Table of Contents

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Introduction: Understanding the history of Tamizhs via Itihasa and Dharma Civilizational Unity

Tamizh and India are inextricably linked. Understanding the history of the Tamizhs is also understanding the history of India. Indian dharmic tradition adopted an integral approach to remembering the ancient past via ‘itihasa’ [2]. The aim of Itihasa is not to merely recount the sequence of kings and wars of ancient India. Among other things, Itihasa combines history and myth to provide a more complete perspective of ‘what happened’ and in what context.  Tamizh traditions too have been dharma-centric and thus we can learn a great deal about Tamizh Kalacharam (culture), language, and heritage by reviewing its itihasa along with the recorded historical events. It is important to note that by its very nature, itihasa is devoted to realizing the deepest underlying truth, and can therefore allow a multiplicity of versions. Itihasa has neither the anxiety, nor the need to forcibly suppress all but the ‘winner’s view’ and claim that to be ‘truth’. A narrative, if offered honestly, provides a perspective of the ultimate truth. In this spirit, we attempt to offer but a glimpse of the glory of the Tamizh lands, drawing from multiple sources. The serious reader is encouraged to access the primary sources along with these references, and improve their own understanding.

Note: It is known [2] that there are key Sanskrit and Indian words that are translatable into other Indian languages, but remain untranslatable into the western vocabulary of English. Hence it makes sense to use such words as is.

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The Sangam literature mentions the three crowned kings: The Cheras, Cholas (Chozhas), and Pandyas. These kingdoms dominate much of recorded Tamizh history from ~300 BCE to 1300 CE, a period of at least 1600 years, although there were also many, lesser-known chiefs and leaders in the region. Also, after the decline of the Satavahana empire, the Pallavas held sway in South-Eastern India, with Kanchipuram as their capital and were prominent between the 3rd and 9th century CE, a period of over 600 years. The great dynasties of the Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas played a prominent role in this region between the 5th and 10th century CE.

A significant portion of this era involved battles between these various kingdoms. While there was little political unity, there was almost complete philosophical and social unity among the peoples across the land in Southern, as well as other parts of India. The wars were required to be conducted according to the rules of dharma, and the civilian populace and the economy was seldom dragged into an all-out warfare. The kings were required to be upholders of dharma, and rulers who subscribed to one particular sampradaya (e.g. Jaina or Shaivite) lived in mutual respect with their subjects who were free to pursue their own belief system.  Very rarely, if ever, do we see temples of rival sampradayas destroyed by victorious kings, especially since there is no scriptural sanction anywhere for such acts. In fact, what the history of India and the Tamizh land shows is that it was far more common and expected of Indian kings to preserve and promote the temples, peoples, and dharmic institutions within the conquered regions.  We present one example:

The rivalry between two super-powers of India in the 7th century, the Pallavas and Chalukyas, was aggravated by the attack of the great Pulakeshi-2 (who had earlier defeated the famous king Harshavardhana of Kanauj in Northern India) on the Pallava domain of the equally great Mahendravarman, the painter/musician/scholar/poet king. Pulakeshi-2 narrowly failed in capturing Kanchipuram, the capital, but a lot of Pallava territory and pride was lost. Mahendravarman’s son, Narasimhavarman, avenged this military humiliation by defeating Pulakeshi-2 and conquering the Chalukyan capital of Vatapi. However, he did not destroy, but brought back the Murthi of Ganesha from there (immortalized a thousand years later in the Kriti ‘Vatapi Ganapathim’ of Muthuswami Dikshatar) to Tamizh Nadu.  From then on (if not earlier), Vatapi Ganapathi as the wise brother of Muruga, the ‘Tamizh Kadavul’,  became a beloved Ishta Devata of all Tamizhs, and remains a favorite to this day. The story does not end here. The successors of Pulakeshi-2 eventually restored the dented Chalukyan military pride and Kanchi was eventually taken. However, neither the city nor its magnificent temples were destroyed. Vatapi Ganapathi continues to bless his devotees from Tiruchenkattankudi, the hometown of Narasimhavarman’s commander-in-chief.

