Forbidden history: A brief history of Tamizhakam
Tamizhakam is the ancient homeland of ancient Tamil speakers comprising modern day Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Northern-eastern parts of Srilanka are traditionally included as a part of Tamizhakam. The geographic region has been inhabited since the paleolithic age and has a recorded history of about 2500–3000 years.
This is a brief overview of Tamils in Tamizhakam.
Ten compelling literary works:
Tamil has a very vast collection of literature. Based on the time period in which Tamil texts were composed, Tamil literature is classified into
Sangam literature (500 BCE to 300 CE)
Post-Sangam literature (300 CE to 700 CE)
Medieval literature (700 CE to 1700 BCE)
Modern literature (After 1700 CE)
Thirukkural - A collection of 1330 couplets structured as 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets. Deals with virtue, morality and ethics of individuals. Secular work dated to a century before or after Christ. Crown jewel of Tamil literature. Very very relevant to modern times as well.
Ettuthokai - The Eight anthologies is a collection of 2371 poems composed during the Sangam period. The vast majority of these poems deal with human emotions, love and separation. The rest deal with politics, social life, kings and wars.
Pathupattu - The ten idylls is collection of ten books dealing with human emotions, socio-political life and nature in general. These poems are also dated to the sangam period and are semi-historical.
Iympernkkapiyangal - The five great epics of Tamil literature namely Silapathikaram, Manimekalai, Civaka Chintamani, Valayapathi and Kundalakesi are Buddhist and Jainist works dated between 1st century CE and 10th century CE. They are semi-historical in nature and portray in good detail the social, religious, and cultural life of Tamil during their times.
Thirumurai - Thirumurai is collection of 12 Shaivite books. Eleven of them exalt Lord Shiva and were composed between 7th and 12th centuries while the twelfth book, titles Periyapuranam, chronicles the lives of the saints (collectively known as Nayanmars[8]) who authored the other eleven books. It is the largest extant of Shaivite literature in any language.
Nachiar Thirumozhi - Nachiar Thirumozhi, written by female saint Aandal, is a part of a Tamil anthology on Lord Vishnu known as Naalayira DivyaPrabandham written by the twelve Vaishnavite saints known as Azhwars.
Aathichoodi - Aathichoodi is a collection of over 100 one line quotes compiled by poetess Avvaiyar in the 11th/12th century. Organised in Tamil alphabetical order, the quotes deal with individual virtue.
Thirupughazh - Written by saint Arunagirinathar in the 15th century, Thirupughazh is an exaltation on Lord Murugan (Karthikeya). Well known for its poetical and musical qualities. Has tongue-twister like verses.
Ramavatharam - Popularly known as Kambar Ramayanam, it retells the story of the Ram avatar in Tamizh. It was composed in the 12th century by saint Kambar and it is not a translation of Valmiki Ramayana and it also differs from original in many ways.
Ponniyin Selvan - Couldn't resist adding this one to the list. A 20th century historical fiction. The best ever to be written in Tamil and possibly any language.
There are lot more literary works and you can explore some of them here.
Nine Illustrious kings:
Of the hundreds of kings that reigned over parts of Tamizhakam for over 2500 years, I present the nine most illustrious ones.
Nedunchezhiyan I - The earliest Pandya king to be epigraphically attested in the Mangulam inscriptions dated to 3rd/2nd century BCE[19]. He is also mentioned in Tamil literature as the king who overcame Northern/foreign forces. He might have been a contemporary of Mahajanapadas or early Mauryas[20].
One of the Mangulam inscriptions:
Ellalan - The earliest Chola king to be historically attested. The Mahavamsa, a Buddhist text, that chronicles the religion of Srilanka mentions Ellalan as a jut king, who invaded and captured parts of Srilanka in the 3rd/2nd century BCE. Ellalan is also associated with the legendary Chola king Manu Needhi Cholan who was also known for his fairness[22][23].
Statue of Ellala Cholan at the Madras high court:
Uthiyan Cheralathan - The earliest Chera king to be attested in literature. Legend goes that he fed the warring factions for Mahabharata.
Karikala Cholan - Karikala Cholan is considered as one of the greatest rulers among early Cholas. He is dated to the 1st/2nd century CE. He is believed to have defeated a confederacy of the Cheras, the Pandyas and other minor chieftains. He is also credited with the construction of Kallanai or the Grand anaicut, the oldest dam across river Kaveri.
