THE ORIGIN OF THE TAMIL VELALAS

 This essay was composed in Tamil

by the learned sub-editor of " Shen-Tamil" (the organ of the

Tamil Sangam at Madura), Mr. M. Raghava Iyengar, and read

by him on May 25, 1906, on the occasion of the great Annual

Meeting of the Pundits of the Madura Tamil Sangam, the late

lamented Mr. V. Kanakasabhai Pillai, B.A., B.L., of the Postal

Department, Madras, being in the chair.

Every effort has been made to adhere strictly to the style

and even the idiom of the original, except where a free rendering

appeared to be necessary in order to bring out the exact

meaning. I have added also, here and there, a few explanatory

notes, which will, perhaps, be of some use and interest to the

reader in following the arguments of the learned author.

—

V. J.

Tambipillai.]

It may sound strange, indeed, to the ears of some that

whatever share of the glory of fostering Shen-Tamil  may

have belonged to the Cheras, the Pandiyas, and the Cholas, 

there existed in former times, side by side with these, a community

claiming, if not a greater, at least certainly an equal

share of that glory. To those, however, who have an intimate

acquaintance with old Tamil authors, this information will

not be surprising. Upon inquiry conducted with regard to

truth, it will become evident that the exceeding greatness

of the position held by this community (in Tamil literature)

was equalled only by that of the Tamil culture created by

the triple kings  of the south. I refer above to a section of

the ancient Tamil community known by the appellation of

" Velir."  The larger number of " the last seven great Vallals

" of the Tamil country belonged to this race, and such was

their munificence, it is said, that it obviated further begging

on the part of those who had but once been the objects of it.

It was to one of these seven great Vallals that the sacred

poet 4 referred when he sang : " He will not give who has not

the mind to give, even if one should call him Pari." Who

was that prince of givers whose unrivalled reputation as a

patron of the Tamil bards of his time drew upon him the

jealous hatred 5 of the three kings ? Except some general

information, we have, as yet, very little knowledge in detail

as to the origin and history of this important community.