Vajiram and Ravi 29-09-2021

Lecture 3
Post-Mauryan Era 2
(200 BCE – 300 CE)
Nikhil Sheth
Vajiram and Ravi, 2021

Part I
Satvahanas
State-formation in Deccan for the first time

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Satvahanas – Framework

• State Formation
• Origin of Satvahanas
• Some important Kings
• Struggle with Shakas
• Aspects of Polity/Religion/Society/Economy

Puranas – 30 kings ruling for ~460 years

• Simuka
• Kanha
• Satkarni I – Naneghat Inscription of Queen Naganika
• Hala – 17th king
• Gautamiputra Satkarni (1st c CE) – Nashik Prashasti by Gautami Balashri
• Vashisthiputra Puluyami (mid 2nd c CE)
• Vashisthiputra Satkarni
• Yajnishri Satkarni

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Naneghat Inscription
World’s oldest 2, 4, 7, 9

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Nashik
Prashasti by
Gautami
Balashri

• "Success! In the nineteenth -19th- year of king Siri-Pulumayi Vasithiputra,……. the great queen Gotami
Balasiri,….. the mother of the king of kings, Siri-Satakani Gotamiputa,
• who was in strength equal to mount Himavat, mount Meru, mount Mandara; king of Asika, Asaka, Mulaka,
Suratha, Kukura, Aparanta, Anupa, Vidabha, Akaravanti; lord of the mountains Vindhya…... obeyed by the
circle of all kings on earth;
• whose face was beautiful and pure like the lotus opened by the rays of the sun; whose chargers had drunk
the water of three oceans; whose face was lovely and radiant like the orb of the full moon; whose gait was
beautiful like the gait of a choice elephant; whose arms were as muscular and rounded…………. who properly
devised time and place for the pursuit of the triple object (of human activity); who sympathised fully with
the weal and woe of the citizens;
• who crushed down the pride and conceit of the Kshatriyas; who destroyed the Sakas, Yavanas and Palhavas;
who never levied nor employed taxes but in conformity to justice; alien to hurting life even towards an
offending enemy; the furtherer of the homesteads of the low as well as of the twice-born; who rooted out
the Khakharata race; who restored the glory of the Satavahana family; whose feet were saluted by all
provinces; who stopped the contamination of the four varnas; who conquered multitudes of enemies in
many battles; whose victorious banner was unvanquished; whose capital was unassailable to his foes;
• …………. the fountain of good manners; the unique controller; the unique archer; the unique hero; the
unique Brahmana; in prowess equal to Kama, Kesava, Arjuna and Bhimasena; ……………
• ………lord of [Dakshina]patha, making over the merit of the gift to his father, grants to this meritorious
donation (vis. the cave) the village Pisajipadaka on the south-west side of mount Tiranhu.
• Renunciation to the enjoyments of every kind."

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Part II
Sangam (Chankam) Literature
Ancient Tamil Poetry – Oral Literature, Bardic Poetry

Three Sangams – • Classical Language

• Meaning of the term Sangam
Traditional Narrative • Dating
• Poets
• Nature – Bardic and oral

No Place Poets Years

1 Ancient Madurai 4440 4440
(now submerged)

2 Kapadapuram 3700 3700

3 Madurai 449 (473 1850

identified)

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• Sangam Era Literature (200 BCE - 300 CE)

Sangam Corpus • 18 Major works (Pathinen Melkanakku)
• 8 Anthologies (Ettutokoi)
• 10 Long Poems (Pattupattu)
• Tolkappiyam (Grammar work)
• Letters
Ezhuthu • Phonetics
• Post-Sangam Literature (300 CE – 600 CE)
• 18 Minor Works (Pathinen Kilkanakku)
• Words • Mostly Ethical Poetry
Chol • Syntax • Most Popular – Thirukkural
• Two Kavyas (Epics)
• Silappadikaram by Ilango Adigal
• Subject- • Manimekalai by Sattanar
Porul matter
• Poetics

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Tolkappiyam – Akam and Puram

