Page:Tamil studies.djvu/380

Rh Attikkuricchi l and Vattakadan are only territorial names, Kiriyattils alone seem to be the descendants of the pure Velirs or Vellalas 2 of the West Coast. As late as A. D. 1320 we find the Vellalas as the cultivating caste of Malabar. Thus, none of the ancient Nayars are of Telugu extraction as believed by some scholars,

The armies of the Chera kings were recruited from the people of the Kongu country who were a race of fine stalwart warriors:-(1) FILLIDL 1Q&lijari #low; (2) சேரலாதற்கு திகழொளி ஞாயிற்றுச் சோழன்மகளீன்ற மைந்தன் கொங்கர் செங்களம்வேட்டுக் கங்கைப்பேர் யாற்றுக் 46015 Cursu ESGLGAST.--Sil. xxix. 1-3.

And this is confirmed by the fact that some of the feudal chieftains of Malabar and Travancore, like the Zamorin of Calicut, belonged to the Pogondan subdivision of the Coimbatore Idaiyans. 'Kunnala-kon', one of the titles of the Zamorin, is a pure Tamil expression (kurunila-kon) meaning chief cr king of a small country,' and “Konatiri'or Konan-tiru, or konan is a title of the Idaiyans of Coimbatore, Madura and Tinnevelly districts. In Malabar, Idaiyans are called Kol-Ayan3 and Eruman (buffalo-men); and these are among the sub-castes of Nayars. The name

1. We are not convinced of the correctness of the etymology of Attikurichi' from Sanskrit Asti bone, and Tamil kura to cut.

2. The Cherumars or the natives of the soil address the Nayars as Ilankoil, which is precisely the same title as “llankokkal' given to the ancient Vellalas of the Tamil districts.

3. Kol is a contraction of 'Golla' which is the naine of the Telugu shepherd caste, while 'ayan' is that of Tamil Idaiyans.

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