THE ARTISAN COMMUNITY AND CRAFTS PRODUCTION DURING THE LATER PANDYAS

Author(s): K. Thangapandian
Source: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress , 2014, Vol. 75, Platinum Jubilee
(2014), pp. 239-245
Published by: Indian History Congress

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 THE ARTISAN COMMUNITY AND CRAFTS
PRODUCTION DURING THE LATER PANDYAS

K.Thangapandian

Early Tamil Society was basically tribal and village in character

a primitive society wherein physical valour rather than intellectual p
rated high. The village artisan communities formed a major pa
society.The Artisans were the occupational groups lived in the medie
Society. They were engaged in various jobs in the country.1 Along wit
they also influenced the economic situation of the state. Weaving at th
considered as subsidiary occupation engaged both by men and wo
predominantly agrarian set up of Tamil Society, the artisans were ofte
to the locality i.e. the temple and the land tenures and rendered the servi

l)Different Types of Artisans and their Occupations:

Five of the leading artisan groups in South India came together
unique association and were hence collectively known as the Kammala
Tamil Country. Today they prefer to use the nomenclature 'Visvakar
divine architect from whom they claim descent. The visvakarma smi
made up of five occupational groups - goldsmith ( tattan ), brass smith
blacksmith ( karuman or kollan ), carpenter (tachchan) and maso
kaitachchan). The term Asariar or Acharya found in the inscript
generic one encompassing all the five groups3 and also the toddy dra
mongers, the potters and so on.They all lived in the Pandya country.4
A.Appadorai stated that artisans of medieval times included oil m
and toddy drawers.5 Their skill was widely appreciated by the people at
The culture of a country can be described as the characteristic wa
inspired by the art and craft. The artistic excellence speaks the glory
particular period. The medieval Tamil Country was not an exemption
phenomenon. The creations of the artisans were appreciated not only b
lovers but also by all across the country. Many artifacts of Tamil Coun
found in overseas market in the medieval period. Besides these artisa
number of craft guilds were also functioned in South India. An in
mentions there were eighteen panas (sectarian division) namely, the
Vyavaharika (Panchalas)Kumbhalikhas (potters) Tantuvayima(v/eavers ), Vaster-
Bhadahas (cloth dyers) Tilaghatakas (oil-millers) Karantakes (kurataka-
shoemakers) Parikelettevaru (keepers of pack bulls) Gorakshas (cowherds)
kirata chunters Rajakar (washer men) Ksauraka( barbers) .6These artisan divisions
formed guilds of their own.
The Virapanchals , also included many artisan communities such as
Akkasaliga (goldsmith), (kammatadaacarigaF) (coiners) blacksmiths ( kammara )

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 240 IHC: Proceedings , 75th Session, 2014

blacksmith, carpenters and masons.7They were broadly known by the name of

kammalar. Besides them, there were weavers, oil-mongers? kaikoklars, 9
gardeners,10 stone-cutters,11 braziers,12 rope-makers,13 jewelers,14 potters,15 basket
- makers,16 mat - makers,17 toddy - drawers18 and tailors.19 They were well -
versed in making artifacts.

Kammalar
According to Burton Stein, the kammalas are the sons of kshatriya
father and vaishya mothers.20 The kammalas are otherwise known as smiths. In
the Vedic age they were called as Achevis. The kammalas wore the sacred
thread.21 The Tamil kammalars were divided into three endogamous groups i.e.
Pandya, Chola, Kongan. The PandyaKammalar lived principally in the Madurai
and Tirunelveli districts. The PandyaTattans were divided into Karnattan ,
Vembanattar, Pennaikkuakkarayar (those on the other side of the pennaiyarriver)
Munurvittukaran and so forth. The kammalarshad five other occupational
sections viz. Tattan (Goldsmith) Kannan (brass smith), Tachchan (carpenter),
kaltachchan(stone mason) and kollan (Black smith).22 The most prominent
among them were Panchalas known as Vi rapane halas, AnjuvatiPanchalattar or
simply Panchalattar, Panchchumvaru, Panchalavaru and Anjuvannam. They
were believed to have come from panchaladesa and took five different kinds of
professions, hence called Panchalattar or Anjupanchalatar.23
The kammalas were also known as " kannalan " . "kannalan" denotes
one who rules the eye or one who gives the eye when an image is made when
consecration takes place at temple. The kammalan also refers to those who made
articles and opened eyes of the people. They made articles pleasing to the eyes.24
The status, occupations, obligations, duties and privileges of these people were
clearly different from other people.
The kammalas were associated with the works such as construction of
temple towers (gopurams ) with artistic sculptures on them, making of carts and
chariots and making of jewels and vessels from various metals. 5 They had
occupied a special place in the society and economy and particularly in the
temple building activities. The blacksmith or kollan 26 was the soul of village
industry. His wheel was made by him. He assembled and repaired many metallic
weapons needed for the army. The Tacchan or Carpenter was a busy craftsman.27
His contributions ranged from making the wooden structures in palaces to
wheeled toy carts for children. They built boats, bed stads planks, doors, chariots
and temple cars. Their residential area was known askammalacheri.
An epigraph from Alangudi (NamnilamTaluk, TanjoreDist) dated 1264
A.D. records an agreement among the kammalas to raise a fund from among their
members in specified localities for the construction of a pavilion in the village.28
Another record of an unidentified Sundarapandya from Nadiyur of the same
distirct, related to an agreement made by the kammalas of several places such as
AnjinanPugalidam, PanagattunaduSengilinadu, Vallanadu and Pirabikavunadu to
levy from among themselves one Padakku29 for every Kar and Pasanam30 crop for
the Adinayaka temple at Nodiyur.

