Sangam Society
· The stratification in Tamil Sangam society was primarily confined to the binary between the Vyarntor (the high born) and Ilipirappalar (the low born).
· Tolkappiyam list of four categories (castes): Andanar (brahmanas), arasar (kings), vaisiyar (traders) and velalar (farmers).
· Tamilham consisted of five Tinais or physiographical divisions viz., Kurinji (hilly backwoods), Palai (parched zones), Mullai (Pastrol tract), Marutam (wet land), and Neital (littoral).
· The Kanavar, Kuravar and Vetar or Kadar were the inhabitants of the Kurinji-tinai and hunting and gathering their form of subsistence.
· Palai-tinai, the inhabitants were Kalavar, Eyinar and Maravar living by plunder and cattle lifting.
· In the Mullai-tinai the inhabitants were Ayar and Idaiyar subsisting on shifting agriculture and animal husbandry.
· Marutam-tinai were inhabited by Ulavar and Toluvar subsisting on plough agriculture.
· Neital-tinai was inhabited by Paratavar, Valavar and Minavar dependent on fishing and salt extraction.
· We get a total of eight social groups, viz.,
1. Kuravar (shifting agriculturists)
2. Vetar (hunters and food gatherers)
3. Idaiyar (cattle-keepers)
4. Kallar (plundering cattle lifting-people)
5. Ulavar (plough agriculturists)
6. Paratavar (fisherman)
7. Umnar (salt manufacturers)
8. Panar (wandering bards associated with all the tinails)
· On the basis of nature of production the agriculture zone (marutum) was called Menpulam and the rest, excluding Neital, were collectively called Vanpulam.
· Menpulam produced paddy and sugarcane and vanpulam grew pulses and dryland grains.
· Full-time craft specialists in the poems:
1. Pon-kolavan (goldsmith)
2. Kolavan(blacksmith)
3. Kuyavam or kalace-kovan (potter).
· The basis of production relations was kinship, signified by Ilaiyarum Mutiyarum Kilaiyutan Tuvunri, which is a stock expression in the poems referring to the labour processes in any Tinai.
· Illiyar means youngsters, Mutiyar means elders and Kilai means agnatic kin.
· The term Kilai stands as the Tamil counterpart of Jati.
· Grain was husked in hollows made in the ground (Nila-ural), and converted into flakes (Aval).
· Appam (Apupa) or rice-cake soaked in milk was a luxury.
· Mural paintings – Ovaikkalai.
· Traveling troops of dances carried their Yal (lute); Padalai (one-sided drum).
· The dances of Viralis (professional dancing-girls) took place at night.
· Different kinds of lutes like Periyal, Palai-yal and Sengottiyal are described in detail in different contexts.
· There is a full length description of a Padini, a singing women of the Panar community (Viraliyar) in the Perunanuruppadai in which Karikal himself is described as a master of the seven notes of music.
· Woman enjoyed much freedom of movement in society and the number of women poets of the age is sufficient indication that they were not excluded from the best education then available.
· Sati (Tippaidal – falling into flames) was common.
· The worship of Kannagi or Pattini (‘the chaste lady’) was perhaps a very early institution and was but an extension of the worship of the goddess of chastity’.
· This become popular with Senaguttuvana’s worship of Kannagi and spread to distant places like Sri Lanka in the South and Malva in the north.
· The images of the Pattini Devi were preserved in Tamil temples till recently.
· The courtesans are mentioned at many places in the places in the texts, especially in Aham literature. They were called Parattaiyar or Kanigaiyar.
· Later works like the Tolkappiyam and the Kalaviyal say that the Aryans introduced the rituals and ceremonies of marriage (Karanam).
· These works also mention the spontaneous coming together of the sexes (Kamakkuttam), they distinguish secret marriage (Kalavu) from the open alliance contracted with the consent of parents (Karpu); last they refer to the eight forms of marriage known to the Sanskrit Dharmasashtra and show great ingenuity in fitting them into framework of the Tamil scheme.
· Though the Gandharva form of marriage is easily equated to Ualavu (later known as Yalor system), the other Aryan forms do not fall in line so easily.
