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10. MANICHEAN
The late Venkayya supported this view and even attempted to determine the date of their migration to the South. They must have migrated some time in the second century BC into the North. However in time they were mixed with the local people. Hence we have : Dr V. A. Smith say:
"It is possible that the Pallavas were not one distinct tribe or class but a mixed population composed partly of foreigners and partly of the Indian population but different in race from Tamils and taking their name from the title of an intruding foreign dynasty (Pahlava) which obtained control over them and welded them into an aggressive political power" (Early History of India, 1924, Dr V. A. Smith).
The Kiskindha Kanda of Ramayana associates the Pahlavas with the Yavanas (Greek), Shakas, Kambojas, Paradas (Varadas), Rishikas and the Uttarakurus etc and locates them all in the transHimalayan territories i.e. in the Sakadvipa The Markendeya Purana and Brhat Samhita mentions Pahlava and Kamboja settlements. The earliest known coinage in lead issued by the then Pallavs could be dated between 3rd and 4th century AD. They must have come as merchants around 2nd C BC just as the later colonisers. They became powerful and became Kings only by the third century AD.
The kings of Pahlava were also present at the Rajasuya sacrifice of king Yudhishtra. And associates them with barbaric tribes of Uttarapatha. Manusmriti states that the Pahlavas and several other tribes like the Sakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Paradas, Daradas, Khasas, Dravidas etc were originally noble Kshatriyas, but later, due to their non-observance of sacred Brahmanical codes and neglect of the priestly class, they had gradually sunken to the status of Mlechchas. It is therefore quite possible they were Christians as the word Mlecha was usualually used for christians by the strict Brahminical traditions. In Bhavishya Purana Jesus is quoted as the prophet of the Mlechas. Basham point out: "It is to be noted that to Taxila, which was ruled by Gondophares, a Pahlava, the apostle St. Thomas is said to have brought India's first knowledge of Christianity ."(A.L.Basham, The Wonder that was India, P.61).
Mani the Persian Gnostic (A.D. 215-276)
Mani's father was at first apparently an idolater, for; as he worshipped in a temple to his gods, he is supposed to have heard a voice urging him to abstain from meat, wine, and women. In obedience to this voice he emigrated to the south and joined the Mughtasilah, or Mandaean Baptists, taking the boy Mani, with him, but possibly leaving Mani's mother behind. Here, at the age of twelve Mani is
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