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 Medieval India 241

The Seyyanampiratti mutt, attached t

Tirunelveli received financial assistance from the Kammalas.

Stone Mason
Stone Masons and Brass smiths, attached to temples and palaces,
inscribed royal orders on copper plates and stones. These engravers were chosen
on hereditary basis.31 The maintenance of the complex records of the
government, local and central, in the Pandyan kingdom should have increased the
demand for the services of the engravers. Stone cutting seems to have been a
separate occupation and the inscriptions refer to kal-kuttigar or stone cutters.32
The craftsman called sutragrahi was responsible for measuring and making the
stones prior to the carving of image or crafting ornamental arches and pillars.33
The Tiruvarur inscriptions refer to the different categories of craftsmen who
represent the stone makers called sutragrahi , the stone dresser calledvartafa' and
actual sculptur called shilpior kal-tachchan.34 The sthapathis had acted as
Vastuthajan 35 who had the knowledge of the science of architecture. He was also
NimithaShkuna, Jyotirguanaprabodhakahand Ganitagyah , i.e. one well-versed
in studying portent and in applying astrological and mathematical knowledge to
the construction of temples.
During the period of MaravarmanSundarapandya II the stone masons of
the temple set apart tenth of their income (tachchakkuru) to the mutt.36 Another
record of the same rulers states that another group of architects ( sipacharyas ) o
the same temple donated one - eighth of their income to the mutt.37

Black Smith
The black smith known as kollan managed the village industry.38 His
wheel and his smelting fire kept up the village crafts in the country. Wars being a
very common occurrence during the ancient and the medieval periods the
blacksmith must have been in great demands for producing various types of
weapons of warfare. The term perumpannai which was in usage denoted the
lathes of Blacksmith. Their work consisted of the manufacture and repair of
agricultural tools like ploughshares, hoes, spades and axes.
A similar distinction can also be drawn between the village blacksmith who
was paid out of the grain heap and the perumkollan the master blacksmith who
was associated with the huge temple towns. The blacksmith and the village
carpenter lived in poor quarters just outside the ;village called kammanacheri and
along with the potter and other functionaries.39
The Sanskrit inscription of Tamil section states that the Tamil Section of
Prasasti was composed by the poet PandyaDramitabharna who was the chief of
the Karmara- Sreni.40

Metal Smith
Among the visvakarma craftsmen, the kammatasox workers in the mints
seem to have constituted an independent group.41 There were occupational
works, the minting of coins, another metal craft activity far removed fropi the

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 242 IHC: Proceedings , 75th Session , 2014

temple premises was the mint which again was located either in palace complex
or near the royal courts. The art of metal work and jewellery art had reached a
highest state of perfection.42 The various kinds of ornaments such as chains,
necklaces, armlets, crowns, armbands known as bahuvalaya, pearl strings known
as virasangili, anklets, vessels which were made for the purpose of cooking and
for daily use and other household utensils were also made of metal.
The metal image of NarasingarMunaiyadaraiyar, The Milada Military chief and
The Patron of Saint.SundaramurthyNayanar is found in his study of portrait
sculptures through the centuries argues that portrait sculptures enjoyed maximum
popularity in Pandi anadu. 43