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The Tamizh contributions to Indian civilization and heritage are too many to be recounted in detail here. The people of Tamizhakam were staunch followers of dharma, and the kings and queens lead by example, serving as exemplars of heroism, strength, ethics, and duty.  Multiple literary works confirm ‘the resilience of trade independent of political stability’ [11]. A historian [11] notes that  “the Tamizh region had a distinctive and highly complex administrative structure that evolved even before political consolidation under successive Tamizh kingdoms“.  The economy included the sectors of agriculture, trade, and manufacturing. Cultivation of farmland was given a lot of importance, and arguably, ancient India possessed the most advanced agricultural science, as well as the best water management systems, including interconnected lakes, step wells, canals, reservoirs, etc. Records confirm that the merchants organized themselves into guilds. The most famous among these guilds is considered to be the ‘Ainnuruvar‘, or ‘The Five Hundred’, and find mention in inscriptions more than 1200 years old.  Trade flourished, and the region appears to have been a hub for global commerce.  Famous ports include Puhar, which is well described in ancient Tamizh epics. The sea-faring Tamizhs visited several parts of the world thanks to the traditional Indian knowledge of navigation, spreading their influence in terms of trade, dharmic thought, and also military might when needed. For example, a  very brisk trade (export-heavy) was conducted with the Roman empire, in return for Roman gold and silver. The influence of the Tamizhs on South-east Asia from Burma through Indonesia is seen to this day.  As far as manufacturing and technology, India dominated the textile industry for thousands of years. Other manufacturing included metallurgy, jewelry, craftwork, etc. For example, the ‘wootz’ steel technology [18] that originated in Southern India is world famous (and used to make the ‘Damascus blade’). The wootz steel of the Chera tamizhs was regarded as the finest in the world [13].

Wealth and prosperity was welcomed by the Tamizhs of India and given due importance in line with the traditional Purusharthas of kama, artha, dharma, and moksha. Yogis, Siddhas (Hindu, often Shaivite), and Gurus (Hindu, Jaina, Buddhist) were given the highest respect for their wisdom and intellectual capacity. The wisdom filled ‘Thirukkural’ of Rishi Tiruvalluvar (BCE) occupies a highly revered place to this day. The Siddhars (Siddhas) in Tamizh tradition include the Sages Agastya and Tirumular, among others. A statue of Patanjali, author of the Yoga sutras and Mahabhasya, can be found inside the Madurai Meenakshi kovil.  The Seers of Tamizhakam also gave us Kundalini Yoga. Consequently, we see a remarkably balanced progress in both material terms (commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, science and technology, art and architecture, etc.) as well as in terms of physical health, and inner-realization (Advaita, Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jaina, Buddhist metaphysics, Yoga, Siddha medicine, etc.). The great Hindu Jagadguru Adi Sankara belongs to this time period (8th century CE) and was from present-day Kerala. Tamizh as well as Sanskrit scholars were highly revered and the two ancient languages lived side-by-side in mutual respect, borrowing from, and enhancing each other, resulting in a literary output that is astonishing and of the highest quality.  History shows that saints like Adi Shankara did not retreat into ‘ivory towers’ like many intellectuals and theorists do today, but were positively engaged, hands-on, with the world, and played an active role in ensuring the positive transformation of the lives of ordinary people.

The merchants of Tamizhakam were also accorded respect for their high ethical standards and bravery. Furthermore, it is known (e.g. from the Silapathikaram) that these merchants, since ancient times, were philanthropists who donated to many charities. They were very literate, counting some of the great Tamizh poets within their ranks. Examples include Sattanar, the author of ‘Manimekalai’ [11].  The arts also flourished. The magnificent kovils (temples) of Tamizh Nadu – the Brihadishwara kovil in Tanjavur, and the Madurai Meenakshi Kovil, among others, attest to this fact. Such temples were not only architectural and engineering marvels, but an integral, central, and active part of the functioning society, and a critical component of the local and regional economy. Folk and classical music and dance and flourished side-by-side in mutual respect. The arts were given due importance during the Sangam period and after.

