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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reasonable to assume that the latter-day Sinhalese Vanniyas
were descendants of Tamil settlers from South India and were
related to the Vaiyars of the Tamil areas. The term Vanni
was also used to refer to the chieftains of the Vanni ±'egiona
who may or may not have been of the VRnniyJ eaata.The term
vannirjno of the Clavaisa does not refer to the Vanniya
settlers but only to the chieftains of the Vnniregions who
were both Sinhalese and Tamil.
Traditions regarding the migration of the Vaniyars
from South India are preserved in the Tamil chronicles. In the
Takia-kailc a-pur Tiri-k;c ala-pur K!c ar-kalveu
and the a-vaipava-xnlai this migration is connected
with a personage named Kua whose identity and activities
have formed the subject of some amount of controversy. He is said
to have invited Vanni chieftains from the mainland and entrusted
them with the care of the Kvaram temple in Trincomalee and
its lands. The identity of K4akka, has not been easy to
establish. Recently Paranavitana identified him with a C4a-gañga
prince who went to Ceylon in 1223 , presumably from the
KaliAga country It cannot, however, be claimed that be has
settled the problem once and for all.
1. S.Paranavitana, 'The Irya Kingdom of North Ceylon', cit.,
p. 179.