State Formation - South India

TOWARDS STATE FORMATION
In South India there was transformation in the polity, economy and society. Initially there existed the primitive society but later there was transformation of pre state society into state society. In the primitive society there did not exist the various features of the state system like a standing army, systematic revenue collection, territory, population, etc.

The reference to existence of megalithic settlements and existence of tribal set up as mentioned in Sangam literature indicates the prevalence of pre state society and polity. There were certain changes in the society and polity. Such transformation is recorded the group of Tamil literature called Sangam literature.

PROCESS OF STATE FORMATION
There were different categories of chieftains. At the lower level we find the tribal chieftains who were powerful within the tribe. However there were other categories of chieftains who were powerful in the province.

But we find the third category of chieftains who were more powerful than the earlier two and later their territories emerged as chiefdoms. There is reference to Ceras, Colas and Pandyas who established their control over important fertile river vallies.

They controlled agricultural settlements and trade centres located on the eastern and western coasts of South India. They were able to impose tax on agricultural goods and also on trade. They controlled important ports on western coast of India and eastern coast.

There existed a very profitable pepper and spice trade with other regions of India and the world. In the Greco-Roman as well as Sangam literature there is reference to the arrival of foreign traders to India. There is reference to gold that was exported by foreign traders (particularly Romans) to South Indian traders in return for the pepper which they carried. The increased agricultural production and prosperous trade certainly benefited the ruling class.

The three chiefdoms, Ceras, Colas and Panadyas, obtained support from lower level chieftains who sent their army to fight in the wars. In the meantime there was the arrival of brahmanas and the Buddhists from the north. This helped in the legitimization of the rule of the local chieftains. The brahmanas performed vedic sacrifices and connected the families of the local chieftains with the genealogy of the northern dynasties. The kings gave land grants to the brahmanas, who took the help of peasants to cultivate the land as a result of which there was increased agricultural production.

Initially, plunder was the main resource base of the state and later there emerged a taxation system as the main resource base of the state. The brahmanas played their role in transformation of tribe to caste. There was the emergence of number of castes mentioned in the brahmanical texts. However, it is said that only in the fifth century A.D. was there an emergence of a real state, as the state before this period is termed "Proto State".

Refernce:
1.K.A. Nilakantha Shastri, A History of South India, OUP, 1975.
  2.M.G.S. Narayanan, Foundations of South Indian Society and Culture, Delhi, 1994.