Space-time, Event and Expression in Early Tamil Texts

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to the compositions of early Tamil bards that have been compiled and reproduced as Akam and Puram texts. Several studies on the early Tamil texts have appeared from linguistic, cultural and historical perspectives, which have helped to provide valuable insights into structural and processual aspects of early Tamil society. Studies of Tinai and Turai have been central to such efforts. Arguments regarding Tinai as representative of social evolution have given way to efforts at understanding Tinai in terms of material culture and forms of ecological adaptation. The thematic character of turai has provided valuable insights into the processes at work within the social formations of early Tamilakam. The present article attempts to analyse one text of crucial importance to the discussion. Tolkappiyam is primarily a text on Tamil language and grammar, but its significance in understanding the society of early Tamils has long been recognised. It is also known that Porulatikaram in Tolkappiyam goes far beyond the conventional linguistic treatises in dealing with social processes. However, the text is not merely an exercise in social linguistics, but provides a comprehensive methodology in understanding early Tamil texts. The article argues that the methodology involves historical categories of space and time and formation of events that constitute the basis of literary expressions. It is argued that the context of introduction of these categories signifies major transformation in early Tamil society, which makes the composition of Tolkappiyam representative of changing social order.