Akam Puram
Poems
(interior/love/family) (war/heroic/material life)
Total Poems – 2381
(some are missing today) 1862 519
Varying lengths (3-800 lines)
5 (eg Akananuru) 2 (eg Purunanuru)
Ettutokoi (8 anthologies)
1 (Paripatal) is the mix of two
Pattupattu (10 long idylls) 3 7
Women’s world…!
The world of heroes
(Rule – no one to be named)
• 785 (girls’ speech)
• Gruesome wars, laying waste the
• 550 (heroine’s speech)
enemy territory
• 72 (mother’s voice)
• Bravery of kings and warriors
• 51 (concubine)
• Patronage and mutual dependency of
• 401 – Heroes or others not
kings-poets
explicitly women

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Tinai System of Classification

• First Theme
Mudhal
• Time/Space
• Seed Theme
Karu • Deity/Flora/Fauna/Drum/Music/Occu
pation
• Essential Theme
Uri
• The very essence of the poetry

• Tinai-Mayakkam complexity

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Tinai Ecozone Subsistance Uri

Hunting and Clandestine Meeting of

Kurinji Hills
Gathering the lovers

Hopeful Waiting of the

Mullai Dry Pastures Patoralism
wife
Agriculture (with
Fertile River Man’s infidelity and
Marutam plough and
Valley wife’s sulk
irrigation)

Akam Tinais Neital/Neytal

Coastal Fishing, salt-making
Wife’s anxious wait for
the return of her
Region etc
husband

Lover’s departure for

Arid/scrublan Cattle-raids, education or adventure
Palai
d waylaying of earning money
through wilderness

Two minor categories of “inferior love” –

Kilkkilai (one-sided, unrequited love) – only 4 poems
Perumthanai (excessive lust) – only 10 poems

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Tinai
Vetchi
Uri Theme
Capturing enemy cattle as a prelude to war
Puram Tinais
Karanthai Retrieval of cattle after enemy raid
Kanchi Invading the enemy • War themes
Ulaignai Encirclement of enemy fortifications • Puram as a residual category
Thumbai Waging a war • Barely ¼ of total - total of 519 poems –
but important for history
Vagai Celebrating war victory
Padan Glory in battle/charity/honour

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Modern Day Analysis

• Marxist Perspective – Uneven development of material progress
• Eco-criticism – study of relationship between literature and its physical environment
• Reconstruction of history from Puram poetry
• Alternative literary theory

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Sangam-era Polity
• Emerging state and Cheras Pandya Chola
monarchy
• Vendar, Velir and Kilar • Capital – Vanji • Capital – Madurai • Capital – Uraiyur
• Internecine conflicts and (Karuvar) • Port – Korkai • Port – Puhar
alliances
• Ports – Tondi, • Kings – (Kaveripattinam)
• Legitimsation bases Muziris Nedunjeliyan • Kings –
• Inscription – Titles (eg • Kings – (battle of • Ellara/Ellan
ko, kon)
• Udayinjeral, Talaiyanganam) (captures
• Sangam Poetry eulogy
• Vedic Sacrifices • Nedunjeral • Megasthenes Srilanka),
(extended upto comments – • Karikala (many
• Links with northern Epics
Himalayas), women, pearls heroic exploits,
• Patronage to deities
• Patronage to Jaina • Senguttuvan • Embassy to Roman battle of Vanni,
ascetics (greatest, started emperor Augustus founded Puhar,
Pattini cult) embankment on
Kaveri with
Srilankan slaves,
Kallinai dam)

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Sangam-era Society
• Social classification
• Varna system?
• Kuti – clan-based decent groups
• Warrior ethic
• Glory and fame
• Heroic death – spirit to heaven
• Natukal – memorial stones
• Death rituals – cutting body with marks to simulate battlefield
death
• Funerary practices – diversity (urn, cremation, exposure)
• Women – numerous references doing variety of work
• Vibrant literary culture, higher education (kattikati)

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Sangam Era – Aryanisation Debate

Mixed features – radically opposite views
Proponents of Sanskrit dominance Tamil Purists – hoary antiquity unsullied by
Magic touch of Sanskrit Sanskrit touch. Aryan element superficial

