No. 61.— 1908.] 



TAMIL VELALAS. 



31 



this name in ancient times. A study of Tamil literature 

 would disclose the fact that their more ancient name is 

 (GsuLLQ&r) "Ved-Ko," which signifies, apparently, 4 £ that 

 they were descended from the race of Velpula kings." We 

 also find the name " Irun Ko Vel " used for the potters in 

 the old classics, which, however, appears to be only a deri- 

 vative metathetically obtained from the former. The 

 passage " Nanmathi Vedkochchirar " (fsmLD@QeuLL(g 

 *.e.,"the little ones of the Vedkos possessing good sense 

 and intelligence," occurs in an ode in " Purrananooru," 1 

 and it obviously implies a certain amount of culture and 

 refinement among these potters in former times. Even 

 to-day the potters adhere to the " Anuddanam " of the 

 Aryas, and unlike others who were of the Vel community, 

 but have abandoned their national customs and practices, 

 are still in the habit of wearing the sacred thread of the 

 Dwijas or the twice-born. Furthermore, " Velar " (Qmi&rvi) 

 is in use among them as an honorary title even at the 

 present day. 



The above facts furnish us with an amount of cumula- 

 tive evidence which appears to me to be sufficient— -and 

 so too it indeed must to every sober and unprejudiced 

 mind — to establish beyond doubt that the class of potters 

 known as Vedkovar (QmiiLQsa&iff) to pundits of old Tamil 

 literature, were originally inhabitants of Velpulam, and that 

 they formed an integral part of the Velir race of ancient 

 Tamilakam. 



The story preserved in the commentary on " Tolkappiam " 

 that the poet Nakkirar, incensed at- the audacity of a potter 

 named " Vedkokkuyakkodan," who had ventured to extol 

 the beauties of Ariyam 2 and to speak disparagingly of Tamil, 

 cursed and killed him with an imprecatory ode, would seem 

 to point to the existence of Sanscrit culture among these 

 Vedkovar in ancient times. 



Of all these Yadava tribes, the most numerous, prosperous, 

 and powerful one was the tribe of Velir, who made their 

 living by means of the plough. The learned Nachchar in his 



1 Vide ode 32. 



2 Sanscrit. 



