Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s27.t4.5

c23.s27.t4.5

There was no priestly hierarchy in early Tamil society with vested interest in maintaining the oral tradition or discouraging writing after its advent.¹ Learning does not seem to have been the prerogative of any particular class like the scribes or priests. This is clearly shown by the wide diversity in the social status of the nearly five hundred poets of the Caṅkam Age, among whom were princes, monks, merchants, bards, artisans and common people.² Quite a few of them were women. We have earlier noticed the evidence of the inscribed sherds for widespread literacy in the rural areas and among the common people.