Ancient Dravidian culture
Encyclopedia
The culture of the Dravidian peoples
has historically influenced the less cultured invading Aryans.The Dravidians arrived from ancient Mesopotamia(today's Iraq) more than nine thousand years ago.Before the Dravidians arrived there were indigenous people in India.The Dravidians established The Mergargh Civilisation,The Indus Valley Civilisation,and the Mohenjo Daro Civilisation.
The identity of Ancient Dravidians is a matter of much debate. It has been challenged and contested by some as a conspiracy by colonialists to 'divide-and-conquer' South Asia
, yet to others the Dravidians were the originators of the Harappan
civilisation. as it not only explains the linguistic difference in South Asia
but also explains the origin of a matrilineal culture. In a ruling, the Supreme court of India
ruled that there can be little doubt that Dravidian
languages were actually flourishing in the western regions of Northern India at the period when languages of the Indo-European type were introduced by the Aryan invasions from the north-west, although the ruling also pointed out that the Pre-Dravidian aborigines must be regarded as the primitive existing race, as opposed to the later and more cultured Dravidians.
The extent of Dravidian culture has a presence in South India
, Sri Lanka
, the Malbars
and Malabars
of Réunion, Chitty
of South-east Asia, emigrant indentured communities in Burma, Singapore, Malaysia
, South Africa
and Fiji
, as well as modern emigrant communities across the world.
like lungi
and mundu
. The style of draping has changed and simplified over the years. Dravidian women wore some of the finest silk clothing of their times. Young Dravidian women wear different clothing to married women who wear saris to show they are unmarried.
In ancient Dravidian culture hair was regarded as the source of great force, intimately tied to powers of sexuality, aggression, and supernatural energies. Much like their East-Asian counterparts, ancient Dravidian men wore their hairs into top knots and adorned them with flowers and ornaments. The style of top knot and ornaments worn varied with social status. The concept of this may be as early as the Indus Valley Civilization
as featured in the Pashupati seal. Unlike other gods, Shiva is known for his top-knotted hair, hinting at his Dravidian origins. Following this, even today, rishis all over India wear top-knots as a symbol of divinity and authority.
For Dravidian women, they let their hair flow or braid it and often adorned them with flowers and ornaments. This is unlike their northern counterparts who insisted that women cover their heads as a sign of submission.
have not been shown to be related to any other language family. Dravidian languages show extensive lexical (vocabulary) borrowing, but only a few traits of structural (either phonological or grammatical) borrowing, from Indo-Aryan, whereas the Indo-Aryan shows more structural features than lexical borrowings from the Dravidian languages. The Dravidian impact on the syntax of Indo-Aryan languages is considered far greater than the Indo-Aryan impact on Dravidian grammar. Some linguists explain this asymmetry by arguing that Middle Indo-Aryan languages were built on a Dravidian substratum
.
and Southeast Asia
. It was extremely popular during the Chola Empire when significant portions of Southeast Asia
was under Chola rule, and subject to Dravidian culture. The Chola school of art, as it was to be called, spread to South-East Asia, such as Thailand, particularly in the Northern provinces like Chiengsaen, Chiengmai, Lampang, Chiengrai, Sukhothai, Kamphaengpet and Pisanulok.
With the modern spread of the diaspora, temples in the Dravidian styles are seen all around the globe from London
to Berlin
. Even to the Hawaiian island of Kauai
where the Iraivan temple
is being built.
were derived from rituals of Ancient Dravidians.
South India boasts of the following folk dances:
In the Perumkathai, a work of the eighth century, there is a reference to the entry of the ‘Koil Nadaga Kuzhu' or the drama troupes of the temple. The ancient Opera
focused more on the music and dance, while the drama and dialogue was of lesser importance.
The King owned his own opera troupe, consisting of both male and female actors. The lead actress was known as 'Thalaikolli'. They often performed these plays in the temples. It was a means of propagating their power and wealth as well as a symbol of devotion to God.
The ancient யாழ் (yazh
) is a harp-like instrument which is considered the predecessor of the Veena
. It is arguably the most important Dravidian contribution to Indian music. The City of Jaffna
in Tamil is known as யாழ்ப்பாணம் (Yazhpanam) and is named after this instrument, hence, features on the emblem of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka
.
Some scholars hold that yazh
and veena
are different because they were used in juxtaposition in many literary sources. For instance, Thirunavukkarasar has in a verse referred to the practice of the Veena and the Yazh separately.
In the epic பெரும்கதை (Perumkathai), the legendary King Udayanan subdues a mad elephant with his yazh
.
Parai is a drum which is, and was, at the heart of political and social heritage of Dravidians. It is a symbol of the Paraiyars, a major untouchable caste in Tamil Nadu
.