The products manufactured by the Tamizhs were in great demand inside as well as outside India. For example, the metal workers who produced steel and other metal products were the best in world for a very long time. Prof. R. Balsubramaniam notes in [18] that “the skilled people who produced and manufactured engineering objects were known as Vishwakarmas.  Included in this classification were carpenters, blacksmiths, potters, weavers, etc. these were the gems of India and their practical skills are what we note in the samples available… Disciples were trained from their very childhood in their traditional craft… The skill was passed on from one generation to the other.. Some of the brightest and brilliant minds who took part in the development of iron metallurgy belonged to the so-called lower strata of the Indian society“.  Prof RB also notes that India was a major arms manufacturer for the world for several centuries until the eighteenth century CE. A key component in arms manufacture was the production of high-carbon steel. The wootz steel, which was produced in Tamizhakam and other parts of India were valued all over the world.

A key instrument or institution that helped ensure the all-round progress of all the peoples of the Tamizh land were its temples, both big and small.

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The kovil (temple) emerged as the center of social and economic activity about 1500 years ago. Temples were institutions that represented a integral value system including dharmic, social and economic dimensions. The deep ideas of Vedanta and the stirring appeal of the Bhakti movement, both of which are rooted in the fundamentals of dharma, sparked a resurgence in Hinduism. The temples, which had fallen into relative decay prior to the 6th century were revitalized. The Pallava, Pandya, and Chola kings were involved in the construction of new temples, as well as the renovation and expansion of existing ones. Generous land grants were provided by kings, senior officials of the kingdoms, and merchants. Battles between kingdoms did not have an impact on the temples since the victorious kings continued to operate on the dharmic principle of mutual respect, and patronized temples even if its principal deity was tied to a different sampradaya. Breakthroughs in construction and structural engineering enabled the building of increasingly larger temples [11]. An economic process was set up that sustained the operations of even the largest temples.  Ample space became available to promote performing arts. Soon the temples became the central institutions in each locality or region. The construction of temples also provided plentiful employment for artist and artisan. The central deity of the temple was deemed a legal person (and still is), and activity was carried out in her or his name. The temple also required a variety of Pooja items, and several purchases were made. Therefore, temples were involved in both the supply as well as demand side of the economy.

Temples were financial institutions too. Data [11] show that corporate bodies (e.g. guilds) greatly outnumbered individual merchants as far as borrowing funds from temples, whereas the latter constituted a majority as far as donating to the kovil. The presence and size of temples also changed the land-use and residential patterns in the region. There was no external central authority that could control the temples, which were largely managed and run by, and for the local people. The Tamizh ‘Gramam‘ was a village republic in the deepest sense. A Gramam decided how its local revenue was to be spent for education, medical care, irrigation facilities, security, etc. At a larger scale, there were Nagarams, which were well-planned and designed cities. Such an architecture resulted in the multitude of temples becoming strong decentralized locations of resources, capital, dharmic knowledge, education,  legal power, repository of art, and information. It is quite clear that the temples played a big part is ensuring the prosperity of the region. Furthermore, this decentralized model produced a viable and stable economy and education system that benefited all classes of the society for over 1500 years – a period during which the Indian economy (along with China) dominated the global scene. To this day, India has more temples than police stations, as Swaminathan Gurumurthy has noted, and a lower per capita rate of serious crime compared to several developed western countries.

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The socio-economic systems were what can be accurately termed an ‘open architecture’ [8].  They were self-sustaining and decentralized, and relatively immune to which dynasty was in power.  The contribution of Tamizhakam (and Southern India) to Hinduism is extremely important. Deeply rooted in dharma, the Bhakti movement originated in the Tamizh land during the 7th century. Starting from the Shaivite Nayanars and the Vaishnavite Alvars, it spread all over India, and over the next one thousand years,  had a profound and positive influence on the peoples of India. Furthermore, all three important schools of Vedanta – Advaita, Dvaita, and Vishishtadvaita were born in this region.  The underlying unity [8] within Indic systems ensured that the various sects and schools with clashing metaphysics and concepts debated these points in mutual respect rather than try to physically exterminate each other. For example, this essay [16] by contemporary Tamizh writer Jeyamohan can be used to understand the nature of the open architecture of Hinduism that is present in the Tamizh land. Such an architecture naturally yields a ‘fractal’ of narratives – the dharmic grand narrative of India is the union of a plurality of contributing sub-narratives, each of which recursively consists of its own distinct micro-narratives, and yet all of them are fundamentally rooted in, and united by dharma.

