artizan classes, which those Brahmans had to decide with reference to their Dharmasastras. An inscription of Kulottunga Chola, dated 1118 A. D., records the decision of a curious question whether the Kammalas are entitled to wear the sacred thread. In support of their decision allowing the Rathakaras (Kammalas) to perform 'only the Upanayana (thread wearing ceremony) without quoting the mantras ', the Brahmans had first to grant that they were the sons of Mahishyas by Karani women, A Mahishya is the offspring of a Kshatriya male and a Vaisya female, and Karani of a Vaisya male and a Sudra female. In the Dravidian country whence did the Brahmans get so many Kshatriyas and Vaisyas as to bring forth by illicit unions about 650,000 Kammalas ?