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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£riya-nu division The occurrence of at least three titles,
one territorial name and the name of a community or a body
of persons with the element £r y a in the Tinnevelly-Pamnad
region suggests that there must have been some association with
this region of some people calle d Iryas. These Iryas may hays
been a fmi1y of chieftains from North India, possibly from
Gujart, as de Queyroz informs us, who established their authority
in that region, or may have been Brhm4aa , possibly lrya
Br h
as, whose descendants are to be found still in RIn!&varam,
who wielded political authority there. The Iryacakravartine
may have been their leaders or may have sprung from these fmi1ies.
In this connection, there is an interesting reference in the
Maak4appn-xnmiyam, which may throw some light on our problem.
This Battica].oa chronicle refers to the first Iriya, who established
his authority in Jaffna as having hailed from riya-nIu If this
place is the same as the Zriya-nIu in South India, its name may
be connected with the 4riyar who became rulers of Jaffna. On the
other hand, the riya-nu of the Battica]oa chronicle may refer
to North India. But this is unlikely, for the chronicle states
that the first iriya ruler of Jafmna settled in that region
1. See eupra, p.1j4..
2. ., p. 36.