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

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144<br />

to suggest that <strong>the</strong>re was any k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> communication between<br />

AyyIvoe <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r places where <strong>the</strong> Aififf1ruvar were found.<br />

Ayylv4e seems té have decl<strong>in</strong>ed as a centre <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir activity<br />

before <strong>the</strong> tenth century, when we beg<strong>in</strong> to get <strong>the</strong>ir records<br />

<strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r places.<br />

There is also no evidence to support <strong>the</strong> hypo<strong>the</strong>sis<br />

that <strong>the</strong> AiIflUruvar were a s<strong>in</strong>gle unified corporation <strong>of</strong><br />

merchants. The application to <strong>the</strong> Aiflflh!uvar <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> terms<br />

'corporation' <strong>and</strong> 'guild' appears to be ra<strong>the</strong>r UfljflBtified.<br />

It seems more appropriate to cal]. <strong>the</strong>m a community <strong>of</strong> merchants<br />

with common orig<strong>in</strong>, <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>and</strong> beliefs. They were all bound<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r by <strong>the</strong> Banafiju Dharma3 which <strong>the</strong>y claimed to follow<br />

There is no evidence <strong>of</strong> any o<strong>the</strong>r fora <strong>of</strong> bond, adm<strong>in</strong>istrative<br />

or o<strong>the</strong>rwise, between <strong>the</strong>m. There is little evidence regard<strong>in</strong>g<br />

any def<strong>in</strong>ite organization <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir community. An <strong>of</strong>ficial called<br />

Paaa-svimi is met with <strong>in</strong> most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>scriptions. But<br />

be appears as <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> a mercantile town who took part <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Aiflffruvar as well as <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r mercantile<br />

bodies It is, <strong>the</strong>refore, difficult to decide wh<strong>the</strong>r he was an<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficial <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Aiflfi71uvar or <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> a town acknowledged<br />

I. EC., VIII, p. 89 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> text.<br />

2. E.C., VII, Inscription No. 9k from Shikarpur TV.uq.

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