In Tamil and Malayalam, the word 'parai' means to 'speak' or to 'tell'. It is an ancient instrument performed in the courts of Sangam, Chola, and Pandiyan rulers. They were also used by ancient Town crier
s. The two best-known Dalit drumming castes are the Paraiyars (named after the parai drum) and the Telugu speaking Cakkiliyars. In addition to performing music at their own temple festivals and religious celebrations, Dalits for the last several centuries have provided inauspicious ritual services for higher castes, most notable drumming for funerals. Because of its association with death, Dalit drummers and the parai drum are considered both impure and degraded by upper castes. In recent years, some Dalit communities have reclaimed the parai with pride to become a symbol of Dalit cultural identity and social freedom.
Dravidians were well known sculptors. The uncontested evidence for which are the majestic temples, and the ornate carvings etched in them. Throughout Dravidian history, various dynasties made their stamp known by adding certain characters to their sculptures.
and Chola art
.
Dravidian art flourished in Takupa, Weing Sa and Chaiya during the Chola era.
.
Adoring God with flowers and incense was an ancient practice prevalent among the early Dravidians. Flower represented the heart, and incense melting of it. Hence, as opposed to the practice of homa, the fire worship of the Aryans which was generally accompanied by animal sacrifice, the Dravidians worshipped with offerings of grain and flowers — puja.
Ancient Dravidians also used flowers to decide their rank, and the army chieftain granted different types of garlands for different reasons.
which can be translated as, "Whatsoever from whoever's mouth is heard, from that, discerning the truth is knowledge. Kural 423"
cult, expressed today as Shaktism
and Tantrism. Female worship is also represented in countless minor deities across South India
n villages such as the cult of the seven sisters. A Lingam
with a bull crouching infront has been ascribed to the Neolithic age. Shiva
was worshiped in various forms in India
, but mainly in the Lingam form. Claims were made, that the ancient Dravidians feared evil spirits the most, hence a row of demon cults evolved (Kali
). Connected with demonic spirits are the Kolam
and Rangavalli
, ancient forms of self potection with various other functionalities. The Dravidian animal cult practices are thought to be of West-Asian Elamite origin. Scholars hold, that animal worship of buffaloes and serpents are clearly attested in the ancient Elamite religious system. There is also a scholarship, who think, that the Elamites and Dravidians share a common language family
and culture of an agricultural socety, spanning from Elam
to the Dravidian Indus Valley Civilization
(IVC). This theory is being gradually accepted by linguists, however Dravidologists still look for more evidence. The IVC culture shared also many features with the ancient Sumer
ian society. Representations of the legend of Gilgamesh
and the similarities of priestly practices indicate a common origin to the extent, that the culture is also been called "Sumero-Dravidian". Several scholars have attempted to show a direct linguistic relationship between them, while general agreement hasn't been established yet.
There is general academic acceptance, that the ancient Dravidians contributed the most to Jainism
and Hinduism
, respectively. Concepts such as Puranic
myths of Rama
and Krishna
, holy rivers, sacred springs and pools, sacred groves and trees, soul philosophies (Atma) and Yoga
, Ahimsa
seem to have been born out of the Dravidian genius. Several "high profile words", which earlier were thought to be of Aryan
origin, actually derived from Dravidian roots: Pundit
(learned), Brahmin
(priest), Puja
(worship), Dharma
(religion), Mandir (temple), Manush
(man), Nagar (city), Nir (water), etc. The god Vishnu
of Vaishnavism
is popularly misinterpreted to have sprung out from the minor Rigvedic solar god Vishnu; he had its roots in the old Dravidian sky god Vin(nu), who was later Prakrit
ized as Vitnu and finally Sanskrit
ized as Vishnu. The blue color of the god indicates the sky, the aboud of Vishnu, Vaikuntha, is known as Vinnagar in Dravidian. Further suspected Dravidian practices include animism
, contemplative spiritualism, non-Dualism and metempsychosis
. Archaeological findings of pottery and relics in several places in Tamil Nadu
, particularly in Adichanallur
had ideographic inscriptions of the god Murugan
and show signs that Murugan worship was prevalent at least as early as 10th century B.C, if not earlier. The burial practices in Adichanallur corresponded with the findings of the earlier Indus Valley Civilization. The dead people wear buried in crouching position in terracotta coffins, while food and weapons were placed for another world.
was revived in Tamilakam
by the sixty-three Nayanars
, of whom three, Tirunavukkarasar, Campantar
and Appar were most prominent. The famous Tirumurai
produced is one of the finest pieces of devotional literature, that serves as an inspiration to Hindus and non-Hindus alike. The legendary argument between the two sects have become popularised throughout South India
in legends likeYali
and Gandaberunda
. Haridasa's Irusamayavilakkam, which tries to establish the superiority of Vaishnavism over Shaivism, is one of a few literary contributions.
For instance, Vedanayagam Sastriar
, a Christian poet in the Court of Serfoji II
was inspired by it so much, that he composed Christian hymns based on it.
In the first half of the 7thcentury, the most popular faiths in south India were Jainism
and Buddhism
. When the Pandyan king crossed over to Jainism, it is said that his queen Mangayarkarasi (மங்கையர்கரசி) sent of Sambandhar. As a wandering minstrel Campantar sang hymns opposing Jain and Buddhist thought and is credited with the conversion of a Pandya king from Jainism. By the advise of Campantar the king Koon Pandiyan ordered to kill 8000 Jain saints. And they were killed accordingly. But only as a repayment to Campantar, for curing the King's illness. Koon Pandiyan
also donated land to Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajudin to build a mosque.
, maize
, semolina
, finger millet
, barley
and milo
. The variety of rice consumed various within regions and socioeconomic status. Rice is also processed into puffed, pressed, boiled and raw. Rice is also cooked at home into noodles, crepes, rice buns and rice balls depending on the region.
Wheat
was traditionally shorn, as it was considered very menial, so much so that even prisoners were never given them. Although, due to the influx of northern culture, young people have resorted to consuming flat breads.
Meat
was traditionally consumed by the rich nobles who hunted, while the Brahmins were pure vegetarians. Most people nowadays consume meat
, poultry
, fish
and egg
s. Due to religious reasons, Beef
and pork
products are usually not consumed.
Eating is very communal for Dravidians, and is a sign of hospitality and culture. A traditional Dravidian family will not send away any guest without at least one meal.
, mango
, candy
, curry
, mulligatawny soup, ginger
, rice
, moringa
, chapati
are noteworthy examples. The word India
is also of Dravidian origin.
and rice wine
have traditionally been consumed in South India
, Sri Lanka
, and the ancient Chitty
people.
, the ancient Tamil order was much like any other society: priests, merchants, farmers and kings. While this may seem like the caste system, it is not. The society was much less rigid, and there were no orgnaised 'untouchables' like the Sudra
. The Purananuru
anthology's much quoted verse says, 'யாதும் ஊரே, யாவரும் கேளிர்' meaning 'everywhere is my home, and all are my kindred'. In the following kural, Thiruvalluvar shows the rationale and logic behind Dravidian culture:
Theory that mankind is divided into four varnas or groups of caste, such as Brahman, Kshatrya, Vaisya, and Sudra was wholly foreign to the Southern Dravidians. Caste was non-existent. Until the rediscovery and publication of the ancient Sangam poems in 1880s, [Tirukkural] was considered the oldest extant Tamil text, composed before northern influences were said to have produced, as some people may term it, rigid caste inequality, priestly domination and ritualised superstition. The value of the Tirukkural was not that it railed against these practices, which were yet to consolidate, but that it presents an ethical system devoid of them.
Although historically this is accurate, but modern South India
is patrilineal, much like their northern and European counterparts. However, there are remnants of this tradition, a famous example is the Nair
caste in Kerala
who still follow the original Dravidian culture. Others include the Jaffna Kingdom
of Sri Lanka
, Travancore royal family
of Travancore
and Chowta dynasty of Tulu Nadu
.
Dravidians had huge respect for women, especially mothers. This is why people living in rural areas in South India
often worship 'Amman' (mother). Amman was also known as Kottravai or Kali, and later became the concept of Shakti
and Durga
. The Dravidians originally worshiped the gods in their child forms like Kannan and Mayon (Krishna). The Dravidian support of Shaivism
emerges from the familial nature of Shiva and his promise to give half of himself to his wife. The Tamils worship the language as 'Tamil Thai' or 'Mother Tamil'.
According to the Sangam literature, a woman had to play different roles in the family such as a dutiful wife, responsible mother and an ideal hostess to guests. Women’s education was also insisted during the Sangam Age. We come to know a few women poets like Avvaiyar, Kakkai Padiniyar and Nachchellaiyar, whose verses are found in the Sangam literature. Sangam women were also known for their courage. However, from the post-Sangam period, there was a decline in the status of women.
quarrels with his family and leaves to seek his fortune elsewhere. After
finding employment in a nearby kingdom, his brothers seek him out to
marry him off to a particular girl so that the family will acquire certain
property rights. They find him and convince him to return. On his
return, however, he is mesmerized by the singing of two women. He
runs to them, declaring his love for them, and pleads with them to marry
him. As members of an untouchable caste, Paraiyar, they are shocked
and, since he could only be joking, insulted at his play. The energy of
the narrative, which has building up to this scene, bursts with their
dramatic reply, "You are like the great Siva himself, my Lord! Would
the earth bear our impurity?" With this, they run away and tell their
father who, angry at the Brahmin's joke, starts out to punish him. He
comes upon Muttuppattan who has fallen down with despair and exhaustation
after unsuccessfully chasing the women. Mutuppattan explains
that he is serious. The father is shocked, but moved by his sincerity
and agrees to the marriage if Mutuppattan performs certain tasks: cutting
off his sacred thread and top knot (the symbols of his Brahmin
birth), transport the carcass of a dead cattle, skin the body and sew
sandals from the hide (all the work of the Paraiyar untouchables).
