Historical evidence from Stone Inscriptions states that the name is originally Tamil and derives from "Karai" (கரை) meaning "shore" and "nataka" (நாடக), meaning "dance", and relates to the music of the Kaveri regions during the Chola era (focused on the ancient port city of Poompuhar, or பூம்புகார்), including areas in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, and some in Andhra Pradesh, and leading to the name of the "Carnatic" or "Karnataka" region (கரை நாடக சங்கீதம்). The music was patronized by the Chola, Pandyan, Rashtrakutas and later Vijayanagar kings.