The Naga Kingdom of Eelam and the Clan of the Ten Siblings

The Naga Kingdom of Eelam and the Clan of the Ten Siblings

Eelam possesses a distinct cultural identity and a unique historical landscape. It is a land with a long-standing heritage rooted in the traditions of its indigenous peoples. Within this context, the Vel kingdoms of the Naga people were established throughout all regions where the megalithic civilization flourished. These existed as small regional kingdoms. Their overlord was the Pandyan ruler Kamini Abhaya, who traced his lineage to the Ay dynasty.

During his reign, the religious tradition later known as Samanam (Jainism, according to the terminology used in this text) underwent a revival and gained prominence. It was fostered under the leadership of Makkhali Gosala, together with Kani Nandasiriyar, Pakkudukkai Narkanianar, Purana Kassapa, Nariverutthalaiyar, and the rulers of ancient Tamilakam.

The kingdom established or conquered by the ten sons of this ruler came to be known as the Kingdom of the Ten Siblings. In the Brahmi inscriptions, these rulers referred to themselves as Dasa Batikana (dasa batikana), meaning “the Ten Brothers.”

The title Kamani, borne by their father, was not his personal name but a Prakrit title meaning “leader of a village or settlement.”

According to Professor S. Pathmanathan’s theory regarding the Naga Vel polity, these rulers also belonged to the Naga lineage. This interpretation is further supported, according to the author, by Indus-style ligature symbols found in their inscriptions. Following the method of decipherment proposed by Mr. Puranachandra Jeeva, these symbols are read as “Om Naga Ayya.”

From this perspective, it is argued that Makkhali Gosala, the other ascetics, and the rulers of ancient India revitalized the ancient Naga tradition rather than introducing an entirely new religion. This revived tradition came to be known as Samanam. These unparalleled ascetics are believed to have later been worshipped throughout both Tamilakam and Eelam under the title Ayyan.

Among the inscriptions of the Ten Siblings, those found at Bovattegala, Kottadamuhkala, and Henannegalaprominently display the fish emblem, the traditional dynastic symbol of the Pandya kings throughout South Asia.

Likewise, the name of the king regarded as the leader of the Ten Siblings, Machcha Maharaja (Machcha meaning “fish”), is presented as further evidence of their Pandyan ancestry.

Among these ten brothers was Dharmaraja, whose son was Ay Mahathisayan. Mahathisayan’s daughter, Princess Abi Savera (Avvai Savera), donated numerous cave dwellings to the Samanam ascetics. Twenty Brahmi inscriptions commissioned solely by her have been discovered at Kottadamuhkala, making her the female royal associated with the largest known number of inscriptions from ancient Sri Lanka.

Similar inscriptions have been discovered at Bovattegala, on the eastern bank of the Kumukkan River, where the names of Dharmaraja and his son Ay Mahathisayan also appear.

Ay Mahathisayan’s son was Ay Abhaya, who in turn had a son named Ay Tissa (Aya Tissa) and a daughter named Abi Anuradhi (Avvai Anuradhai). Just as Princess Savera made generous donations at Kottadamuhkala, Princess Anuradhi is recorded as making similar charitable endowments at Bovattegala.

The Prakrit inscriptions discovered at both Kottadamuhkala and Bovattegala provide valuable evidence of the prominent social status enjoyed by royal women during this period.

An inscription from Kusalanmalai records a donation made to the Samanam ascetics by Kamani Tissa, son of Kamani Abhaya, who himself was the son of Nagan. Another Prakrit inscription found at Kalludupoththanai Hill in the Eravur region mentions an Ay Abhaya, who is believed to be the same individual referred to in the Kusalanmalai inscription.

Another Prakrit inscription from Henannegala, in the northern region of Vindhanaipattru (Ukanai), describes charitable endowments made by Machcha Maharaja together with the father of Kamani Tissa. Although Henannegala does not explicitly mention the “Ten Siblings” as the inscriptions at Kusalanmalai and Mottaiyakal do, it bears the same fish emblem found at Kottadamuhkala and refers to Kamani Tissa’s father. This is presented as evidence that those mentioned in the Henannegala inscription also belonged to the lineage of the Ten Siblings.

Accordingly, the Magadhan royal title Machcha Maharaja is interpreted as identifying Abhaya as a Pandyan ruler. References to Machcha Maharaja found in the Henannegala inscriptions are therefore taken as further evidence that these Pandyan rulers were regarded as Nagas, who preserved and promoted Naga worship while referring to it as Samanam.

The text further argues that ascetics such as Makkhali Gosala and the other religious teachers, together with these rulers, belonged to this same ascetic tradition. Having attained the exalted spiritual state known as Kazhiven Pirappu (release from rebirth), they came to be honoured as Ayyans and worshipped as Ayyanars. For this reason, it is argued that the sacred staff-weapon (Sendaayudham) associated with Ayyanar would also have been carried by these Pandyan rulers.

Tamil Root Words Found in the Inscriptions of the Ay Dynasty Naga Kings of Eelam

Translation by Hari

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