Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c18.s2.t1.22

v2.c18.s2.t1.22

Since we know that the early and mediaeval canonists have nothing to say about the Right Hand and Left Hand Sections, we may dismiss the idea mentioned in the above account that there was any legal sanction behind the two divisions. From the foregoing *Kaifiyut*, which is obviously of the modern times,² as well as from the earliest account relating to the times of Kulōttuṅga Chōḷa III, we may suppose that the conflict arose round what was essentially a question of social etiquette and honours.¹ But we confess that it is impossible to find in what manner this problem was related to that of the intermixture of castes about which there is definite evidence in a record written in the Tamil-Grantha characters. This inscription, which is unfortunately effaced, informs us that the people registered the opinions of Gautama, Nārada, Yājñavalkya and other authorities regarding the origin, duties and privileges of certain mixed (*anulōma*) castes.² From the manner in which even the lowest castes are grouped together with the highest, it seems that the division of the people into the Right Hand and Left Hand sections was a sort of challenge to the ancient *varṇāśramas*, at least so far as petty social privileges were concerned. This explains why the Vaishṇava Brahmans are clubbed together with the Pariars who are called the Valangai-mattar or friends, the toddy-drawers, the Kannagiḍans, the Sāliyans, (weavers), the Kōmaṭi, and the Vellāḷans or agriculturists, in the Right Hand faction, and the Śaiva Brahmans, the Seṭṭis, the Paḷḷis, the Kammāḷans (or artisans) and the Chucklers, in the Left Hand division.³