Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s27.t6: 4.24.6 The consequences of literacy in early Tamil society

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s27.t6

Language: English

4.24.6 The consequences of literacy in early Tamil society

c23.s27.t6.1

There is little doubt that literacy transformed the early Tamil society in several ways yet to be fully evaluated. A preliminary listing of changes can be as follows.

(i) Transformation of tribal chieftaincies into states with more centralised administration; levy of taxes and tributes properly accounted for; and external relations based on written communications like treaties and trade contracts.

c23.s27.t6.3

(ii) Urbanisation of royal capitals, port towns and commercial centres.

c23.s27.t6.4

(iii) Temple administration based on written records including inscriptions.

c23.s27.t6.5

(iv) Increased foreign trade as evidenced by the occurrence of Tamil inscriptions in the Tamil-Brāhmī script in Roman settlements in Egypt to the west and Thailand to the east.

c23.s27.t6.6

(v) Democratisation of society and strengthening of local rule which came about with widespread literacy based on a simple quasi-alphabetic script and with the mother-tongue as the language of administration, learning and public discourse.

c23.s27.t6.7

(vi) An early efflorescence of Tamil language and literature leading to the truly great epoch of the 'Caṅkam Age' almost a thousand years before any other regional language in South India reached that level of development.