Kalabhras

The Kalabhras were a dynasty who ruled in South India, primarily in the Tamil-speaking regions, from roughly the 3rd to the 6th century CE. Information about their origins and early history is scarce and often debated among historians. They emerged as a significant power after the decline of the preceding Tamil kingdoms of the Sangam period, such as the Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas.

The Kalabhra period is often characterized by a disruption of the established social and political order. They are known to have suppressed the traditional ruling dynasties and patronized different religious and literary traditions than their predecessors. Jainism and Buddhism appear to have flourished under their rule, with evidence suggesting that many Jaina monasteries and Buddhist viharas were established or supported during this time.

Literary evidence from the period is crucial for understanding the Kalabhras, though it is often presented from the perspective of later dynasties that overthrew them. Works like the Periya Puranam, a hagiography of Shaivite saints, and the Manimekalai, a Buddhist epic, allude to the Kalabhra rule and its impact. The exact extent of their dominion and the nature of their administration remain subjects of ongoing scholarly inquiry.

The Kalabhra rule eventually ended with the resurgence of the Pandyas and the Pallavas, ushering in a new era in South Indian history. Their legacy is complex, marked by both historical discontinuity and the promotion of religious diversity.