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372 ancient line of the Pandyas in the twelfth and of the powerful Cholas in the thirteenth century, and partly owing to the wars of succession which resulted from a conflict of the ordinary and the nepotic laws of inheritance. The latest alliances on record are the marriages of the father of Kulasekhara Pandya (A. D. 1190) with a Kongu or Chera princess and of the Chera king Ravi Varma or Kulasekhara (A. D. 1300) with a Pandya princess. To this should be added the union of the aggressive Nambudris with the Chera princesses to prevent foreign intervention in their social and political affairs.

(3) The study of Tamil literature was neglected in the Chera country owing to the dominating influence of the Nambudri Brahmans, which kept the nonBrahman Dravidians of the country perfectly ignorant of their rich literature, and owing to the extinction of the ancient Chera line of kings who patronized it.

(4) The introduction of Judaism, Christianity and Muhamadanism direct from Western Asia at a very early period, the frequent internal troubles among the feudal chiefs of Kerala, and the constant wars between them and the Pandyas and Cholas for nearly four centuries from the eighth gradually tended to diminish their intercourse. The Chola king Ko-Chengannan is said to have defeated the Chera Kanaikkal Irumporai and taken him prisoner. This forms the subject of 'Kalavali Forty' of the poet Poigaiyar. During the middle of the eighth century the Pandya