Muttuppattan completes the tasks, in effect renouncing his Brahmin birth
and becoming an untouchable, and marries the women.
had been hailed for her chastity and worshipped by the people. The women were given freedom to choose their life partners during the Sangam period. The concept of love had been elaborately discussed in Agananuru.
This opinion is further supported by others due to the strength of the martial traditions present in South India
and North-east Sri Lanka
, and also because the two earliest discussed topics of Tamil
poetry was mating and fighting.
points) of the body helps a practitioner disarm or dissuade an opponent
with minimal force and effort, as he uses his fingers or a small stick to strike
at these points to generate severe pain, which results in partial paralysis or
severe pain in the attacker’s body.
This seal shows a vigorous scene of bull-fighting. It portrays a ferocious bull in action, several men or a single man (according to two different interpretations), thrown in the air by it as they try to control it.
The bull is shown to be the victor. This seal, made of stone, is on display in the National Museum, New Delhi. It can be dated to 2,000 B.C.
Dravidian peoples
Dravidian peoples is a term used to refer to the diverse groups of people who natively speak languages belonging to the Dravidian language family. Populations of speakers of around 220 million are found mostly in Southern India. Other Dravidian people are found in parts of central India, Sri Lanka,...
has historically influenced the less cultured invading Aryans.The Dravidians arrived from ancient Mesopotamia(today's Iraq) more than nine thousand years ago.Before the Dravidians arrived there were indigenous people in India.The Dravidians established The Mergargh Civilisation,The Indus Valley Civilisation,and the Mohenjo Daro Civilisation.
The identity of Ancient Dravidians is a matter of much debate. It has been challenged and contested by some as a conspiracy by colonialists to 'divide-and-conquer' South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, yet to others the Dravidians were the originators of the Harappan
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
civilisation. as it not only explains the linguistic difference in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
but also explains the origin of a matrilineal culture. In a ruling, the Supreme court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
ruled that there can be little doubt that Dravidian
languages were actually flourishing in the western regions of Northern India at the period when languages of the Indo-European type were introduced by the Aryan invasions from the north-west, although the ruling also pointed out that the Pre-Dravidian aborigines must be regarded as the primitive existing race, as opposed to the later and more cultured Dravidians.
The extent of Dravidian culture has a presence in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, the Malbars
Malbars
Malbars are an ethnic group of Tamil origin in Réunion, a French island in the Southwest Indian Ocean, estimated to number 180,000. There are no official figures because the French government does not collect census data on ethnic groups....
and Malabars
Malabars
Malabars is an appellation originating from the colonial era that was used by Westerners to refer to all the people of South India...
of Réunion, Chitty
Chitty
The Chitty are a distinctive group of Tamil people found mainly in Malacca and Singapore , who are also known as the Indian Peranakans. As of today, their population stands at 2,000.-Language:...
of South-east Asia, emigrant indentured communities in Burma, Singapore, Malaysia
Tamil Malaysians
Tamil Malaysian or Malaysian Tamil refer to the Malaysians of Tamil ethnic origin from India and Sri Lanka in Malaysia. They make up over 70% of the Indian Malaysian population group in Malaysia...
, South Africa
Tamil South Africans
-External links:**...
and Fiji
South Indians in Fiji
The South Indians in Fiji are mainly descendents of the 15,132 indentured labourers who arrived in Fiji between 1903 to 1916. This represents about 25% out of a total of 60,965 indentured labourers who arrived in Fiji between 1879 and 1916...
, as well as modern emigrant communities across the world.
Clothing
Men traditionally wore types of dhotiDhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
like lungi
Lungi
The Lungi , also known as a sarong , is a traditional garment worn around the waist in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
and mundu
Mundu
The mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kerala and Maldives. This garment is closely related to the Dhoti, Sarong, and Lungi. In South Kanara, a district of Karnataka state, the Tulu speaking folk and Beary community also wear the mundu. It is...
. The style of draping has changed and simplified over the years. Dravidian women wore some of the finest silk clothing of their times. Young Dravidian women wear different clothing to married women who wear saris to show they are unmarried.
Hair
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
as featured in the Pashupati seal. Unlike other gods, Shiva is known for his top-knotted hair, hinting at his Dravidian origins. Following this, even today, rishis all over India wear top-knots as a symbol of divinity and authority.
For Dravidian women, they let their hair flow or braid it and often adorned them with flowers and ornaments. This is unlike their northern counterparts who insisted that women cover their heads as a sign of submission.
