A Historical Wakeup Call
Arjun Muruganantham
Renowned linguist Kamil Zvelebil asserts that “Tamil civilization is the last surviving classical civilization in the world.” Tamils should feel pleased that their civilization is the oldest classical one still in existence. Why is it vital for Tamil people to reflect on the past? Let’s go back in time and examine the events of the past 500 years. During this time, Tamils were held as slaves by the Portuguese, Marathas, French, British, and Vijayanagara Empire. Therefore, in order to comprehend the true history of the Tamil people, we will go back in time and examine a few historical events that occurred prior to 1500 AD. We will also discuss the reasons why Tamil people should be proud of their historical heritage.
What is the best source to study history? Should we read it from books? Obviously, yes, but where do the books obtain their references? The majority of us rarely ask this crucial question. It is best for us to read history from books that provide inscription references. What are these stone inscriptions, and why should we believe them, before we continue? Stone inscriptions are the primary source of history for Tamil’s. Let’s examine an example and discuss the significance of stone inscriptions for historical research.
During their reign, the British published a report known as the Gazetteers, which is a treasure trove of information about events that took place in India. Tanjore Big Temple was constructed in 1080 AD by Kulothunga Chozhan, according to the Tanjore Gazetteer published by Venkasami in 1863, page 740. You will be astounded when you read that because, as we all know, Raja Raja Chozhan was the one who actually built it. Thus, how can we be certain that Raja Raja Chozhan was the builder of the Tanjore Big Temple? We discovered that the Tanjore Big Temple was constructed by Raja Raja Chozhan when German epigraphist Eugen Julius Theodor Hultzsch demonstrated that the lettering on the walls was not some design or decoration but rather true Tamil phrases that revealed Tamil’s history. Hultzsch perused the inscription found within the walls of the Tanjore Big Temple, which unequivocally stated that the temple was constructed by none other than the Great Emperor Raja Raja Chozhan. Pāṇṭiya kulācani Vaḷanāṭṭur Tañcāvūr kūṛṛattu tañcāvūr nām eṭuppicca tirukkaṛṛali Sri Rājarājīsvaram uṭaiyārkku.”
Let’s examine a few more instances to demonstrate why history should be understood from inscriptions rather than from the dreams or imaginations of individuals.
Let us look at an example of a stone inscription from the temple near Thiruvaiyaru called Thirupazhanam.
Thus, it is evident from the inscription that twelve individuals were designated by the temple management to sing the sacred hymns of Tiruvācagam and Tēvāram. But how is this any different from the selection of individuals to sing Tiruvācagam and Tēvāram in other temples? Hold on to it. Twelve persons who were completely blind were chosen to sing the holy hyms of Tiruvācagam and Tēvāram. It’s true that those chosen to sing the heavenly songs were visually impaired. This took place under Āditya Chola I’s rule. Now consider this for a brief moment. The Tamil rulers of almost a millennium ago considered ways to empower the visually impaired and taught them the sacred songs of Tiruvācagam and Tēvāram. Some fascinating information is also revealed by the stone inscription, which mentions two KaṇKāṭṭikals who were assigned to assist the twelve blind individuals. In Tamil, KaṇKāṭṭikal translates to “who guided the twelve visually impaired individuals.” They assisted them with their daily tasks as well as the transportation to the Temple. The Stone inscription contains a list of all the donations that were given to these individuals. Some may argue that this is an isolated incidence and that we shouldn’t be excited about it. However, this is not an isolated incidence. Tamil history records two instances of this. A second stone inscription, discovered 250 years after the Thirupazhanam stone inscription, describes sixteen blind individuals who were chosen to perform the holy songs of Tēvāram and Tiruvāsagam. This took place under Kulothunga Chozhan’s rule. Once more, the word “KaṇKāṭṭikal’s” refers to the individuals who assisted these 16 visually impaired individuals by acting as guides. One of the greatest achievements in Tamil history is the provision of jobs and benefits to those who are visually handicapped.
Let’s now examine another example from an inscription found on a stone. The stone inscription describes about a Paraiyar who resided in Chaturvedimangalam. What makes this inscription so unique? Chaturvedimangalam is regarded to be a residential area for individuals who have studied all four vedas. Thus, the prevailing belief was that those units were inhabited exclusively by Brahmins. However, it is quite evident from this stone inscription — which was carved by a Paraiyar — that he lives in Chaturvedimangalam. Yezhisai Moga Padaichan is his name. The complete phrase from the stone. inscription is provided below: Jeyamkoṇṭa Chōla caturvēdimangalattu tenkuṭākai maṇar-kuṭiyilirukkum ūr paraiyan maṇṭai Cōmanāna ēlicai mōhappaṭaiccan.”
