namaste shrI Sarma and others.
Here is my take on the informative points you have made in post 138:
• The article on the Ajivika Sect makes interesting reading, but I don't think the rulers of the KaLapirar/Kalabhras age would have been Ajivikas for the simple reason that for the practitioners of this sect 'strict nakedness' was required!
• According to most scholars, the Kalabhras were a clan of many tribal groups as I have already pointed out. Many scholars are also of the opinion that it was during their period that the Jaina-Bauddha religions took root in Tamizhagam. Among the authors of the 18 texts composed during this period, many are Jain poets.
• It seems that the culture of these poets, which probably influenced their Kalabhra rulers as you said, was in many ways different from the Tamizh culture of the Sangham period.
VidvAn M.NArAyaNa VeluppiLLai, in his brief work of introducing these 18 texts says that practices such as eating the flesh of animals, consumption of toddy, and enjoying the company of prostitutes, which are abundantly talked about in the Sangham literature, are criticised in the nIti-nUlgaL, which is obvious, so,
there is the possiblity that these dharma texts were written to influence the people towards the Jaina religion.
• As for the probability that the period of the Kalabhras described as the dark age is only a ploy to advance 'the Tamil antiquity', I think this may not be the case, mainly because the Sangham period is generally accepted to be much earlier to the age of Christ, whereas the Kalabhras period is only between 300 CE and 600 CE or so.
*****
Here are
some points to ponder as to the time of the Sangham and post Sangham literature:
•
BrahmashrI GaNeshaiyar, whose commentary on
TolkAppiyam is based on
NachchinArkkiniyar's commentary, was published by shrI
NA.Ponnaiah in 1952. In that work he says, showing literary evidences, that TolkAppiyam was written at
KapATapuram during the time of the
IDaichchangam, which would advance TolkAppiyar's time well before the time of the MahAbhArata, at least by
12,000 years from now (*1).
• I said earlier that of the 18 post Sangham texts, 12 were nIti-nULgaL, following Mu.Va.'s statement in his book on the History of Tamizh literature. A glance at VeluppiLLai's brief work mentioned above, however, shows that only
11 were dharma texts and the remaining seven were exposition of the aham-puRam life after the style of the Sangham literature, albeit in shorter verses.
• Unlike many of the Sangham texts, however,
only two of these seven texts give some hints at kings who ruled during that time:
KaLavazhi nARpadu speaks about the victory of
Chozhan ChenkaNAn over the
Chera king KaNaikkAl IrumpoRai.
Pazhamozhi nAnURu is said to have references about the kings KarikAl chozhan, Chembian, KezhukuTTuvan, Manu-nIti chozhan, PAri, Beghan, and the ItihAsa/PurANa personalities BalarAman, PANDavas, Dharman, KaNNapirAn, MahAbali, and the god Shiva.
• The historical periods of these two kings are (*2):
Chozhan ChenkaNAn (150-180 CE), ChEramAn KaNaikkAl IrumpoRai (160-180 CE). This means that the text
KaLavazhi nARpadu by poet PoigaiyAr should have been written during this time.
As an aside, I remember having read in my school days that when this Chera king IrumpoRai was in the Chozha prison, he wanted to drink some water one day. The guard brought water in a kuvaLai--tumbler, and kept it near the king noisily, some water spilling onto the floor. The King being a mAnasthan--a man of dignity, did not drink the water offered to him with disrespect, and gave up his life.
• The author of
Pazhamozhi nAnURu, named
MunRuRai AraiyanAr, is himself believed to be a king or atleast a chieftain (and believed by some scholars to be a Jain). In verse 21, he refers to how the ancient
Chozha king KarikAl PeruvaLatthAn (450-380 BCE) disguised, who ascended to the throne in young age, disguised himself as an old man to give verdict to a dispute.
In this verse, the author highlights the proverb: "குலவிச்சை கல்லாமல் பாகம் படும்--kulavichchai kallAmal bhAgam paDum--the family occupation is sure to come naturally to a member of the family".
• The chieftains adored in Sangham classics--
PAri known for donating his chariot to a creeper and
Bhegan known for covering a dancing peacock with his shawl are referred to in the verse 361:
"முல்லைக்குத்தேரும் மயிலுக்குப் போர்வையும் ... அறிமடமும் சான்றோர்க்கு அணி--mullaikkutthErum mayilukkup pOrvaiyum ... aRimaDamum chAnROrkku aNi".
• The king
PoRkai PANDiyan (between 300-475 CE) is referred to in verse 102 by the epithet "தவற்றை நினைத்துத்தன் கைகுறைத்தான் தென்னவன்--tavaRRai ~ninaitthutthan kaikuRaitthAn tennavan".
This righteous king was in habit of going round disguised in the streets of his city at night-time. One day, he heard a a man and woman talking in a low tone inside a closed door. He knew that the man of the house was away, so on suspicion he knocked the door. When the male voice from within called, "Who's that?", the king understood that it was after all the husband, so he knocked the door of all houses in the street and ran away.
The next morning, people of the street complained to him in his court that a thief had knocked the door of their houses the previous night. When the King asked them about the punishment that could be given if the thief was caught, they said the right hand of the thief that knocked the doors should be severed. Forthwith the King drew his sword and severed his right hand, to the shock of the people, and explained the incident. The people arranged for a golden hand to be fixed to the stump of the right hand, and thus the King came to be known as 'Porkai PANDiyan'.
•
Chozha king Chembian or Sibi chakravarti is referred to in verse 49 as "வீங்குதொள் செம்பியன்--vI~gguthoL chembiyan". This King is referred to BrahmANDa PurANam as having campaigned against RAvaNa to help the Devas.
• The legendary king
Manu-nIti chozhan (2nd century BCE) is referred to in verse 93 in the words "கறவைக்கன்று ஊர்ந்தானைத் தன்தையும் ஊர்ந்தான்--kaRavaikkanRu Ur~ndAnait thandaiyum Ur~ndAn".
• Verse 316 in the words, "தொடுத்த பெரும்புலவன் சொற்குறை தீர--toDuttha perumpulavan choRkuRai thIra", refers to the
Chera King Chelkezhu kuTTuvan (270-245 BCE), who fulfilled the wish of his poet PAlai GautamanAr to perform a Veda yajna which would fetch suvargam--heavens, for him and his relatives, after death.
All such historical references must be researched properly to arrive at the correct period of the Sangham and post Sangham literature.
Ref:
1.
Tholkappiam - Ezhuthathikaram
2. List of Tamil kings
List of Tamil kings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia