Part 1 - The Kaveri Delta and the Cholas (introduction)

The structure of early medieval kingship found in Kaveri valley is generally could be defined as an image carefully constructed by the king and his court. This projection of kingship depicted in contemporary literatures and prasastis mainly in Sanskrit and Tamil, also in secondary writings of C. Minakshi and T.V. Mahalingam^[1] . This image making process comprises of several aspects, like origin myths, dynastic traditions, genealogies, etc. these are often proved to be useful to validate the dynastic rule, the elevation of the reigning king into Ksatriya status, building his image as Chakravartin or as a warrior-hero, a protector or fountain-head of all sects, as a benevolent donor, as striking divine figure and chief sponsor of arts and culture. Most of these factors definitely owe its influence from the brahmanical Sanskrit literature but with additional qualities of local culture or tradition from Sangam literature. Kings connections with his early lineages and mythical ancestor and its homeland, are commonly associated with the Sangam heritage.^[2]

The Tirukkural or Kural, also known as Tamil Veda^[3] , authored by Tiruvalluvar, in fifth or sixth century A.D. is considered as the best work on politics in classical Tamil. K.A. Nilakantha Sastri seems that ‘no better method can be availed of to understand the nature of Tamil monarchy in the period than to discuss some of the salient statements of Tiruvalluvar on the subject.’^[4]

The very first couplet of the Porutpal, dealing with king and the state.

He who possesses all these sixth things, an army, a people, wealth, ministers, friends or allies, and fort is a lion among the kings. (381)^[5]

It differs from his earlier commentators like Kautilya, Yajnavalkyasmrti, Kamandakiyanitisara, by mentioning six other limbs as subject to the king. K.A. Nilakantha Sastri opines that it ‘introducing a slight but significant change’.^[6] He added some indispensible qualities of the king like fearlessness and wisdom. Tiruvalluvar’s political philosophy depicted in section aram (virtue) and in Porutpal. The king's (i.e. the state's) function was to unquestionably implement aram or dharma; to protect those who followed its command and penalize those who did not. The king could not legislate against aram and call his laws aram. The king was a human agent for implementing the supra-human aram against its negative counterpart maram (vice).

It could be said that the Arthasastra and Nitisastra were different from the Dharmasastrs in as much as they are not codes of morals but deal in the main with action in practical politics and the ways of the ordinary affairs of daily life.

Both Kautilya and Yajnavalkya gave preference to Dharmasastrs over danda (punishment) niti (justice) and said that when there was conflict the dharma should prevail.

Tiruvalluvar might have been influenced by the contemporary socio-cultural milieu and the process of change due to northern culture and religions. It also creates debate among scholars that the Sangam era was war-like, violent, and amoral. Burton Stein argues that by the influence of Jainism the post Sangam age become moral. B. Stein farther added, the so called Sangam literature, are the works of illiterate bards, and all these primitive and rough works were refined by the learned poets (pulavan) of 5^th 6^th century A.D.^[7] But Zvelebil and Hart, were of view that these orally composed and highly sophisticated poems in later centuries up to 8^th century A.D.^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

C. Minakshi; Administration and Social Life under the Pallavas, Madras, 1938, 1977; and T.V. Mahalingam; South Indian Polity, University of Madras, 1967.

[2]:

Discussion of this connectivity found in Thomas R. Trautmann, ‘Traditions of Statecraft in Ancient India’, in R.J. Moore, (ed.) Traditions and Politics in South Asia, New Delhi, 1979, p.102

[3]:

Known also as Uttravetam (The ultimate Veda), Poyyamoli (The false-less word), Teyvanul (The divine book), Potumarai (The common Veda), Muppal (The three-fold path), and Tamilmarai (The Tamil Veda).

[4]:

K.A.N. Sastri, The Colas, 1975, Madras, p.67

[5]:

W.H. Drew & John Lazarus, Tirukkural, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 1991

[6]:

K.A.N. Sastri, op.cit., p.66

[7]:

B. Stein, All the Kings Mana, pp. 3, 10, 11

[8]:

K.V. Zvelebil, The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India, E.J. Brill, Leiden, 1973, 23 ff; G. L. Hart, The Poems of Ancient Tamil: Their Milieu and their Sanskrit Counterparts, University of California Press, 1975, 147 ff