Cheran Senguttuvan - Believed to the elder brother of Ilango Adigal - who penned Silapathikaram - Senguttuvan is thought to have been a great conqueror who won many battles with the kingdoms of the south. Legend has it that he undertook an expedition to the the Himalayas.
Kadungon Pandyan - Kadungon reinstated the Pandya rule over traditional Pandya territory after defeating the Kalabras who reigned over Tamizhakam for about 3 centuries between 300 CE and 600 CE. He is considered the founder of the second Pandyan empire. He reigned from Korkai between 590 CE and 620 CE.
Nedumaran Pandiyan - Credited with the construction of Nelaippar temple in Thirunelveli.
Raja Raja Cholan - Considered as one of the greatest Chola kings, Raja Raja Chola reigned between 985 CE and 1014 CE. He undertook several expeditions within India and Srilanka and expanded the Chola kingdom. He is well known for constructing the Brihadeeshwarar temple at Thanjavur. He is also believed to have saved the early Shaivite texts from being lost. Record keeping during his reign took leaps and bounds.
Raja Raja Chola fresco in Thanjavur temple:
Brihadeeshwarar temple:
Rajendra Cholan - Rajendra Cholan is the son of Raja Raja Cholan who expanded Chola territory and influence far beyond Tamil Nadu. Like his father, he undertook many expeditions and won them all. He constructed a town and a temple much like the Brihadeeshwarar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram to celebrate his successful campaign to the Ganges plains.
You can read more about these kings and others here.
Eight significant archaeological findings:
1. Sembiyan Kandiyur - Hand ax with Indus script discovered in Tamizhakam.
2. Adichanallur - A layered burial site situated on the banks of river Thamirabharani. The older burial layer is dated to 1800 BCE and the later burial layer is dated to 500 BCE. The later urn burials also have Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions. More than over 5500 artifacts have been unearthed so far.
3. Korkai - An ancient port town of the Pandyas that was active during the Sangam period. It also served as the capital of Pandyas at various times. Like Adhichanallur, it is situated in the banks of river Thamirabharani. Mentioned by Ptolemy and Periplus. Charcoal samples found at the site are dated to 785 BCE.
4. Keezhadi - A sophisticated town from the sangam period. It is situated close to Madurai, shows Harappan like town planning with houses laid out in a grid with proper drainage systems. Some of the artifacts unearthed during the recent excavations have been dated to 200 BCE.
Amarnath Ramakrishna, the ASI archaeologist, who oversaw the excavations at Keezhadi believes that this is just the tip of the iceberg and tens if not hundreds of settlements along the Vaigai river is waiting to be discovered.
5. Azhagankulam - Another site found on the banks of river Vaigai dated to the 1st century BCE. About 12,000 artifacts have been discovered over 7 seasons of excavations.
6. Porunthal - Excavations at Palani near Porunthal has yielded the oldest Indian inscription - an inscription in Tamil-Brahmi dated to 490 BCE. It predates the Ashokan-Brahmi inscriptions dated to 275 BCE which was considered the oldest till now. This discovery vindicates some epigraphists like T.N. Subramaniam, Dr. Gift Sironmoney and Richard Salomon who suggested that Ashokan-Brahmi adopted Brahmi writing system from Tamil Brahmi[38].
7. Kodumanal - An industrial complex dating to the 3rd and 2nd century BCE. Has been a treasure trove of artifacts and has yielded both Tamil Brahmi and Prakrit Brahmi inscriptions. Signs of an important trading centre within the country.
8. Arikkamedu - An ancient port city from the sangam period that traded with Romans.
Seven large river systems:
These seven major river systems played a key role in ancient Tamil settlements. Though many have been reduced to seasonal rivers due to changing climate patterns, excessive and illegal sand mining, etc, they were once perennial and that is evidenced by the number of settlements around these rivers.
Thamirabharani - Possibly has the oldest settlements in Tamizhakam. Excavations at Adichanallur and Korkai attest to this.
Vaigai - Inseparable with the Pandyas. Contains many sangam era sites on its banks. Madurai is the largest among them.