Linguistic identity
The primary evidence for Dravidian identity is linguistic, because the Dravidian languagesDravidian languages
The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...
have not been shown to be related to any other language family. Dravidian languages show extensive lexical (vocabulary) borrowing, but only a few traits of structural (either phonological or grammatical) borrowing, from Indo-Aryan, whereas the Indo-Aryan shows more structural features than lexical borrowings from the Dravidian languages. The Dravidian impact on the syntax of Indo-Aryan languages is considered far greater than the Indo-Aryan impact on Dravidian grammar. Some linguists explain this asymmetry by arguing that Middle Indo-Aryan languages were built on a Dravidian substratum
Substratum
In linguistics, a stratum or strate is a language that influences, or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum is a language which has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum is the language that has higher power or prestige. Both substratum and superstratum...
.
Architecture
Dravidian architecture is well known for its pyramid shaped temples, and ornate stone carvings. Dravidian architecture has gone through many changes depending on the era, with each ruling South Indian dynasty adding their own distinct contribution to it.Influence
Dravidian architecture styles has greatly influence Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. It was extremely popular during the Chola Empire when significant portions of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
was under Chola rule, and subject to Dravidian culture. The Chola school of art, as it was to be called, spread to South-East Asia, such as Thailand, particularly in the Northern provinces like Chiengsaen, Chiengmai, Lampang, Chiengrai, Sukhothai, Kamphaengpet and Pisanulok.
With the modern spread of the diaspora, temples in the Dravidian styles are seen all around the globe from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Even to the Hawaiian island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
where the Iraivan temple
Iraivan temple
The San Marga Iraivan Temple is a white granite stone Hindu temple sculpted in India and currently under construction on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. "Iraivan" means "He who is worshipped," and is one of the oldest words for God in the Tamil...
is being built.
Murals
Kalamezhuthu was an ancient Dravidian art form connected with religious rituals. It was a ritual art of sprinkling and filling up different colour powders inside outlines sketched with the powder.Dance
Many of the folk dances of modern South IndiaSouth India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
were derived from rituals of Ancient Dravidians.
South India boasts of the following folk dances:
- KanyarkaliKanyarkalikaniyarkali is a festival usually celebrated in March or April in many of the Kurumba Bhagavathy temples or Tharas in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.- The Dance :...
- KoothuKoothuKoothu , means dance or performance in Tamil language, is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country. But more precisely Koothu refers Therukoothu that is street dance or street play since it will be performed village squares. At early age the art of entertainment reached its peak in...
- KummiKummiKummi is a folk dance, popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India, danced mostly by Tamil women in circle. Dancing may be different. In some places, it is very simple, with rhythmic clapping. In other places dancers imitate various harvesting activities. Kummi often accompany by songs, called...
- TheyyamTheyyamTheyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
- YakshaganaYakshaganaYakshagana is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent scholastic name for what are known as kēḷike, āṭa, bayalāṭa, bayalāṭa, daśāvatāra . It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement...
Opera
Dravidian dance forms were often combined with theatrical and musical elements to form major operatic theatres and centres of entertainment.In the Perumkathai, a work of the eighth century, there is a reference to the entry of the ‘Koil Nadaga Kuzhu' or the drama troupes of the temple. The ancient Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
focused more on the music and dance, while the drama and dialogue was of lesser importance.
The King owned his own opera troupe, consisting of both male and female actors. The lead actress was known as 'Thalaikolli'. They often performed these plays in the temples. It was a means of propagating their power and wealth as well as a symbol of devotion to God.
Yazh
The ancient யாழ் (yazh
Yazh
Yazh is a direct ancestor of modern day Veena or Lute.It was named so, because the tip of stem of this instrument was carved into the head of the animal Yali. The yazh was an open-stringed polyphonous instrument, with a wooden boat-shaped skin-covered resonator and an ebony stem. The gut strings...
) is a harp-like instrument which is considered the predecessor of the Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
. It is arguably the most important Dravidian contribution to Indian music. The City of Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
in Tamil is known as யாழ்ப்பாணம் (Yazhpanam) and is named after this instrument, hence, features on the emblem of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
.
Some scholars hold that yazh
Yazh
Yazh is a direct ancestor of modern day Veena or Lute.It was named so, because the tip of stem of this instrument was carved into the head of the animal Yali. The yazh was an open-stringed polyphonous instrument, with a wooden boat-shaped skin-covered resonator and an ebony stem. The gut strings...
and veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
are different because they were used in juxtaposition in many literary sources. For instance, Thirunavukkarasar has in a verse referred to the practice of the Veena and the Yazh separately.