In the text above, he also states that he is an ūr-paraiyan (ஊHg;பiwad;). He had access to estate and property, as indicated by the phrase “oor paraiyan.”
Another significant stone inscription from the Thanjavur temple’s walls provides more significant information. It discusses a donation made to the Thanjavur main temple by a person by the name of Gothanda Raman. What makes him unique? In addition to being the emperor Raja Raja Chozhan’s personal aide, he is a member of the Paraiyar caste. You read it correctly: a member of the Paraiyar caste served as the great emperor Raja Raja Chozhan’s personal assistant.Thiruvaaikelvi is the Tamil phrase for a personal assistant (Thiruvāykēlvi). Additional inscriptions mention Thiruparaiarivu, hence parai music should be played to start the procession as it leaves the temple. Tamil people viewed the parai isai as superior parai music since the word “thiru” signifies superior.
The big temple in Thanjavur also discusses the different gifts that Raja Raja Chozhan gave to his subjects. The Chozha family meticulously measured everything, including the land. These inscriptions contain a list of numerous village names and the different endowments made by the great emperor. It makes obvious that it discusses two distinct kinds of activities. In one case, the lands were subject to taxes, whereas in the other case, tax exemptions were given. Let me give you an example from a specific village that discusses tax exemptions given to different kinds of land:
1. Tax exemption provided to canals; 2. Tax exemption provided to grazing lands; 3. Tax exemption provided to temples; 4. Tax exemption provided to Paraicheri; 5. Tax exemption provided to kammālacheri and 6. Tax exemption provided to navithacheri.
If you look at point 4,5 and 6 you see that tax exemption was provided to peoples where Paraiyars lived.Let’s now pause to consider the definition of the term Cheri. While the term “Cheri” may have bad connotation today, a millennium ago it was a term used to describe cohabitation. There are numerous stone inscriptions which talks about ParpananaCheri, meaning brahmins living together, and YavanCheri, meaning Yavanargal(the Greeks) living together. So the negative connotation cannot be applied to the word Cheri 1000 years ago.
Now getting back to the topic of the tax exemption that was provided by the emperor Raja Raja Chozhan, we can see that the people who were the Pariahs, Kammalars (artisans), and navithars (marutthuvar) were all given tax exemption for the land they were living in. There is not even a single stone inscription that claims Raja Raja Chozhan encroached the lands of people and gave it to Brahmins. This is a clever tactics used by vested interests to smear campaign the Tamil’s history.
Let’s now discuss women’s situation prior to 1500 AD. Professor of Religions and Cultures at Concordia University in Canada, Leslie Orr, is the author of the wonderful book Donors, Devotees, and Daughters of God. This book, which is essentially a research paper, is the result of her examination of over 304 stone inscriptions from the Chozha period. It is evident from these inscriptions how history and the position of women in the Temple are determined. We can plainly observe from the evidence in the book that women were among the primary contributors to the temples and had access to land. A specific inscription from Uthira Mērūr (A.R.259 of 1909) mentions a female judge. This specific inscription also mentions the donation she made to the Uthiramerur temple. One of the significant pieces of information supplied by the stone inscriptions is the estate property possessed by brahmin women. The author makes it rather evident that approximately 11% of the stone inscriptions discuss Brahmin women’s property rights and temple offerings. therefore this was something that was exclusive to Tamil Nadu.
After reading the entire article, you’ve probably concluded that there is nothing to be ashamed of Tamil history. Renowned Japanese linguist Susumu Ohno asserts that Tamil was the source of the Japanese language before 2,000 years ago. It is imperative that Tamils study our past to understand our true identity. We must read our history and learn from the mistakes that have scared us in the past because history repeats itself. The author expresses gratitude to Mr. Kudavayil Balasubramaniam, whose writings have been cited. He’s a live authority on Chozha history as well as a well-known epigraphist and archaeologist. I am also grateful to the Cenkanthal Board for providing me with this writing opportunity.
(As an architect for a Fortune 500 company in the US, Arjun Muruganantham is a software engineer by trade. He studies Tamil and has a strong curiosity for the language’s true past. He enjoys reading stone inscriptions a lot. In addition, he is a student who has a strong interest in machine learning and artificial intelligence. His video logs can be followed on YouTube by searching for Thamizhar Oodagam.)