• Vedic ideas and institution • Animism dominant trend

• Deities (Shiva, Krishna-Mayon, Lakshmi-Tiru), ideas • Indigenous deities – Murugan (later
of karma, reincarnation, Rajasuya yajna Skanda-Kartikeya), Korravai (later Durga)
• Familiarity with Epic tradition • Indigenous war sacrifice – Marakkala
• Feeding the warring armies on Kurukshetra Velvi
• Madurai (sacred geography) • Worship of the dead heroes
• Historical connections • Caste distinction unknown
• Aware of fabulous Nanda wealth
• Tamil-Brahmi script
• Tolkappiyam – introduction of marriage ritual
• Establishment of Brahmanas (10% sangam poets) –
Sanskrit + Tamil conventions

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• Legends of Agastya and Parashuram – Cultural

influences
Aryanisation • Process
• Pre-existing indigenous culture
Process in • Voluntary adjusting to new prestigious values
• Selective adoption
South India • Roundabout route
• Reciprocal exchange

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Part III
Development of Trade
Significant expansion of both overland and maritime trade
Vivid and detailed description in literature

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Some developments
• Expansion of Money economy
• Craft – Specialisation, Localisation and Hereditary
• Guild organization – significant progress
• Jataka mentions 18, inscriptional evidence also there
• Head – Jetthaka/Pamukkha, Setthi
• Various additional functions – including banking, judicial, philanthropy
• Special relationship with the king – royal entourage, honorific
• Comments by Arthashastra and Manu
• Coins
• Development of commercial law
• Manu and Yajnavalkya

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Trade routes
• Jataka stories of long journey of
caravans
• Sangam literature – bustling Puhar and
Madurai markets
• Strabo mentions boats from ocean
coming upto Pataliputra
• Periplus refers to market towns of the
western India – Paithan, Ter, Sopara
etc

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Ports
• Western Coast
• Sindh – Barabaricum
• Gujarat – Dwarka, Barygaza
• Maharashtra – Sopara, Calliene (Kalyan),
Semylla (Chaul)
• Kerala – Muziris
• Eastern Ports
• More information by the time of Ptolemy
• Tamil Nadu – Korkai, Kaveripattinam,
Poduke (Arikamedu), Vasavasamudram
• Andhra – Ghantashala/Kantaksola (ship-
type coin, Periplus comment)
• Bengal – Gange in Ptolemy, Tamralipti
(Tamalites, Talactae)

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Three main trading regions –

Rome, China, SE Asia
• Indo-Roman Oceanic Trade
• Age of Rome’s commercial expansion – Conquest of Egypt, demand for luxury
• Augustus (1st c BCE) – Aurelius (2nd c CE) – Disturbances in Parthia
• Hippalus discovered Monsoon?
• Pepper – black gold
• Overland Silk-Route – China Trade
• Major demand for Silk – trans-regional route
• Unified strong Han China
• Unifying Kushana empire – protection/safety and possibly less traffic posts
• South-East Asia
• Suvarnadvipa – SE Asia, Ratnadvipa – Srilanka (in Milindapanho and Jataja katha)
• Even Arthashastra mentions Kaleyaka
• In Post-Mauryan Era – emergence of states

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Beautiful Yavana ships come,

Agitating white foams of Periyar river,
Laden with Gold and returned with pepper,
And Muziris resounded with noise.
Sangam - Agananuru

Poetry Cool sweet-smelling wine brought by Yavanas,

In beautiful ships and drunk daily,
From gold cups held by damsels who wore bright
bracelets.
- Purunanru

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Additional Content

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Greater India?
Was it a political and cultural colonization of south-east Asia?
• Points
• Legends like Kaundinya Brahmin
and foundation of Funan, Princes
Suriratna from Ayodhya to Korea
• Oc-eo in Mekong delta – main port
• Satavahana – Amaravati style
influence
• Sanskrit and Tamil inscriptions
Why it should not be called as
Indian colonies or Indianisation?

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