Dharmic literary works in Sanskrit as well as Tamizh reached dizzying heights. The rulers too played their part to ensure that viability of this open society.  This social and economic model still remains alive and vibrant in India, and to this day, a majority of India’s GDP, new innovations,  and adherence to pluralism comes from this “unorganized” sector, and has helped India get through some difficult times. It is known [7] that India, along with China, were the two big economic powerhouses until 1750 CE, and Tamizh trade and commerce too played their part in this success. The Business and Commerce page discusses this topic in depth.

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Senguttuvan (Cheras, Sangam period)

Rajendra-1(Cholas,  1012-1044 CE)

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Many native dynasties continued to hold sway over the land, even as some of the more famous ones in the previous milennium like the Cholas, Pallavas, and Cheras faded away by the beginning of the 14th century.  The Pandyas reached their peak in the 13th century, during the reign of Sundara Pandyan before their eclipse.

The start of this era witnessed the birth of another great Hindu (Vaishnavite) saint in Sriperumbudur, Sri Ramanujacharya, who propounded the vedantic concept of Vishishtadvaita. Important Indian classical dance and musical forms were patronized by the Tamizhs during this period including Bharata Natyam, and Karnataka Sangeetham (Carnatic music/vocal). Both have their roots in Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra, attesting to the inherent unity within Indian art [2, 3]. Toward the end this time period, the trinity of Carnatic music contributed several compositions in Sanskrit and Telugu. The now-famous Aryabhata (Kerala) school of mathematics  led by Madhava flourished during this period, producing new results in infinite series, trigonometry, astronomy, etc, and laid the foundations of modern-day calculus [14].

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A key empire during this period after the Hoysalas was that of Vijayanagara. Established by the brothers Harihara and Bukka with blessings of Sage Vidyaranya in 1336 CE, it attained its peak during the reign of the great Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva dynasty (1509-1529) [6].  The Vijayanagara empire played a pivotal role in the history of India.  Fragmented by increasing disunity and quarrels among kingdoms, Southern India became the next target for the Jihadist foreign raiders who had already made serious inroads into Northern India. The invaders had little use for the dharmic rules of engagement that the native Indian rulers adhered to – the invaders were ready to fight all-out wars. The story of the genocide and the destruction of dharmic institutions in Northern India was about to be repeated in the South [1]. Vijayanagara stood between these forces and the occupation of Southern India.

The Vijayanagara rulers ended the Madurai Sultanate by defeating them in battle, and kept the Deccani Sultans at bay for more than two centuries. In particular, the reign of Krishadevaraya saw dharmic India in all its pomp and glory. Several temples in today’s Tamizh Nadu and their sacred Murthis that were hidden away due to the Jihadi onslaught were now restored  thanks to their commitment [5]. The ancient region of Tamizhakam, which was now under the stewardship of Krishnadevaraya witnessed unparalleled prosperity thanks to a vibrant economy, a rejuvenation in dharmic art, architecture, literature, poetry, song, and dance. He patronized the Tamizh poet Haridasa. This era saw an outpouring of literary creativity in Telugu, Kannada, Tamizh, and Sanskrit. The king was a scholar, and is famous for his dharmic literary masterpiece ‘Amuktamalyada’ in Telugu, written in praise of the Tamizh Azhwar saint Andal of Srivilliputtur. The Srivilliputtur Kovil gopuram adorns the official seal of the Tamil Nadu government today.

Krishnadevaraya, along with Rajendra Chola, are among the greatest kings in Indian and world history.

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Post Vijayanagara: [1565-1715]

The Vijayanagara empire continued to fight on after the death of Krishnadevaraya, despite internal quarrels and leaders lacking his caliber and vision. The sacking of Hampi, the destruction of its temples, and the mutilation of its exquisite sculptures and architecture after the disaster of 1565 in the name of religion by the fundamentalist invaders rank among the most barbaric acts in world history. The advent of Chathrapathi Shivaji and the Marathas provided some respite from this onslaught.  The last hundred years of this period through the 18th century witnessed the gradual waning of Islamic rule after the demise of the despotic Aurangazeb, and the arrival of the colonial powers from Europe. This also resulted in the injection of another extreme Abrahamic influence into India. The missionary De Nobili of Italy who was welcomed to the court of Tirumala Nayaka of Madurai in the 1600s, was among the first to employ the technique of inculturation (that is popular today) to convert the native population away from their native pluralistic dharmic traditions to evangelical Christianity based on the Nicene Creed. By this time, Southern India had more clearly defined areas having their own dominant language (Tamizh, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, etc.) that resemble contemporary India.

