generals to the Tainil kings. Its members were generally recipients of high titles like Kizhan, Udaiyan, Rayan or Arayan, Vel or Velan and Kaviti ; and such Tamil names as Kudal-udai. Arisil kizhan and Kalinga-rayan appear now as the gotric names of the Karkatta Vellalas. They have ninety-six gotras or exogamous septs, thirteen of which end in Thirai, or Thiraiyan, fourteen in Rayan and sixty-nine in Udai or Udaiyan. The first designates the clan or tribe to which that section of the Vellalas originally belonged ; the second is the title conferred on them by the Chola or Pandya kings; while the third appears to have been the names of villages of which they were the chieftains. Kaviti was a special distinction bestowed upon the ministers of state. Most of these gotric names may be found in the ancient Tamil inscriptions. No traces of the Tamil kings are to be found at present in this country, and it is highly probable that they should have merged in the pure Vellala caste. We say pure because the Vellala caste as a whole appears to have been receiving additions from time to time from other tribes as the following extract will show : வேட்டுவரில் வேளான் கரியானான மருதங்கவேளான்.[1] Most of the Konga Vellalas were formerly Vettuvans. The preceding statement will show that the Coimbatore District contains an unusually large number of Vellalas—a fact which casts a serious doubt on their pure Dravidian or Vellala origin.
- ↑ South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. III, p. 45.
