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252 sition to a Hindu college, probably the third Sangam, which was then conducted mainly by the Saivas. The five minor and the five major Kavyas and some of the eighteen minor ethical poems must have been passed by these Buddhist and Jaina Sangams or institutions, which, with the downfall of these religions, must have come to an end. It might be noticed here that the word sangam (Sangha) was probably of Buddhistic origin.

It will be well at this stage of our enquiry to examine the importance and value of the earliest traditional account, which is attributed to Nakkirar and upon which all the others are based, so far as the facts revealed by epigraphy and early Tamil literature enlighten us on the subject. The entire period of existence of the three Sangams or academies is said to be 9990 years. This seems to us fabulous. They were patronised by,

First Sangam—89 kings from Kaysinavaludi (A.D. 100) to Kadunkon (A.D. 600);

Second do —59 kings from Vendercheliyan (A.D. 740) to Mudattirumaran (A.D. 650);

Third do -49 kings from Mudattirumaran to Ugra Peruvaludi (A, D. 100).

Of these Kaysinavaludi and Ugra Peruvaludi might be identified with Ugra Pandya of early Tamil literature. Mudattirumaran might be the same as Kun or Kubja Pandya, and identified with Nedumaran of Nelveli (A. D. 650). Kadunkon lived about A. D.