Gold Smith
Even among the goldsmiths there were two monarchical categories. At
the lower level was the small-time tattan or Goldsmith essentially doing
repairingworks on a piece-wage and living on the subsistence level. At the higher
level was the big-time goldsmith or jeweler referred to the inscriptions as
perumtattan (literally 'great goldsmith') indicating a master-crafsman employing
apprentice Goldsmiths.44 He made ornaments of gold. Their gold ornaments
were in great demand in foreign countries. They would make jewellery for the
Gods and made icons or images of God.
An inscription of the thirteenth century A.D of the period of
JatavarmanSundaraPandya 1 clearly states that the gold taken from the crowns
gpd industries of the vanquished enemy kings were used for making ornaments
and other items of gold to the temple of Lard Ranganatha at Srirangam.45 The
Tiruchirappalli inscription recorded that Pandiyapathivaraguna used many gold
pattams and a gold flower to the God TirumalaiSuvadigal 46 This reveals that
artisans of this period were skilled enough to make golden flowers with artistic
skill. A certain AnnamalaiThatan (goldsmith) donated on padiyam to the
Sundaraperumal temple at Salem.47
The jewelers were also skilled enough to make jewels with precious
stones and pearls. Thus, the art of ThePurananuru ,48 The Ahananuru ,49 The
Narrinai^ Perumpanarruppadi 51 and Paripadal52 give us information about the
various kinds of cloth, varieties of dyes and dye products. Sekkilar refer to
Aruvaigar and Arugvaivanigarveedi. Aruvaivanigurveedi would have been the
residential area or the quarters of the cloth merchants.53 Caste was a natural
product of society in the creation of social organization. The hereditary character
of the profession is borne out few pieces of contemporary evidences.

Carpenters
Carpenters were closely associated with the temple activities. They were
called KoilTachhapivan,5APweiyakoilNambi,55 and Periyakoildasan56 Carpenters
of Chermadevi assumed titles like Achacharand Achcharians .57 The master
carpçnter was popularly known as TachchuAcharian ,58
"Thatchu" in Tamil means joining two pieces. Thus the people who had adopted
the wooden work were known as Thatchan.59 They were very skilled enough

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 Medieval India 243

making wheels, carts, bed stead's and boat ships6

also made many wooden works such as wooden
instruments, the paddlers and other articles. The
Goddesses represented in the form of wooden scul
artisans.Segandi (a metallic plate instrument) and d
in the temple. The craftsmen of this period
Parivarthiniveena was a new kind of musical inst
wood by these carpenters.61 Many musical instru
wood were very common in those days.62

Weavers
The weaving communities were very dominant in the economic activities
from the early and medieval times. The Sangam literary works also there is a
mention of the skill of the weavers and their techniques. Tolkappiam63mentions
the importance of weaving and their allied craft of tailoring. The weavers of
Chittasantolipuram in Solamandaiam received substances, clothes and spades
from the Kripapuriswara temple at Tiruvennainallur (South Arcot District) and
maintained a flower garden in the temple.64

Kaikkolas
The name kaikolar is derived from the kai (hand) and kol (shuttle), in the
Sangam literature they were referred to as weaving community. Some of the
kaikolas were called as Tantirattar and SengundarMudalis.65Manyepigraphical
sources refer to kaikolas and their activities. Terinjakaikolarsand
kaikkolasenapathi were frequently referred to in the inscriptions. The weaving
communities of kaikkolas played a vital role in the Tàmil Country during the
medieval Tamil Country. The kaikkolas were either nagarsor were descendants
of a mixed race of Nagas and Dravidians. During the period koikkolar combined
weaving with soldering.66
The kaikkolan community lived in seventy two nadus or dreams viz., forty
four mil (western) and Twentyfou 'kil' (Eastern Nadus).67 Some of the kaikkola
women became dedicated to temples and they became dancers. It became the
practice for every kaikkola family to dedicate at least one girl to temple service.
But the kaikkolan dancers were distinct form the Devadasis.68 According to the
legend the kaikkolas who trace their descent from virabahu, one of the nine
commanders of god Subramania.69 The world 'kaikoP referred to as ratnavel or
precious, dagger carried by lord Subramania. The kaikkolas on the surasamharam
day during festival of subramania dressed up to represent to nine warriors and
join in the procession.
An inscription dated A.D. 1216-38 belonged to Maravarman
Sundharapanayan engraved on the Mayapandeeswararkoil south wall (kesyvarai)
records kaikolas Tirunelveli denotes PazhankasuPattu as Dharmam for
conducting ThiruvathiraiThitunonpu.70
Another inscription found in Periyakottai, Palanitaluk, formerly of
Madurai district indicates a gift of on Achchu by a Kaikkkola by name

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 244 IHC: Proceedings, 75th Session , 2014

MamikkanPandi for burning a twilight lamp in the temple of

ThirupandisvaraMudalyr at AlvankoyilalisasVirasoladevanallur. The amount
was left with the Sivabrahmansaof the tepiple.71

Conclusion
The artisans contributed more to the social and economic well being of the elite
in return for their pea-nuts. Besides their being associated with such activities
their association with temple buildings activities drew everybody's attention
again for a pittance. But the artisans working in urban areas and there who were
working with guilds enjoyed the real fruits of their labour.
To conclude, in the course of the medieval period, the Kammala craft
union broke up as the gulf between the poor smiths like the blacksmiths, the
carpenter and the village goldsmith. On the one hand and the affluent nagaram or
pattinam (town-based) goldsmiths and wealthier sthapathis on the other hand,
widened. This development eventually resulted in the disassociation of the
goldsmiths from the Kammalaunion in the sixteenth to seventeenth century.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1 S. Mani, Economic Condition of Tamilnadu under The later Pandyas(c 12th to 16th AD)
p.48
R. Chempakalakshmi, Trade ideology under urbanization in south, 300B.C. to 1300A.D, New
Delhi, 1 996, p.321
Narayani Gupta(Ed), Craft men and merchant Essays in South Indian urbanishm,
VijayaRamaswamy, Craft Work
and wages in Medieval Tamil Nadu.
4 R S. Ramakrishnan, IndiyaPanpadumTamilzhagamum (Tamil), Madurai, 1971, pp 82, 283
A. Appadorai, Economic Conditions of South India, Vol.1, Madras, 1936, p.368
EI, Vol. XX, No. 1
7 E.C, IV, No. 119
8 EI, XVIII, pp.90, ARE, 42 1 of 1 905, ARE, 1 36 of 1 9 12
9 ARE, 261 of 1909; EI, Vol'. V, p.23
10 ARE, 248 of 1916, ARE 454 of 1916
"EI, Vol. I, P.279
12 EI, Vol. XII, p.33
13 Idem
14 ARE, 720 of 1916
,5EC Vol. V, p.l 17
16 ARE, 524 of 1916
17 EI, Vol. V. p.23
,K Ibid, p.2
19 ARE, 273 of 1935
20 Burton stein, Peasant, State and Society in Medieval South India, New York, 1985, p. 197
21 S. Mani, op.cit, p.54
Edgar Thurston, Caste and Tribes in South Indian, V. Ill, Delhi, 1909, p. 107
23 N. Alagappan, Social Conditions in Medieval Tami Country, Chidambaram, pp. 64-65
Edgar Thuston, op.cit, Vol. Ill, p. 107
25 N Alagappan, op.cit, p.64
26 A. Louis Dumont, South Indian Sub- Caste, Delhi, 1986, p.47
27 SII, Vol. II, No.88
28 R. Nagasamy (Ed), South Indian Studies II, Madras 1979, p.52

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 Medieval India 245

29Padakku is grain measure of capacity

30Kar and Pasanam refer to two different harvests of a year
31 T V. Mahalingam, South Indian Polity, Madras, 1967, p.5
32 ARE. 204. 220 and 223 of 1927-28
"Narayani Gupta (Ed) op.cit, p.29
34 SII. Vol. VIII, no.83
35 ARE. 575 of 1909
36 ARE, No.295, of 1 940-4 1 , 1 942-43, Para, 49
37 ARE, No.296 of 1940-41
38 SI, Vol. V, No. 518
Narayani Gupta (Ed) op.cit, p.36
40 SII, Vol.V, p.703
4lNarayani Gupta (Ed) op.cit, p.32
S.R. Balasubramanian, Early cola Temples, Middle cola T
p.42
R. Nagaswami (Ed) South Indian Studies, N.S. Ramaswamy 'portrait sculpures' Madrąs, 1979
44Narayani Gupta (Ed) op.cit, p.36
45 EI, Vol. Ill, No.2.pp.l 1-14
46AvvaiNatarajan and NatanaKasinathan, Art Panorama of Tamils, State Department of Archaeology,
Madras, 1992,pp 12-14.
47 ARE, No 58 of 1888
Purannanuru, 299: 1
49Ahananuru, 133:5
^Narrinai, 247:3-4 and 353: 1 -2
51 Perumpanarruppadai* 69-7 1
52Paripadal, 12:17
"ThiruthondarPuranam, 4193
54 SII, Vol.V, No.749
55 Ibid, No. 820
56 ARE, 692 of 1907
57 Ibid, 63 1,633 and 708 of 1916
58 SII, Vol. II, No. 66
SII. Vol. V, No. 66
BaldewSahaha, Indian Shipping-A Historical survey, New Delhi, p.58
61 C. Meenakhi, Administration and Social Life Under The Paliavas, Madras, 1977, pp.272-273
62Kuram Copper Plate, p. 52
Tolkappiyam, 249:2
64 ARE, No.43 of 1921
65EdgurThurson, op.cit, Vol. Ill, p.33
66 K.K Pillay, The caste System in Tamilnadu, Chennai, 2007, p.57
6 EdgurThurson, op.cit, Vol. Ill, p. 3 5
68 Idem
69Edgur Thurston, op.cit, Vol. Ill, pp.32-33
7() C. Santhalingam, 'Mel manga lam inscription (Trs) in S. Raj a pand' s (Ed) Avanam, Vol.9, Dept of
Archaeology,
Thanjavur, 1998
71 ARE, 84 of 1927-28.

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