In the epic பெரும்கதை (Perumkathai), the legendary King Udayanan subdues a mad elephant with his yazh
Yazh
Yazh is a direct ancestor of modern day Veena or Lute.It was named so, because the tip of stem of this instrument was carved into the head of the animal Yali. The yazh was an open-stringed polyphonous instrument, with a wooden boat-shaped skin-covered resonator and an ebony stem. The gut strings...
.
Parai
Parai is a drum which is, and was, at the heart of political and social heritage of Dravidians. It is a symbol of the Paraiyars, a major untouchable caste in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
In Tamil and Malayalam, the word 'parai' means to 'speak' or to 'tell'. It is an ancient instrument performed in the courts of Sangam, Chola, and Pandiyan rulers. They were also used by ancient Town crier
Town crier
A town crier, or bellman, is an officer of the court who makes public pronouncements as required by the court . The crier can also be used to make public announcements in the streets...
s. The two best-known Dalit drumming castes are the Paraiyars (named after the parai drum) and the Telugu speaking Cakkiliyars. In addition to performing music at their own temple festivals and religious celebrations, Dalits for the last several centuries have provided inauspicious ritual services for higher castes, most notable drumming for funerals. Because of its association with death, Dalit drummers and the parai drum are considered both impure and degraded by upper castes. In recent years, some Dalit communities have reclaimed the parai with pride to become a symbol of Dalit cultural identity and social freedom.
Sculpting
Influence
Thai and other South-east Asian artists were inspired by PallavaPallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
and Chola art
Chola Art
The period of the imperial Cholas was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of the Dravidian art and architecture. They utilised their prodigious wealth earned through their extensive conquests in building long-lasting stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures...
.
Dravidian art flourished in Takupa, Weing Sa and Chaiya during the Chola era.
Nudity
Dravidian society not only accepted nudity, but sometimes encouraged it as a form of 'higher art'.Floriography
Ancient Dravidian civilisation contributed its love of flowers to India. During the Vedic age, the sages often offered to the gods by burning them in fire, including flowers, Dravidians being admirers of flowers, introduced the idea of garlands and floral decorations which is now spread much over IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Adoring God with flowers and incense was an ancient practice prevalent among the early Dravidians. Flower represented the heart, and incense melting of it. Hence, as opposed to the practice of homa, the fire worship of the Aryans which was generally accompanied by animal sacrifice, the Dravidians worshipped with offerings of grain and flowers — puja.
Ancient Dravidians also used flowers to decide their rank, and the army chieftain granted different types of garlands for different reasons.
- Wedchi: given for seizing enemy cattle and starting a war, with military honours. Seizing cattle was a meant a war was declared.
- Wanchi: given for successfully winning a battle while invading enemy territory.
- Kanchi: given for repelling invasion.
- Thumbai: given to the most brave in defending a fort.
- Wahgai: given to those who put the enemy to rout and were completely victorious.
- Karandai: given to those who recover the captured cattle used to declare war.
- Uzhignai: given to those who take over enemy forts.
Religion and philosophy
Dravidians were traditionally very open minded and strong in their beliefs, but were rationalists, unwilling to take anything for granted. Thiruvalluvar sums up Dravidian philosophy in one kural:which can be translated as, "Whatsoever from whoever's mouth is heard, from that, discerning the truth is knowledge. Kural 423"
Prehistory
The most prominent and archaic type of Dravidian belief concepts is the mother goddessMother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
cult, expressed today as Shaktism
Shaktism
Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi – the Hindu Divine Mother – as the absolute, ultimate Godhead...
and Tantrism. Female worship is also represented in countless minor deities across South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
n villages such as the cult of the seven sisters. A Lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
with a bull crouching infront has been ascribed to the Neolithic age. Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
was worshiped in various forms in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but mainly in the Lingam form. Claims were made, that the ancient Dravidians feared evil spirits the most, hence a row of demon cults evolved (Kali
Kali (Demon)
In Hinduism, Kali is the reigning lord of Kali Yuga and archenemy of Kalki, the 10th and final Avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu...
). Connected with demonic spirits are the Kolam
Kolam
Kolam is a form of painting that is drawn using rice powder. A Kolam is a geometrical line drawing composed of curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots. In South India, it is widely practised by female Hindu family members in front of their homes.-Purpose:Kolams are thought to bestow...
and Rangavalli
Rangavalli
Rangavalli Muggu in Telugu, Rangoli in Kannada and Kolam in Tamil is an Indian pattern based on mathematical grid structures, used to make a form of sandpainting for religious festivals...
