The Velir Yadu dynasty.[10][11][12] Velir may refer to master of land.[13]
Historian R._Nagaswamy writes that quite a number of these velirs were indigenous and natives of tamil country but some of the velirs seem to have migrated from dvaraka.[19]
The
The Velir were prominent in the
While most of the rulers are substantiated by epigraphs and literatures, some of their history of ruling some dynasties is not recorded.
Also, some of the medieval dynasties of the western half of the peninsula claim to be descended from
The Chalukyas and Kadambas belonging to Manavya gotra as being the descendants of the original ancestress Hariti.[36] The Karmandala Satakam states that the Velirs of karmandalam belong to the same "Manavya" Gotra.[27] The Chalukya kings were called Velpularasar and Velkulattarasar by some communities, that is kings over Vel country (pula means region or country).[37][38] Later day references to them in Choļa inscriptions puts the Chalukyas under the Velir community ruling in Deccan.[31]
The Irungovel chieftains were related to the
Kaluvul was a velir chieftain of Kamur who fought against the chera supremacy. [49][50] Perum chera irumporai along with fourteen chieftains attacked kamur but perum chera irumporai was impressed with Kaluvuls resistance in battle field and let him rule kamur and accepted friendship from him. [51].Some of the velirs under Kaluvul joined the chera after the defeat. [52]
The Purananuru, one of the Eight Anthologies of Sangam literature, praises King Irunkōvēl, a 49th generation descendant of the Vēlir clan whose ancestors appeared from the pitcher (தடவு) of a Northern sage (Agastya), and said to have ruled Thuvarai (Dvārakā) with a fort containing tall huge walls made of bronze.[14]
The story of the southern migration of the Vēḷir from Dvārakā under the leadership of Agastya is narrated by Naccinarkkiniyar in his commentary on Tolkāppiyam (pāyiram ; Poruḷ. 34). According to this legend, the gods congregated on Mount Meru as a result of which the earth tilted, lowering Meru and raising the southern quarter. The gods thereupon decided that Agastya was the best person to remedy this situation and requested him to proceed to the South. Agastya agreed and, on his way, visited Tuvarāpati' (Dvārakā) and led the descendants of neṭu-muṭi-an|n|al (Viṣṇu or Krṣṇa) including eighteen kings, eighteen families of the Vēḷir and the Aruvāḷar' to the south, where they settled down clearing the forests and cultivating the land.