their head. Their migration took place between the sixth and seventh centuries A. D., when Buddhism and Jainism were receiving mortal blows from the federal army of the Aryo-Dravidian theologians, and when innumerable temples began to be erected for the Brahmanical gods in the Tamil districts. The latest band of the Brahman settlers were known as the Bhattas, and their migration from the northeastern Telugu country must have taken place between the eighth and tenth centuries, that is sometime after the downfall of the great empire of Harshavardhana. Before the arrival of the Bhatta Brahmans the Nambis or Namburis of the west coast had developed themselves into an exclusive and influential community in the midst of the uncultured Kerala Dravidians with peculiar social and religious customs. The Bhatta Brahmans who had formerly lived on the banks of the sacred Ganges, Godavari, Kistna and Cauvery did not care to cross the Western Ghats. Few families did, however, go. They are still known there as Bhattatiris, while the latest Bhatta immigrants from the Tamil country are called simply Pattar. The Brahmans of the East coast, though they consider themselves purer in blood, are generally darker in complexion (like the Brahmans of Bengal) than the easy going wealthy and infragamous[1] Namburis, which is no doubt due to the
- ↑ I have called them 'infragamous' as there has been a kind of social sanction to the loose marital connection of the younger male members of the Aryan Brahmans with the women of the Dravidian castes in the Kerala country.
