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- KALABHRAS.
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who
end of the 5th century A.D. and when the 6th "century opens, the political fortunes of the Tamil country undergo a rapid change. It is the period of the Kalabhra invasion and occupation of the Pandyan kingdom.
Who were these Kalabhras ? And what is Kalabhras : the relation between them and the Jains were they? of South India ? The Kalabhras are frequently mentioned in the Pandyan as well as the Pallava inscriptions. These speak of them as the conquerors of Tamil kings, the Cholas,. the Cheras and the Pandyas. Since they are not mentioned in any inscription outside South India, the presumption is strongly in favour of their Dravidian origin. At any rate there is nothing to show that they were Aryans. The same Kalabhras are mentioned in the Võlvikudi grant, as having conquered the 'Pandyan country and ruled there for a short time, till they were defeated by• Kadungôn who got back the country. In the accognt of Mūrti Nāyanār in Periyapurānam, we learn that, during the time of the Nāyanār, a large Carnatic force raided the country, defeated the Pandyan king and established its sway in the land. We are not aware of any other foreign invasion of the Pandyan country. Taking the information in the Vēlvikudi grant and the historical matter furnished by Periyapurānam, we are forced to equate the Kalabhra interregnum of the Vēlvikudi grant with the Carnatic rule of Madura in the period of Mūrti Nāyanār.
