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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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506<br />

as Iriyaa <strong>and</strong> 1 ngs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> riyar (iriiar tarn which may<br />

suggest that <strong>the</strong>ir name was more than a title.<br />

A third aM strong possibility i. that <strong>the</strong> 4ryacaIavart<strong>in</strong>s<br />

belonged to a BrThm ir4a community. We know from th.<br />

Ca <strong>in</strong>scriptions that Brhma4as served <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> army as comnenders<br />

As Nilaknta Sastri baa commented., 'it is remarkable that many<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaders (senatis) <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> army were <strong>of</strong> Brahm<strong>in</strong> extraction'<br />

It may be that one such eenji dist<strong>in</strong>guished h1ielf <strong>in</strong> battle,<br />

earned <strong>the</strong> title <strong>of</strong> lryacakravart<strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> was granted a chiefta<strong>in</strong>cy<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1?p "mad district by one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PIya k<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> thirteenth<br />

century. It may also be that one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> BrIimea chiefta<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> Ramna4 region earned <strong>the</strong> title <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> service <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PIya<br />

rulers. We have already seen that at least one 4ryaca,kravart<strong>in</strong><br />

was .n <strong>the</strong> service <strong>of</strong> avarma, Xulatkhara I as a eenpati?<br />

There is a strong possibility that this eenpati was <strong>the</strong> first<br />

Lyacakravart<strong>in</strong>. l.a discussed earlier, <strong>the</strong> earliest datable<br />

source mention<strong>in</strong>g an iryacakravart<strong>in</strong> is an <strong>in</strong>scription <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

fifth year <strong>of</strong> )avarma Kulakhara I (l268-l3lO) Around 1284,<br />

1. LA.Jile1 aiita Saatri, The Caa, p. k6.<br />

2. Ibid.<br />

3. See supra, p. (1t2<br />

4, See supra, p.411

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