Kalabhra dynasty

Origins

The Kalabhras are known mainly from later sources hostile to them. The 8th-century Velvikudi copper plates of the Pandyas say a Kalabhra king overthrew the Tamil kings and seized the land, ending the rule of the Early Pandyas, Early Cholas and Early Cheras around the 3rd century. Their origins are unknown; they may have come from the hill country to the north.

Rule and society

Very little is known about their rule. Later Hindu sources accuse them of suppressing Brahmin grants, which may reflect patronage of Buddhism and Jainism; the Buddhist writer Buddhadatta mentions a king Accuta Vikkanta of the Kalabhra family in the Kaveri region. Much Tamil ethical literature, possibly including parts of the Tirukkural tradition, is often dated to this period.

Decline and legacy

In the late 6th century the Pandya king Kadungon and the Pallava king Simhavishnu expelled the Kalabhras, founding the First Pandyan Empire and expanding the Pallava dynasty.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.