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The British Raj was able to defeat all other competing European powers, and with the help of Sepoys, eventually took complete control of India. The life of Indians and Tamizhs during this period can be understood by reviewing the discoveries and subsequent writings of scholars like Dharampal [12] who found “that for long periods in the late 18th and the 19th centuries, the tax on land in many areas exceeded the total agricultural production of very fertile land. This was  particularly so in the areas of the Madras Presidency (comprising current Tamil nadu, districts of coastal Andhra, some districts of  Karnataka and Malabar). The consequences of the policy were easy to predict: in the Madras Presidency, one third of the most fertile land went out of cultivation between the period 1800-1850…. the British successfully initiated an intricate system of widespread control and extortion, taking away as tax most of what the land produced, as well as the products of manufactures. He found it horrifying that this was often done at the point of the bayonet“. This centralized tax looting apparatus of the British Raj destroyed India’s decentralized architecture, and the results were catastrophic for India, and the effect is visible to this day. Famines, that were practically unheard of before, were prevalent during this period, and several millions of lives were lost. India’s sophisticated native education system (‘the beautiful tree’) was destroyed, its manufacturing and trade wrecked, intellectual property stolen and repackaged in Europe, forcing many to move to agriculture, which also took a beating under the colonial rule.  A rich and beautiful India and Tamizhakam for the first time in its glorious history became impoverished. Perhaps the last and truly great independent king of the Tamizhs during this period was Raja Serfoji-the second, of the Bhosle clan, who ruled Thanjavur between 1798 and 1832. His contributions to the welfare of the public were astounding. Visit the science and tech page for more details.

 

Recent Past and the Road Ahead

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2. ‘Being Different: India’s Challenge to Western Universalism’, by Rajiv Malhotra. Harper Collins (2011).

3. ‘On the Chronological Framework for Indian Culture’, by Subhash Kak,
Indian Council of Philosophical Research. 2000, pp. 1-24.

4. ‘History and Culture of Tamil Nadu’ Volume 1 (up to AD 1310), Chitra Madhavan. DK Printworld (2005).

5. ‘History and Culture of Tamil Nadu’ Volume 2 (up to AD 1885), Chitra Madhavan. DK Printworld (2005).

6. ‘A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): a contribution to the history of India’, by Robert Sewell et al. Sonnenschein & co (1900).

7. ‘The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective’, by Angus Maddison (2001).

8. ‘Indra’s Net: Defending Hinduism’s Philosophical Unity’, by Rajiv Malhotra, Harper Collins (2014).

9. ‘Indian Culture and India’s Future’, by Michel Danino. DK Printworld (2011).

10. ‘Portraits of a Nation: History of Ancient India’, by Kamlesh Kapur. Sterling Publishers (2010).

11. ‘Merchants of Tamilakam: Pioneers of International Trade’, by Kanakalatha Mukund. Allen Lane, Penguin Group (2012).

12. ‘The Collected Writings, Dharampal. http://voiceofdharma.org/tbt.

13. ‘Wootz crucible steel: a newly discovered production site in South India,’ by Sharada Srinivasan, Institute of Archaeology (1994).

14. ‘Ganita Yuktibhasa (Rationales in Mathematical Astronomy) of Jyesthadeva’, K. V. Sarma, et al. Hindustan Book Agency (2008).

15. ‘Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines’, by Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan. Amaryllis (2011).

16. ‘On The Question Of Being A ‘Cultural Hindu’’, by Jeyamohan, Swarajya Magazine (2015).

17. ‘The Mahavamsa: The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka’.

18. “Marvels of Indian Iron Through the Ages”, by R. Balasubramaniam, Infinity Foundation Series. Rupa (2012).

‘A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations’, by Noboru Karashima. Oxford (2014).