\( % groupings of objects. \newcommand{\set}[1]{\left\{ #1 \right\}} \newcommand{\seq}[1]{\left(#1\right)} \newcommand{\ang}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} \newcommand{\tuple}[1]{\left(#1\right)} \newcommand{\size}[1]{\left| #1\right|} \newcommand{\comp}{\circ} % numerical shortcuts. \newcommand{\abs}[1]{\left| #1\right|} \newcommand{\floor}[1]{\left\lfloor #1 \right\rfloor} \newcommand{\ceil}[1]{\left\lceil #1 \right\rceil} % linear algebra shortcuts. \newcommand{\change}{\Delta} \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\left\| #1\right\|} \newcommand{\dprod}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} \newcommand{\linspan}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} \newcommand{\conj}[1]{\overline{#1}} \newcommand{\der}[1]{\frac{d#1}{dx}} \newcommand{\lap}{\Delta} \newcommand{\kron}{\otimes} \newcommand{\nperp}{\nvdash} \newcommand{\mat}[1]{\left[ \begin{smallmatrix}#1 \end{smallmatrix} \right]} % derivatives and limits \newcommand{\partder}[2]{\frac{\partial #1}{\partial #2}} \newcommand{\partdern}[3]{\frac{\partial^{#3 #1}}{\partial #2^{#3}}} \newcommand{\gradient}{\nabla} \newcommand{\subdifferential}{\partial} % Arrows \newcommand{\diverge}{\nearrow} \newcommand{\notto}{\nrightarrow} \newcommand{\up}{\uparrow} \newcommand{\down}{\downarrow} % gets and gives are defined! % ordering operators \newcommand{\oleq}{\preceq} \newcommand{\ogeq}{\succeq} % programming and logic operators \newcommand{\dfn}{:=} \newcommand{\assign}{:=} \newcommand{\co}{\ co\ } \newcommand{\en}{\ en\ } % logic operators \newcommand{\xor}{\oplus} \newcommand{\Land}{\bigwedge} \newcommand{\Lor}{\bigvee} \newcommand{\finish}{\Box} \newcommand{\contra}{\Rightarrow \Leftarrow} \newcommand{\iseq}{\stackrel{_?{=}}} % Set theory \newcommand{\symdiff}{\Delta} \newcommand{\setdiff}{\backslash} \newcommand{\union}{\cup} \newcommand{\inters}{\cap} \newcommand{\Union}{\bigcup} \newcommand{\Inters}{\bigcap} \newcommand{\nullSet}{\phi} % graph theory \newcommand{\nbd}{\Gamma} % Script alphabets % For reals, use \Re % greek letters \newcommand{\eps}{\epsilon} \newcommand{\del}{\delta} \newcommand{\ga}{\alpha} \newcommand{\gb}{\beta} \newcommand{\gd}{\del} \newcommand{\gp}{\pi} \newcommand{\gf}{\phi} \newcommand{\gh}{\eta} \newcommand{\gF}{\Phi} \newcommand{\gl}{\lambda} \newcommand{\gm}{\mu} \newcommand{\gn}{\nu} \newcommand{\gr}{\rho} \newcommand{\gs}{\sigma} \newcommand{\gth}{\theta} \newcommand{\gx}{\xi} \newcommand{\gw}{\omega} \newcommand{\sw}{\sigma} \newcommand{\SW}{\Sigma} \newcommand{\ew}{\lambda} \newcommand{\EW}{\Lambda} \newcommand{\Del}{\Delta} \newcommand{\gD}{\Delta} \newcommand{\gG}{\Gamma} \newcommand{\gW}{\Omega} \newcommand{\gS}{\Sigma} \newcommand{\gTh}{\Theta} % Bold english letters. \newcommand{\bA}{\mathbf{A}} \newcommand{\bB}{\mathbf{B}} \newcommand{\bC}{\mathbf{C}} \newcommand{\bD}{\mathbf{D}} \newcommand{\bE}{\mathbf{E}} \newcommand{\bF}{\mathbf{F}} \newcommand{\bG}{\mathbf{G}} \newcommand{\bH}{\mathbf{H}} \newcommand{\bI}{\mathbf{I}} \newcommand{\bJ}{\mathbf{J}} \newcommand{\bK}{\mathbf{K}} \newcommand{\bL}{\mathbf{L}} \newcommand{\bM}{\mathbf{M}} \newcommand{\bN}{\mathbf{N}} \newcommand{\bO}{\mathbf{O}} \newcommand{\bP}{\mathbf{P}} \newcommand{\bQ}{\mathbf{Q}} \newcommand{\bR}{\mathbf{R}} \newcommand{\bS}{\mathbf{S}} \newcommand{\bT}{\mathbf{T}} \newcommand{\bU}{\mathbf{U}} \newcommand{\bV}{\mathbf{V}} \newcommand{\bW}{\mathbf{W}} \newcommand{\bX}{\mathbf{X}} \newcommand{\bY}{\mathbf{Y}} \newcommand{\bZ}{\mathbf{Z}} \newcommand{\bba}{\mathbf{a}} \newcommand{\bbb}{\mathbf{b}} \newcommand{\bbc}{\mathbf{c}} \newcommand{\bbd}{\mathbf{d}} \newcommand{\bbe}{\mathbf{e}} \newcommand{\bbf}{\mathbf{f}} \newcommand{\bbg}{\mathbf{g}} \newcommand{\bbh}{\mathbf{h}} \newcommand{\bbk}{\mathbf{k}} \newcommand{\bbl}{\mathbf{l}} \newcommand{\bbm}{\mathbf{m}} \newcommand{\bbn}{\mathbf{n}} \newcommand{\bbp}{\mathbf{p}} \newcommand{\bbq}{\mathbf{q}} \newcommand{\bbr}{\mathbf{r}} \newcommand{\bbs}{\mathbf{s}} \newcommand{\bbt}{\mathbf{t}} \newcommand{\bbu}{\mathbf{u}} \newcommand{\bbv}{\mathbf{v}} \newcommand{\bbw}{\mathbf{w}} \newcommand{\bbx}{\mathbf{x}} \newcommand{\bby}{\mathbf{y}} \newcommand{\bbz}{\mathbf{z}} \newcommand{\0}{\mathbf{0}} \newcommand{\1}{\mathbf{1}} % Caligraphic english alphabet \newcommand{\cA}{\mathcal{A}} \newcommand{\cB}{\mathcal{B}} \newcommand{\cC}{\mathcal{C}} \newcommand{\cD}{\mathcal{D}} \newcommand{\cE}{\mathcal{E}} \newcommand{\cF}{\mathcal{F}} \newcommand{\cG}{\mathcal{G}} \newcommand{\cH}{\mathcal{H}} \newcommand{\cI}{\mathcal{I}} \newcommand{\cJ}{\mathcal{J}} \newcommand{\cK}{\mathcal{K}} \newcommand{\cL}{\mathcal{L}} \newcommand{\cM}{\mathcal{M}} \newcommand{\cN}{\mathcal{N}} \newcommand{\cO}{\mathcal{O}} \newcommand{\cP}{\mathcal{P}} \newcommand{\cQ}{\mathcal{Q}} \newcommand{\cR}{\mathcal{R}} \newcommand{\cS}{\mathcal{S}} \newcommand{\cT}{\mathcal{T}} \newcommand{\cU}{\mathcal{U}} \newcommand{\cV}{\mathcal{V}} \newcommand{\cW}{\mathcal{W}} \newcommand{\cX}{\mathcal{X}} \newcommand{\cY}{\mathcal{Y}} \newcommand{\cZ}{\mathcal{Z}} % Formatting shortcuts \newcommand{\red}[1]{\textcolor{red}{#1}} \newcommand{\blue}[1]{\textcolor{blue}{#1}} \newcommand{\htext}[2]{\texorpdfstring{#1}{#2}} % Statistics \newcommand{\distr}{\sim} \newcommand{\stddev}{\sigma} \newcommand{\covmatrix}{\Sigma} \newcommand{\mean}{\mu} \newcommand{\param}{\theta} \newcommand{\gthEst}{\hat{\theta}} \newcommand{\ftr}{\phi} \newcommand{\est}[1]{\hat{#1}} % General utility \newcommand{\todo}[1]{\textbf{[TODO]}] \footnote{TODO: #1}} \newcommand{\tbc}{[\textbf{Incomplete}]} \newcommand{\chk}{[\textbf{Check}]} \newcommand{\why}{[\textbf{Find proof}]} \newcommand{\opt}[1]{\textit{#1}} \newcommand{\experience}[1]{[\textbf{Personal Experience}]: #1 \blacktriangle} \newcommand{\pf}[1]{[\textbf{Proof}]: #1 \Box} \newcommand{\core}[1]{\textbf{Core Idea}: #1 \Arrowvert} \newcommand{\example}[1]{\textbf{Example}: #1 \blacktriangle} \newcommand{\error}[1]{\textbf{Error alert}: #1 \triangle} \newcommand{\oprob}{[\textbf{OP}]: } \renewcommand{\~}{\htext{$\sim$}{~}} \DeclareMathOperator*{\argmin}{arg\,min} \DeclareMathOperator*{\argmax}{arg\,max} \)

Provenance

Before the muslim invasion, the kShatriya varNa was widespread - even in south India.
vIra ballALa the hoysala, famously told malik kafur that he is willing to give up everything except his sacred thread.
chulavamsha clearly describes the buddhist sinhalese king parAkrama bAhu of lanka undergoing upanayanam (MT, GB).
the kadamba-s of karNATaka were famously brAhmaNa-s converted to kShatriya-s.
Many dynasties of India, including south Indian ones such as chAlukya, pANDya and choLa kings conducted vedic yAga-s allowed for kShatriya-s such as rAjasUya and ashvamedha.
- Some images, supposedly of these kings, show a yajJNOpavIta (NVP_F, IMG), while others don’t (simhaviShNu-pallava IMG, IMG2).
It is quite possible that the vijayanagara kings were not invested with the yajnopavIta - they’re not known to have performed the vedic sacrifices. (This despite their great scholarship in sanskrit, patronage of temples etc..)
Names ending with “varma” try to claim ceremonial (not just de-facto) kShatriya status - that suffix is prescribed by the dharmashAstra-s for kShatriya-s. mArtANDa-varma, narasimhavarma pallava etc..