Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s10: 1.10 Distribution of Early Tamil inscriptions
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s10
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1.10 Distribution of Early Tamil inscriptions
c20.s10.1
It is instructive to study the geographical distribution of Tamil-Brāhmī and Early Vaṭṭeḷuttu inscriptions with reference to the territorial divisions in ancient Tamil country (including present-day Kerala):
c20.s10.2
| Geographical Areas | Ancient Territorial Divisions |
| Northern region | Toṇṭai Nāṭu (later forming the nucleus of the Pallava Kingdom) |
| Southern region | Pāṇṭiya Nāṭu |
| Western region | Cēra Nāṭu (including Kerala and Koṅku Nāṭu) |
| Eastern region | Cōḻa Nāṭu |
c20.s10.3
The number of sites and inscriptions occurring in each region is shown in Table 1.¹.
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¹ For chronology of Early Tamil inscriptions, see section 2.16.
c20.s10.5
The most significant feature of the geographical distribution of the Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions is their heavy concentration in the southern region (Pāṇṭiya Nāṭu). Even within this region, all but two of the sites are clustered around Madurai within about a day's march from the city (see detail in Map IA). Another significant feature is that most of the Early Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions are also in the southern region and again mostly around Madurai. The evidence points to the creation of the Tamil-Brāhmī script at Madurai in the Pāṇṭiya kingdom sometime around the end of the 3rd century B.C. and its dissemination to other parts of the Tamil country shortly thereafter.
c20.s10.6
The western region (Cēra Nāṭu) accounts for the second highest number of sites with Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions. Here again it is significant that most of the inscriptions in this region (12 out of 21) come from Pugalur near Karur, the ancient Cēra capital. Another significant feature is that all but one inscription from this region belong to the Late Tamil-Brāhmī Period.
c20.s10.7
The northern region (Toṇṭai Nāṭu) has relatively fewer inscriptions and all but one of them belong to the Late Tamil-Brāhmī Period. One of the inscriptions occurs at Mamandur near Kanchipuram, the capital city of Toṇṭai Nāṭu (and later, of the Pallava kingdom).
c20.s10.8
The eastern region (Cōḻa Nāṭu) is represented by a solitary inscription of the Late Period from a single site (Tiruchirapalli near Uraiyur, the ancient Cōḻa capital). The absence of hills in the Cauvery delta does not fully account for the near-complete absence of Tamil-Brāhmī inscriptions from this region. Pottery inscriptions in the Tamil-Brāhmī script have been discovered only from two sites (Uraiyur¹ and Vallam²); other inscribed objects like coins, seals, rings, etc., with Tamil-Brāhmī legends have not so far been reported from the eastern region.
c20.s10.9
¹ K. V. Raman (ed.) 1988: p. 72, Fig. 24.