, ancient forms of self potection with various other functionalities. The Dravidian animal cult practices are thought to be of West-Asian Elamite origin. Scholars hold, that animal worship of buffaloes and serpents are clearly attested in the ancient Elamite religious system. There is also a scholarship, who think, that the Elamites and Dravidians share a common language family
Elamo-Dravidian languages
The Elamo-Dravidian languages are a hypothesised language family which links the living or proto Dravidian languages of India to the extinct Elamite language of ancient Elam . Linguist David McAlpin has been a chief proponent of the Elamo-Dravidian Hypothesis...
and culture of an agricultural socety, spanning from Elam
Elam
Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq...
to the Dravidian Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
(IVC). This theory is being gradually accepted by linguists, however Dravidologists still look for more evidence. The IVC culture shared also many features with the ancient Sumer
Sumer
Sumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
ian society. Representations of the legend of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
and the similarities of priestly practices indicate a common origin to the extent, that the culture is also been called "Sumero-Dravidian". Several scholars have attempted to show a direct linguistic relationship between them, while general agreement hasn't been established yet.
There is general academic acceptance, that the ancient Dravidians contributed the most to Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
and Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, respectively. Concepts such as Puranic
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
myths of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, holy rivers, sacred springs and pools, sacred groves and trees, soul philosophies (Atma) and Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, Ahimsa
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm . The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims – to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. It is an important tenet of the Indian religions...
seem to have been born out of the Dravidian genius. Several "high profile words", which earlier were thought to be of Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
origin, actually derived from Dravidian roots: Pundit
Pundit
Pundit may refer to:* Pandit or pundit in India, a scholar or expert, especially of traditional Indian law, philosophy, or music* Pundit , a 19th century term to denote native surveyors who explored regions to the north of India for the British Empire* Pundit , an expert or opinion-leader who...
(learned), Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
(priest), Puja
Puja
Pūjā or alternative transliteration Pooja, is a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities, distinguished persons, or special guests...
(worship), Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
(religion), Mandir (temple), Manush
Manush
Manush can refer to:*Heinie Manush , an American left fielder in Major League Baseball*Manush Georgiev , a Bulgarian revolutionary*Mati O Manush, a pioneering television programme in Bangladesh Television...
(man), Nagar (city), Nir (water), etc. The god Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
is popularly misinterpreted to have sprung out from the minor Rigvedic solar god Vishnu; he had its roots in the old Dravidian sky god Vin(nu), who was later Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
ized as Vitnu and finally Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
ized as Vishnu. The blue color of the god indicates the sky, the aboud of Vishnu, Vaikuntha, is known as Vinnagar in Dravidian. Further suspected Dravidian practices include animism
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
, contemplative spiritualism, non-Dualism and metempsychosis
Metempsychosis
Metempsychosis is a philosophical term in the Greek language referring to transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death. It is a doctrine popular among a number of Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Druzism wherein an individual incarnates from one...
. Archaeological findings of pottery and relics in several places in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, particularly in Adichanallur
Adichanallur
Adichanallur is an archaeological site near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, India. The town is known locally as Aathichanallur, and has been the site of a number of very important archeological digs.-Archaeological excavations:...
had ideographic inscriptions of the god Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
and show signs that Murugan worship was prevalent at least as early as 10th century B.C, if not earlier. The burial practices in Adichanallur corresponded with the findings of the earlier Indus Valley Civilization. The dead people wear buried in crouching position in terracotta coffins, while food and weapons were placed for another world.
Antiquity
HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
was revived in Tamilakam
Tamilakam
' refers to the classical era territory of old South Indian royalties covering modern Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tamil Eelam and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.; In an academic context, Tamilakam is used to refer to these territories as a single cultural area, where Tamil was the natural...
by the sixty-three Nayanars
Nayanars
The Nayanars or Nayanmars were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE...
, of whom three, Tirunavukkarasar, Campantar
Campantar
Tirugnana Sampantar was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE....
and Appar were most prominent. The famous Tirumurai
Tirumurai
The word Thirumurai literally means the sacred book. It is a compendium of songs or hymns in the praise of Shiva in the Tamil language...
produced is one of the finest pieces of devotional literature, that serves as an inspiration to Hindus and non-Hindus alike. The legendary argument between the two sects have become popularised throughout South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
in legends likeYali
Yali (Hindu Mythology)
Yali , also known as Vyalam or Sarabham in Sanskrit, is a mythical creature seen in many Hindu temples, often sculpted onto the pillars. Yali is a mythical lion, and it has been widely used in south Indian sculpture. Descriptions of and references to yalis are very old, but they became prominent in...
and Gandaberunda
Gandaberunda
The Gandaberunda is a two-headed mythological bird of Hindu mythology thought to possess magical strength. It is used as the official emblem by the Karnataka government and it is seen as an intricately sculptured motif in Hindu temples.- Story :The Ganda Berunda took physical form in the Narasimha...
. Haridasa's Irusamayavilakkam, which tries to establish the superiority of Vaishnavism over Shaivism, is one of a few literary contributions.
For instance, Vedanayagam Sastriar
Vedanayagam Sastriar
Vedanayagam Sastriar 1774 -1864 of Thanjavur, Poet-lyricist, Court poet in the palace of Serfoji II. He was a famous poet and writer with 133 books and over 500 lyrics to his credit.-Life:...
