History Of Caste

[Pandyan]

Thanks for your insight HH.

Here is some more info about the velir-vellalar.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Nacchinarkiniyar descibes a tradition relating to the migration of the Yadava race as follows: The sage Agastya repaired to Dwaraka and taking with him the 18 kings of the line of Krishna, 18 families of Vels or velirs and others, moved to the South with the Aruvalar tribes. There, he had the forests cleared and built up kingdoms settling therein all the people he had brought with him. Kapila, a poet probably of the 2nd century AD addresses the reigning Velir chief as the 49th in descendence from the original founder of that dynasty. M Srinivasa Iyengar points out that allowing the usual 25 years for each generation, the above kingdom must have been established about BC 1075 and this may be assumed as the probable date of the migration of the Ay Velirs to South India. There were many Velir chiefs in the Tamil country during the Sangam period. They had 'Ay' as a prefix or a suffix to their names, such as Ay-andiran and Vel Ay. The latter had his capital in Ay-kudi and ruled the Potiya region. Many Sangam poets have glorified his bravery and charitable qualities.   

M. Raghava Iyengar held the popularity of the worship of Krishna in the ancient Tamilakam might be partly due to the influence of the Velirs who are often referred to in the Sangam works. He has clearly shown that the Velirs referred to in the Sangam works belonged to the 18 Kudi velirs of the descendants of the Yadu kula to which Krishna also belonged, and that the Velirs migrated from Dwarapati, and settled in different parts of South India. The Ay velir kings of later period also mention in their copper plate charters that they belonged to the Yadu kula of Krishna.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Ancient Tamil literary tradition links the descent of vELir chieftains from Tuvarai (Dwaraka).

This attests to the migration from the Sarasvati River Basin to South India, during the phases of desiccation of the Sarasvati River.

Puram. 201 states: " Descended from 'fortynine generations' from the initial origin from the pitcher of a northern sage, Agastya, the vELir chieftains had ruled over Tuvarai (Dwaraka) of the 'soaring bronze walls' ".
Forty nine generations may be approximately equal to 1000 years.

The Great Epic, Mahabharata, recounts the migration of yaadava's from Mathura to Dwaraka to escape persecution by Jaraasandha and Sisupaala.

Agastya had reportedly led a migration of eighteen kings, descendents of Krishna (neTumuTiaNNal) and of eighteen families of vELir from Tuvaraapati (Dwaraka) to Potiyil (of Tamil land: Nacc. commentary on Tol. Paayiram.PoruL. 34).

The Chalukyas are also referred to as descendants of the pitcher sage, Agastya. According to Tamil nighanTus, vELir considered themselves as yaadava's. In epigraphical inscriptions (aaykuTi plates), vEL aay (aabhiiras) are described as vRSNikula. vELir are also linked to dynasties of andhras, kadambas, kaakatiiyas and yaadavas of Devagiri. 
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I believe you partly cover this in your article titled, the End of the era of Tamil warlords.