At a time when caste is all pervasive in Tamil society, a new book by V.S. Rajam, former professor of the Pennsylvania University, said the ideas of caste discrimination and untochability find no reference in Sangam Tamil literature.
“I could not find casteism and untouchability in Sangam literature, but found them only in the commentaries on Silapathikaram by Adiyarkku Nallar and U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer and Nammazhawar’s Thiruvaimozhi ,” she has said in her forthcoming book Sanga Ilakkiyangalil Saathi, Theendami, Inna pira (Caste, Untouchability etc., in Sangam Literature).
Read more in the Hindu
Amarasiri / October 3, 2015
RE:Early Tamil Society Was Free Of Caste
“At a time when caste is all pervasive in Tamil society, a new book by V.S. Rajam, former professor of the Pennsylvania University, said the ideas of caste discrimination and untochability find no reference in Sangam Tamil literature.”
“I could not find casteism and untouchability in Sangam literature, but found them…”
So Casteism is another import by the Paras..
Native Veddah Aethho do not have casteism, thy all are Native Veddah Aethho..
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Off The Wall / October 3, 2015
Sangam Literature doesn’t speak about patriarchy, women’s enslavement, child marriage, Sati, female infanticide, slave labour either. It must have been a state of innocence and bliss. It was an Edenic existence in ancient Tamil Nadu. All bad things started happening only later…all because of aliens.
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Uthungan / October 3, 2015
Sati was a North Indian practice and was prevalent in Rajastan among the Hindu nobility and was a custom when a King was defeated in battle his wife in order to being taken as a slave by the victor, mounted her husband’s funeral pyre. It had nothing to do with the Hindu religion and it was not prevalent in South India.The custom was abolished by the British. It was Raja Rajmohan Roy who played an important role in having the system finally abolished. But in spite of all that even recently during the end of the last century an incident of sati was reported somewhere in rural Rajastan where the BJP’s it’s extremist fellow side kicks like the Bajran Dal etc., have influence.
It is these fascistic tendencies that have been recently responsible for the murder of rationalist intellectuals like Naredar Dablokar and others.
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Mallaiyuran / October 3, 2015
Well truth about the Tamils life has to come out. Varna and Sathee are two different aspects. Sathee( or the class) did not had level difference. It was only job class. Varna did not have job, though people misunderstand of it. It is pure level difference by birth. It got mixed up only after Cholan Brought 3000 bramin to conduct puja at “Chidambaram”. From that time onward people got confused the Varna with the Sathee. The classic “Nandan” story is coming out only after that period. (Harichandra is not Tamil story, another one, confused Tamils proudly thinks as one of theirs)
In the olden classical cultures, Tamil was the only one maintained gender equality(or at least must be within two or three if there are any non famous classical cultures- Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Sanskrit based Nothern – none had like Tamils). Many Sagam poets were women. It is said even Tholhappiyar had at least two women classmates under his guru. There is no word for rape in Tamil(amazingly, still there is none). That practically did not exist. Thirukural, the first one gave the trend to religious writings, is talking about “Kalavozhukkam” as part of pre-marriage life. When the West with the Jesus was looking for the one to throw first stone, at same time, in Tamil Nadu “Chilappathikaram” is talking about a massive 7 days celebration of “Indravizha”, where apart from families are, a special area was allocated for youngsters. While Mathevies were adored Kanakies were celebrated too. It is an amazing coexistence and tolerance of Tamils nature to build houses in the same neighbourhood for both of them. Modern Tamil writers are cowards. They are not ready to bring out what an enriched and simple life is said in the Sangan poems as Tamils had in the Sagam period.
Modern Tamils are confused between the western civilised manners and Eastern caste based Zamindar behaviours. When they get a government job they easily convinced that they are civilised Zamindars. They are not going to have the capacity to separate and understand the simplicity and bogus proudness for another 100 years. But unfortunately it is said the Language Tamil can last only for another 50 years. By that time the modern Tamils will have killed it which have existed for more than 5000 years on the earth.
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Analyst / October 3, 2015
Yes the Aliens who are those Aliens ? I tried to analyse once but CT forgot to publish it or deleted it conveniently.
The Portuguese came first with their missionaries in the pretext of spreading Christianity. They concentrated initially in the coastal areas of Srilanka. Allocated the locals to do various jobs . Thus a kind of caste system was initiated.
They also brought Africans from the eastern coast of Africa to help fight any invasions.
There were cohabitions with local women resulted in the formation of Potuguese decedents whom we see abundantly in Srilanka now .
The Dutch invasion followed and thrived for a short period.
The Portuguese also before they left our shores left something along with the Reigion something unforgettable, the disease we believe now extinct called Leprosy.
I believe the invaders were the architects of the caste system who nominated the locals to see to different jobs.
From Fishing , Farming, gravediggers, Clothes washers ( called Dhobies ) and so on. The names as Karawes ,and Govigamas among Singhala south to the North among the Tamils the Vellalas similar to Govi’s in the south ect ,the Toddy tappers ,clothes washers and so on . The caste system still exists in the North and the South ., and now differentiates the locals accordingly when it comes to Marriage proposals I believe.
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Jim softy / October 3, 2015
Early Tamil Society Was Free Of Caste
that is why Tamilnadu has Dalits;
and Sri lanka has Sambanthan as the TNA leader and Wiggi as the NPC leader.
Why don’t they appoint KAruna as the TNA leader and KP as the NPC leader ?
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