113992242-Dravidian-Settlements-in-Ceylon-and-the-Beginnings-of-the-Kingdom-of-Jaffna-By-Karthigesu-Indrapala-Complete-Phd-Thesis-University-of-London-1965

110
of the year 1067, mentions a personality named Kuriakulattaraiya
as one of the commanders who fought on the side of the Sinhalese
prince VijayabThu His name suggests that be was a Tamil. Tamil
inscriptions of the Pya country, belonging to the thirteenth
century, refer to a high official called Kurukulattaraiya It
is not known whether the Kurukulattaraiyars belonged to a noble
family. The first element of the name, kurukula (Skt. gurukula),
"S
reminds,(of the Kurukula caste, who are of South Indian origin,
living in the western districts of Ceylon. The large majority
of them speak Tami]. as their mother tongue. Kuruku1attaraiya
(Chief of the Kurukula) is referred to in our inscription as a
feudatory 'who wore a golden enk1et' It has been claimed that
he was a chief of the Kurukula community in the is1and If it
is true, it would mean that as early as the eleventh century
the Kurukula community was in Ceylon and that its chieftain paid
allegiance to the Sinhalese ruler. But the evidence of one name
is far too flimsy to be the basis for such a conclusion. In this
period, officials in outhnIndia often adopted names ending in
1. LV.Subrmiinya Ayyar, 'The Tirumukka]. Inscription of
Virarjndra', E.I., XXI, p. 2k3.
2. M.E.R. for 1923, No. 5kk of 192 ; 5.1.1., VIII, p. 212 ;
K.A.NilkRnta Sastri, The Pyan Kingdom, pp. 13k-.155.
3. J . , XXI, p. 2k3.
k. M.D.Raghavan, The Karva of Ceylon, p. 5 ff.