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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XXI, 



in later times, and founded kingdoms for themselves in the 

 Dravida 1 country. We have now to admit that the statement 

 of Nachchar concerning the origin of the Vels receives full 

 confirmation, in one important point, from a classical autho- 

 rity of the first rank. 



Although the fact that the Vels were settlers from Dwaraka 

 is supported, as shown above, by a classical authority of great 

 weight, it will be difficult to cite any passage from the Tamil 

 classics to prove that they belonged also to the Yadava race. 2 

 But we may call in the help of the Puranas here. These 

 state that the descendants of " Yadu " first settled in the 

 regions watered by the Ganges ; that, in course of time, 



1 "Dravida " is the name by which the Tamil country and people are 

 known in Sanscrit literature. " Dravidam " means also the Tamil 

 language, and is, evidently, a corruption of "Tamilam," its present 

 form being " Tamil."— -V. J. T. 



2 If "Yadava " be the ancient name of the Tamil Velalas, it appears 

 to me to be most strange that it does not occur either in the Tamil 

 books or in the traditional recollections of the agricultural Tamilas. 

 May not the difficulty be explained away by supposing it to be a Sans- 

 crit equivalent of a Tamil name ? 



The Yadavas appear in the " Maha Bharata " under more than one 

 appellation. They were called " Suras," " SomakaS," " Madhus," 

 1 ' Vrishnis," &c. , and these names, apparently, convey the same meaning. 

 It will be admitted that the words "Yadu," " Madhu," and " Sura" 

 are synonyms, and mean " toddy " or " palm-wine." Can it be that 

 the Yadavas were a toddy-drawing race, and hence their names, such 

 as the "Suras," " Madhus," &c? The Puranic story, that they were 

 so called on account of their being descended from a progenitor known 

 by the name of " Yadu," is easily explained as an invention of later 

 philology. 



In modern Dravida there are several tribes whose principal occupation 

 is that of cultivating palm trees and extracting toddy from them. Now 

 it is remarkable that a Vel prince by the name of Vel Avik Ko Perum 

 Pekan, or The Great Vel King Pekan of the race of Aviyar, is mentioned 

 in old Tamil literature as a great patron of Tamil poets. Paiki or Paika 

 is the name of the highest section of the Todas of the Nilgiris, as well 

 as of a section of the people occupying the Nagar Malnad of Canara. 

 Another tribe occupying the district on the north of Hanovar, also in 

 Canara, is known as Kumara Paika. The "Paikas " are also found in 

 Vizagapatam and Orissa, those of the former country being known also 

 as " Sandi." These races of " Paikas " are all, it has to be noted, 

 toddy-drawers by profession, although they are agriculturists to a 

 greater or less extent. 



