Discuss the nature of chiefdoms which evolved in Tamilakam in the early historic period.

 Nature of chiefdoms which evolved in Tamilakam in the early historic period:

Our knowledge about the chiefdoms of Tamilakam is almost entirely based on the Tamil heroic literature. That is very well justified, for the formation of chiefdoms in Tamilakam synchronises with the emergence of the Tamil heroic literary tradition. The Ashokan edicts of the 3rd century B.C. refer to the Tamil chiefdoms as the Ceras, Colas and Pandyas (Keralaputa, Coda and Pandya) apart from satiyaputa.

The allusions in the Tamil heroic literary compositions, Tamil brahmi label-inscriptions and Graeco-Roman geographers’ (Ptolemy and Pliny) accounts would have us believe that the Tamil chiefdoms existed from the second century B.C and lasted till the close of the third century A.D. Archaeology of the chiefdom level socio-economic processes goes further back in time to the mid first millennium B.C that witnessed the expansion of the iron using cultures, often distinguished by the megalithic monuments.

Scholars have indicated the overlap between the cultures represented by the megalithic burial as well as habitat relics and the cultures represented by the heroic poems. It makes little sense in distinguishing cultures as tagged to the source materials and naming them as megalithic culture,black and red ware culture, Sangam culture and so forth. Instead, one should be able to visualise a scenario of the co-existence and interaction of peoples of different means of subsistence and shared cultural practices.

There are different levels of chiefly power represented in the poems that give us some clues to the pattern of distribution of power from the simple to the complex along the small and big descent groups. The heroic poems unveil before us an active scenario of co-existence and interaction of these unevenly evolved chiefly systems.

They are mainly three: viz. the Kilar, Velir and Ventar systems. The kilar chiefs were hunter chiefs of the descent groups called vetar and kuravar. Like the Velir chiefs, the kilar chiefs were also hunter chiefs either of vetar or kuravar. Certain kilar are also mentioned to have held sway over agrarian tracts who were relatively more resourceful. Kilar were also local big men in agricultural settlements.

The level of power represented by the Velir seems to be the most archaic and lineage conscious. A chief called Irunkovel, (located in semi arid zone between the Kaveri and Vaigai Valleys) one of the traditional five vels is mentioned in a poem as vetarkoman, the chief of vetar, to have belonged to a long line of 49 generations of chiefs. The poems show that the Velir chieftains held sway over the Kurinji and mullai tracts, i.e. pastoral forest hills (malai).

They were hill chieftains heading mostly the descent groups called vetar, itaiyar and kuravar. Venkatamalai,Kantiramalai, Kollimalai, Mutiramalai, Kutiramalai, Parampumalai, Potiyilmalai, Payarmalai, Elilmalai and Najilmalai are the famous millet rich hill chiefdoms celebrated in the poems. Elilmalai was the most prominent hill chiefdom of Kerala and the lineage of Nannan, the hunter chief of vetar (vetarkoman) was related to that of the chiefs of Kantiramalai. Another chiefdom closely linked to the southern end of Kerala was Potiyilmalai. The poems celebrate the Ay as kuravarperumakan, the chief of kuravar in the hill called Potiyilmalai rich in honey, jack fruit, elephants and monkey.

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