they were expelled by Kadunkon about the beginning of the seventh century. All these religious and political disturbances contributed to the extinction of the third academy.
The religion of the members of the three academies it is not easy to determine, as all the accounts we now have are from the Saiva source, and none from Buddhists and Jains. However, so late as the third or fourth century A.D. there was no Sivaism or Vishnuism as understood now. But there was Brahinanism or the religion of the Vedas ; and side by side with it there were also Jainism and Buddhism. The members of the first and second Sangams, which continued up to the second century, must have belonged to different persuasions. Agastyar and Tolkapyar were Hindus, and presumably professed Brahamanism. The writings of Tiruvalluvar, Kapilar and Paranar do not show that they were Saivas, while those of Nallanduvanar and Nakkirar show that they were; yet all these, except Tiruvalluvar are given in the Saivite accounts as Saivas, which is evidently unwarranted. One at least of the forty-nine professors, that is Sattanar, was a Buddhist.
At about the fourth or fifth century the religious struggle made its first appearance. Buddhist and Jaina scholars must have seceded from the Hindus and started Sangas or colleges of their own at Madura and other places for the advancement of Tamil literature. One was started by Vajra Nandi in A.D. 470 in oppo-
