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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(August, 1902.
Chalukyas were completely thrown into the shade by the Rashtrakūtas till, about 973 A. D., Tailapa the Chalukyan rose and restored the decaying glory of the dynasty. Trilapa's grandson, Vikramaditya or Tribhuvanamalla, was a great conqueror. Bilhaņa, in his Vikrumakdoya, speaking of Vikrama's propress, says, "the wives of the king of Kerala wept when they thought of Vikrama's former deeds." In the 4ti sarga, Bilhaps expressly says that Vikrams first marched against the Keralns and conquered them. Vikrams reigned between 1008 and 1018 A, D.40 After this it is not often that we see Kerala mentioned in any authentic records.
In considering the extent of Kerala we have to note that the Keraldtpatti allades to a division of the country on two occasions. Once by the Brahmaņs during their direct way and at another time by one of the Perumals, whom the Brahmans bad elected as their raler. Of the first division the Koralotpatti says, that the Malanad or Malabar or hill-country was divided into four parts, tis. :
(1) The Talu-kingdom extending from Gokarpam to Perumpan (the large river),
1. c., the Canaras (north and south), very nearly as at present constituted. (2) The Kapa-kingdom extending from Perampola to Patupattanam the seat of the
Thekkenkor (Southern Regent) of the North Kolatiri dynasty situated on the Kotta river - i. e., North Malabar as at present defined, less the Southern half
of the Kasambaşoad Taluk. (3) The Kerala-kingdom extending from Patupattanam to Kannetti, 1. e., South
Malabar, including the South half of the Kornbarnad Taluk, the Cochin State
aud North Travancore. (1) The Moshika-kingdom extending from Kannetti to Cape Comorin, i. e, South
Travancore. The other division was made by Arya Perumal. He, it is said, inspected the whole country and arranged it intc four divisions or provinces :
(1) The Tulu country from Gokarnan to Perumpula. (2) The Korala oountry from Perompala to Putapattanam. (3) The Moshika country from Putupattapam to Kannetti.
(4) The Kuvals country from Kannetti to Cape Comorin. Though these divisons were made for administrative purposes, it is significant ihat, in naming them, the term Kerala came to be applied only to a fourth part of the whole country, notwithstanding that the Malay Aļis still consider Głkarnam and Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) as the Dau and Beershebs of Keralam.
Various theories have been started locally as to why the country was called Korals. We may refer here to two of the more popular ones. It is said that the country came to be denominated Kerala in honour of one of its illustriots Peramal Bet chronology belies this theory. For, the country was known as Kerala long before the Perama! period. According to the Keraltpati, when the Bribmaņs found that the system of appointing nakalá-purushas, or protectors, failed to work properly, they (the 64 villagers) assembled at Tirupevky, determined to elect a king, and empowered the four selected greinams (villages) to choose one. Their choice fell on Keya Perumal of Kdyaparam in the country east of the Ghats. He was brought, it is said, to Keralam and installed as the first of the Perumals in the year of the Kaliyuga expressed Ly the cryptogram "Bh Aman Bhnpoyam Prapy," corresponding to A.D. 216.41 But we have already pointed out that the country was known as Kerala as early as the 3rd century B. C., not to speak of its being so oallod oven in pre-historic timas. *History of the Dekhan, p. &.
"Lr un's Malabar, Vol. I. p. 828