Kaveri - Early and medieval settlement of Cholas are on found on the banks of this river. Trichy, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, and Chidambaram are some large historic centers.
Then Pennar - Early Chola and Pallava settlements.
Palar - Early and medieval Pallava settlements.
Periyar - Chera and Ay settlements.
Bharatpuzha - Athiyaman settlements
Six distinct periods:
Prehistoric (Before 2000 BCE), Pre-Sangam(2000 BCE to 300 BCE), Sangam (300 BCE to 300 CE), Post Sangam (300 CE to 700 CE), Medieval (700 CE to 1500 CE), Modern (After 1500 CE). Some prehistoric, pre-sangam and sangam period archaeological finds from Tamizhakam. This is not an exhaustive list. This is a list that can quickly verified on the internet.
Source and exhaustive lists here[43][44][45][46].
Five historic cities:
Madurai - Oldest city in south India that has at least 2500 years of history. Capital of the Pandyas. Home to the world famous Meenakshi Amman temple. Malik Kafur laid the city to waste in the 14th century and most of the structures that stand today are Nayak remnants.
Thanjavur - Believed to have existed during the Sangam period (Cholas by KAN. Sastri), Thanjavur rose to prominence in the 9th century CE when medieval Cholas made it their capital. Since the 9th century, the city has been the embodiment of Tamil art.
Kanchipuram - Inhabited since the 4th/3rd century BCE, Kanchipuram gained prominence in the 6th century CE when the Pallavas made it their capital. At its peak, Kanchipuram was one of the most important trading, political and cultural centre in south India and like the rest of the cities in this list is inhabited.
Muziris - An ancient sea port, now lost, was Tamizhakam’s connection with the middle east and Greek and Roman empires. It was an important port in the silk route, traded in spices and precious stones.
Poompuhar - An ancient port, now lost to floods, was a once a flourishing trade centre. The city finds a place in sangam literature and Silapathikaram, one of the five great epics of Tamil literature. The city was known for being planned well and religious harmony despite many religions thriving in the area.
Four architectural marvels:
Keezhadi - A sophisticated civilization from 200 BCE.
Brihadeeswarar temple and Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple - For their unique architecture and grandeur.
Ramanathaswamy temple, Rameshwaram - Exemplifies Dravidian temple architecture.
Mamallapuram sculptures - Exquisite sculptures carved with great precision and beauty.
Three major dynasties:
Pandyan - Possibly the longest reigning dynasty in India[55], the Pandyan dynasty was founded before 300 BCE and continued to rule on till 1700 CE with some interregnums. Had Korkai, Thirunelveli and Madurai as their capital. Patrons of Tamil language. The language grew leaps and bounds during their reign. They are also credited with holding a Tamil sangam dedicated to the language itself.
Cheran - Ruled parts of modern day Kerala from at least 300 BCE to 500 AD and then again from the 8th century till the end of 13th century. Were well known traders. Had ties with Greek and Romans.
Cholan - Another mighty empire that ruled for long over parts of Tamil Nadu from at least 300 BCE. During the medieval period between 800 CE and 1200 CE, they were very powerful and commanded over the large navy fleets and conquered vast territories. They also excelled in art and culture witnessed by the magnificent temples they built.
The cap of 300 BCE comes from the earliest mention of Chera, Chola and Pandyas in Girnar edict of Ashoka dated to 257 BCE. By the time, all the dynasties were well established and Pandyas are the considered the oldest among the three.
Two ancient civilizations:
Vaigai-Thamirabharani civilization - The two lifelines of the ancient Tamilakkam. The older cities like Adichanallur, Korkai are on the banks of Thamirabharani. While cities dating to 500 BCE are found on the banks of Vaigai. The two rivers played a major role in the Pandyan kingdom.
Kaveri-Then Pennar civilization - The lifelines and Cholas and Pallavas. Fertile lands and these perennial rivers played a key role in the success of Cholas.
One beautiful language:
Tamil - Has epigraphic continuity from 490 BCE, even before Prakrit. Possibly oldest Spoken language in India. Need I say more?
Note: Malayalam evolved from Proto-modern-Tamil sometime in the 8th/9th century. Since then, kings who reigned over modern day Kerala also patronized Malayalam before it will fully embraced a century or two later.
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