Invension not required but just try to restore our heritage systems.
Ancient Irrigation Dams :
Tamils of the Sangam period had a great attraction towards river vallies. They had their settlements on the banks of the perennial rivers and established their important towns, cities and capitals there. In harnessing the natural resources, they have made Herculean attempts to control the floods and preserve the excess water for the cultivation of crops throughout the year. They have constructed huge dams and large lakes. Dravidians (Tamils) were responsible for the significant achievenments of India in the art of constructing irrigational dams and canals throughout India.
The observations of a German researcher of Hydraulics deserve special mention here. "A very highly astonishing discovery of recent research is the remains of irrigation works in South East Africa" observes Dr. H.W. Flemming, and says that "it wo'nt belong to the cultural influence of Egypt. The high culture of the Indian Dravidians who were pushed South by the Indo-Germans had enough initiative, once upon a time to penetrate into the South-East of Africa to build magnificient irrigation works there."
There is a poem in Purananuru, which expresses the appeal of a poet to the Pandya King Neduncheliyan, the victor of Talaiyalankanam. The poet advises the king to construct irrigation tanks wherever possible to help the peasants and to improve the prosperity of the kingdom. This poem serves as an unfailing witness to the irrigational works of the ancient Tamils.
Edited from The Contribution of the Ancient Tamils to the Civilisation and Culture of the world - K.D. THIRUNAVUKKARASU Full text can be send through mail
The Contribution of the Ancient Tamils to the Civilisation and Culture of the world - K.D. THIRUNAVUKKARASU
Culture has been defined as the pusuit of perfection, which is the embodiment of sweetness and light. Culture reveals the various stages in the "development of an individual, a group or class or of a whole society".
Tamil culture, which is one of the ancient cultures of the world, discloses some of the significant characteristics of human mind and its longing for the liberation of mankind from the trammels of death and destruction.
Scholars have given due recognition to the role of Tamil culture in the formation of Indian civilization. Dr. S.K. Chatterji remarks that "In culture, speaking of the Indian way, one may say that over twelve annas (75 paise) in the rupee is of tamil origin".
In another context he points out that the Tamil is the most important of the non-Vedhic elements in the civilization of India; and the basic culture of India is certainly over 50% Tamil although expressed in the main through the Sankrit language.1
The Tamils were a mighty race who could feel proud of a culture and civilization exclusively their own and of great antiquity. Even after centuries of contact with the Vedhics, the Tamils maintained to a considerable extent their independent culture, which appears to have survived even today. This is strongly borne out by the Sangam literature. The Sangam works, no doubt reveal some of the cultural traits of the Vedhics that have been assimilated into the fold of Tamil culture. But one can trace the facets of the Culture of the Tamils which is easily noticeable in the poems of the Sangam literature.
In the light of the above obscrvations, a modest attempt is made to trace the significant aspects of Tamil Culture that have enriched the heritage of the culture and civilization of the world.
Five-fold division of the Landscape :
The physical texture of the ancient South Indian landscape with its mountains and rivers, and clearly defined contours have induced the Tamils to divide the landscape on the basis of geographical set up. The hilly tracts and the mountain regions are called Kurinchi; the forest tracts are known as Mullai; the fertile regions of the river-valleys are called Marutam; the littoral landscape of the seashores is known as Neytal and the waste land and the sandy desert are called Palai. This five fold division of the landscape gave an impetus to the development of Tamil Culture. Modern Scientific developments have shown that the influence of geography in determining the character and culture of a people could not be ignored.
The Tamil culture appears to have evoled in different shades and forms in these five-fold regions, which ultimately, reached its high water-mark in the river valleys.
The division of the landscape formed the basis for the ancient Tamil poetry which furnished its apodictic illustration of its independent origin and development. Only in the end of the 16th century, the Westerners have tried to classify the landscape into 5 regions.
Home, the Sweet home :
The basic unit of the ancient Tamil Society was the family. A gruoup of families constituted the different stratas of the Tamil society. Hence, the Household life of the Tamil people played a vital role in the development of Tamil culture. The pleasant domestic life has been idealised and glorified as a supreme state in the life of every human-being. Love and virtue are the essential qualities of the householders and they are considered as the symbol and fruit of the family life2. Among all those (who strive for future happiness) he is greatest who lead a happy family life3. This life has been extolled as the greatest virtue to be practised4.
The better-half of the man is acclaimed as the true partner in life who possesses all the wifely virtues and spends according to the income of her husband5. An excellent wife is a blessing to the home and that has bearing the good childern is its precious ornament6. The wife has been extolled as the "Illuminator" of the family7.
The acquisition of intelligent children has been considered as the greatest blessings in the life of a man8. There are number of fascinating pictures of the sweet home in the Sangam literature which bear ample testimony to the significance attached to the family life.
The duties of the domestic life have been portrayed in the following terms;
"Showering presents to the goodmen, Honouring the ascetics and the righteous, Entertaining guests, friends and relatives, Are the sacred duties of the noble Householders".9
There seems to have been a popular saying about the Tamils of the Sangam age, that those are the fortunate parents, who won lasting fame in this as well as in the next world by having a son; they are the most blessed10.
These cherished ideals of the sweet home reveals the eagerness and attachment of the ancient Tamils to the house-hold life which has been called Illaram, i.e., righteous married life.
One could not find a parallel to this type of reverance and respect shown to the family life in any other ancient civilizations of the world.
Hospitality :
"what for the wise toil and set up homes? It is to feed the guest and help the strangers"11
There is hardly any reference to the act of hospitality as a sacred duty of the householder as it was practised by the Tamils in any other countries of the ancient days.
Use of Flowers :
Ancient Tamils were known for their love towards flowers. They said it with flowers not only in love but also in war, in friendship, in hospitality and even in the relief of poverty and want. When strangers passed through a village, they were offered flowers as a sign of extending warm welcome to them.12 The bards adorned their musical instruments with garlands of flowers.
Mullai, a variety of jasmine has been considered as a symbol of chastity. Not only the girls and married ladies adorned their hair do's with flowers but also the males used to wear the strings of flowers in their tufts.
Thanks for this article. Prof.Devaneya Pavanar identified the root word for Rudra as "Uruthal" in Tholkapiam. Tamil Akarathi gives the meaning of "Uruthal" as "Sinam Kolluthal". The word "Uruthal" was used for mentioning "thinai" for "Marutham" land. It goes like this: