The Tulu identity and civilization as it exists today in Tulunad is a composite culture that has evolved over the last four thousand years. Several individual cultural streams have merged with the Tulu culture at various times throughout the long historical past, much like numerous rivers and streams flow into the sea. The contribution of Tulu tribes that migrated to this Tulunad in the distant historical past dating back to the period 1000 to 600 years BC is one of the recognisable major events in the evolution of Tulu language and culture.[I quote a broad period of 400 years – that is, from 1000 to 600 BC – because I am unable to sharpen it further at this time. We hope to be able to narrow down this period with the availability of more historical data.]

According to Iravattam Mahadevan, the Indus Valley civilization was an early form of Dravidian culture. Prior to the arrival of the Aryans, Dravidians apparently moved out of the Indus valley region and lived in the north and northwest parts of the Indian subcontinent after the decline of the Indus valley civilization, possibly due to river migration and abrupt floods around 1900 BC. Brahui, a Dravidian language that is still spoken in Baluchistan, parts of Iran, and neighbouring areas, is evidence of the presence of Dravidians in those areas.

Tulu and other Dravidian tribes were among those who lived in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent around Pirak, Mehrgarh, Multan, and surrounding areas (now part of Pakistan) between 1900 and 1500 BC. Aryans migrated from Indo-European homelands and composed the famous Vedas, initially in the oral tradition prevalent at the time.

At least four lines of evidence suggest that Tulu tribes were among the groups of settlers in this area during the time period mentioned above:

1. The presence of distinct Tulu words in the Rigveda, such as okha, aaNi, pala/ pela, and so on. Michael Witzel considers the cited words to be words borrowed into early Sanskrit because they do not conform to the linguistic word structure of the Indo-European language in which the Vedas were composed. The Rigveda, in its original oral form, has been dated between 1700 and 1500 BC. There could be more such words, such as the suffix -aaN in braahmaN. 

2. The incorporation of Abraham’s legend into Tulu tradition as Bermer (Brahma) in his original form as a horse-mounted hero.

Abraham, a popular leader of the masses (legendary prophet for Jews, Christians, and Muslims), lived around 2000 BC in the region of the NW Indian subcontinent-Asia Minor-Central Asia. In the tradition of spirit worship, after his death, he became the “Bermer(u)” for Tulu tribes. The Abraham legend was transformed by Vedic Aryans into the Brahman, the supreme cosmic creative power. Brahman gradually evolved into the God Brahma with ten or four heads in various Purana epics by the time the Ramayana was written around 800-500 BC. SSN Murthy examined Lord Brahma’s dominance in the Ramayana in depth.

Because Tulu tribes brought their original horse-mounted “Bermer” image with them to Tulunad before the evolution of the Brahma concept into a ten or four-headed God of creation, the time of Tulu tribe migration in northern India can be fixed as pre 500 BC. 

3. The presence of numerous Prakrit words in Tulu language reflects their heritage from their former homeland in the Northwest Indian subcontinent. The word Pirak, in particular, is intriguing. In Tulu, “Pirak” means “anything related to the distant past.” Pirak, by the way, was the site of early civilization between 1700 and 800 BC. 

4. The basic “moolasthana” (literally, “primary inhabitation” or “original homeland”) concept of Tulu tribes settled in Karavali Tulunad homeland is derived from the tribes’ original concept in their former homeland of the northwest Indian subcontinent. Multan is still a town in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Multan has a temple dedicated to Prahlada. The legends of Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu, and Narahari may have originated here. In addition, as Manjunath pointed out, Prahlada is the grandfather of King Bali (also known as Baliyendra), who has been revered by Tulu and Malayali people since ancient times.