· The stratification in Tamil Sangam society was primarily confined to the binary between the Vyarntor (the high born) and Ilipirappalar (the low born).
· Tolkappiyam list of four categories (castes): Andanar (brahmanas), arasar (kings), vaisiyar (traders) and velalar (farmers).
· Tamilham consisted of five Tinais or physiographical divisions viz., Kurinji (hilly backwoods), Palai (parched zones), Mullai (Pastrol tract), Marutam (wet land), and Neital (littoral).
· The Kanavar, Kuravar and Vetar or Kadar were the inhabitants of the Kurinji-tinai and hunting and gathering their form of subsistence.
· Palai-tinai, the inhabitants were Kalavar, Eyinar and Maravar living by plunder and cattle lifting.
· In the Mullai-tinai the inhabitants were Ayar and Idaiyar subsisting on shifting agriculture and animal husbandry.
· Marutam-tinai were inhabited by Ulavar and Toluvar subsisting on plough agriculture.
· Neital-tinai was inhabited by Paratavar, Valavar and Minavar dependent on fishing and salt extraction.
· We get a total of eight social groups, viz.,
1. Kuravar (shifting agriculturists)
2. Vetar (hunters and food gatherers)
3. Idaiyar (cattle-keepers)
4. Kallar (plundering cattle lifting-people)
5. Ulavar (plough agriculturists)
6. Paratavar (fisherman)
7. Umnar (salt manufacturers)
8. Panar (wandering bards associated with all the tinails)
· On the basis of nature of production the agriculture zone (marutum) was called Menpulam and the rest, excluding Neital, were collectively called Vanpulam.
· Menpulam produced paddy and sugarcane and vanpulam grew pulses and dryland grains.
· Full-time craft specialists in the poems:
1. Pon-kolavan (goldsmith)
2. Kolavan(blacksmith)
3. Kuyavam or kalace-kovan (potter).
· The basis of production relations was kinship, signified by Ilaiyarum Mutiyarum Kilaiyutan Tuvunri, which is a stock expression in the poems referring to the labour processes in any Tinai.
· Illiyar means youngsters, Mutiyar means elders and Kilai means agnatic kin.
· The term Kilai stands as the Tamil counterpart of Jati.
· Grain was husked in hollows made in the ground (Nila-ural), and converted into flakes (Aval).
· Appam (Apupa) or rice-cake soaked in milk was a luxury.
· Mural paintings – Ovaikkalai.
· Traveling troops of dances carried their Yal (lute); Padalai (one-sided drum).
· The dances of Viralis (professional dancing-girls) took place at night.
· Different kinds of lutes like Periyal, Palai-yal and Sengottiyal are described in detail in different contexts.
· There is a full length description of a Padini, a singing women of the Panar community (Viraliyar) in the Perunanuruppadai in which Karikal himself is described as a master of the seven notes of music.
· Woman enjoyed much freedom of movement in society and the number of women poets of the age is sufficient indication that they were not excluded from the best education then available.
· Sati (Tippaidal – falling into flames) was common.
· The worship of Kannagi or Pattini (‘the chaste lady’) was perhaps a very early institution and was but an extension of the worship of the goddess of chastity’.
· This become popular with Senaguttuvana’s worship of Kannagi and spread to distant places like Sri Lanka in the South and Malva in the north.
· The images of the Pattini Devi were preserved in Tamil temples till recently.
· The courtesans are mentioned at many places in the places in the texts, especially in Aham literature. They were called Parattaiyar or Kanigaiyar.
· Later works like the Tolkappiyam and the Kalaviyal say that the Aryans introduced the rituals and ceremonies of marriage (Karanam).
· These works also mention the spontaneous coming together of the sexes (Kamakkuttam), they distinguish secret marriage (Kalavu) from the open alliance contracted with the consent of parents (Karpu); last they refer to the eight forms of marriage known to the Sanskrit Dharmasashtra and show great ingenuity in fitting them into framework of the Tamil scheme.
· Though the Gandharva form of marriage is easily equated to Ualavu (later known as Yalor system), the other Aryan forms do not fall in line so easily.
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