, a Christian poet in the Court of Serfoji II
Serfoji II
Serfoji II was the last ruler of the Maratha principality of Tanjore to exercise absolute sovereignty over his dominions. His descendants, however, have managed to thrive as titular Maharajahs of Thanjavur to the present day...
was inspired by it so much, that he composed Christian hymns based on it.
In the first half of the 7thcentury, the most popular faiths in south India were Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. When the Pandyan king crossed over to Jainism, it is said that his queen Mangayarkarasi (மங்கையர்கரசி) sent of Sambandhar. As a wandering minstrel Campantar sang hymns opposing Jain and Buddhist thought and is credited with the conversion of a Pandya king from Jainism. By the advise of Campantar the king Koon Pandiyan ordered to kill 8000 Jain saints. And they were killed accordingly. But only as a repayment to Campantar, for curing the King's illness. Koon Pandiyan
Koon Pandiyan
Koon pandiyan was a king who ruled Madurai around 7th century. He is infamous for his massacre of 8000 Jain priests during his reign. He is one among the 63 Nayanars.-Conversion:...
also donated land to Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajudin to build a mosque.
Dravidian food
Rice is the primary staple of Dravidians. Other grains include pearl milletPearl millet
Pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. Grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times, it is generally accepted that pearl millet originated in Africa and was subsequently introduced into India. The center of diversity, and suggested area of domestication, for...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, semolina
Semolina
Semolina is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta, and also used for breakfast cereals and puddings. Semolina is also used to designate coarse middlings from other varieties of wheat, and from other grains such as rice and corn.-Name:The term semolina derives from...
, finger millet
Finger millet
Eleusine coracana, commonly Finger millet , also known as African millet or Ragi is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. E...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and milo
Commercial sorghum
Commercial sorghum refers to the cultivation and commercial exploitation of species of grasses within the genus Sorghum . These plants are used for grain, fibre and fodder. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide...
. The variety of rice consumed various within regions and socioeconomic status. Rice is also processed into puffed, pressed, boiled and raw. Rice is also cooked at home into noodles, crepes, rice buns and rice balls depending on the region.
Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
was traditionally shorn, as it was considered very menial, so much so that even prisoners were never given them. Although, due to the influx of northern culture, young people have resorted to consuming flat breads.
Meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
was traditionally consumed by the rich nobles who hunted, while the Brahmins were pure vegetarians. Most people nowadays consume meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
, poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
s. Due to religious reasons, Beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
products are usually not consumed.
Eating is very communal for Dravidians, and is a sign of hospitality and culture. A traditional Dravidian family will not send away any guest without at least one meal.
Loan words
Some of the most commonly used Dravidian loan words in other languages are about food: orangeOrange (word)
The word orange is both a noun and an adjective in the English language. In both cases, it refers primarily to the orange fruit and the colour orange, but has many other derivative meanings....
, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, candy
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
, curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
, mulligatawny soup, ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, moringa
Moringa
Moringa is the sole genus in the flowering plant family Moringaceae. The name is derived from the Tamil word murunggai or the Malayalam word muringa, both of which refer to M. oleifera...
, chapati
Chapati
Chapati or Chapatti or Chapathi is an unleavened flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. Versions of it are found in Turkmenistan and in East African countries Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania...
are noteworthy examples. The word India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is also of Dravidian origin.
Alcoholic drinks
Palm winePalm wine
Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
and rice wine
Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Unlike wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally sweet grapes and other fruit, rice "wine" results from the fermentation of rice starch converted to sugars...
have traditionally been consumed in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and the ancient Chitty
Chitty
The Chitty are a distinctive group of Tamil people found mainly in Malacca and Singapore , who are also known as the Indian Peranakans. As of today, their population stands at 2,000.-Language:...
people.
Social order
According to the TolkappiyamTolkappiyam
The Tolkāppiyam is a work on the grammar of the Tamil language and the earliest extant work of Tamil literature. It is written in the form of noorpaa or short formulaic compositions and comprises three books - the Ezhuttadikaram, the Solladikaram and the Poruladikaram. Each of these books is...
, the ancient Tamil order was much like any other society: priests, merchants, farmers and kings. While this may seem like the caste system, it is not. The society was much less rigid, and there were no orgnaised 'untouchables' like the Sudra
Shudra
Shudra is the fourth Varna, as prescribed in the Purusha Sukta of the Rig veda, which constitutes society into four varnas or Chaturvarna. The other three varnas are Brahmans - priests, Kshatriya - those with governing functions, Vaishya - agriculturalists, cattle rearers and traders...
. The Purananuru
Purananuru
Purananuru is a Tamil poetic work in the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology of Tamil literature, belonging to the Sangam period corresponding to between 200 BCE – 100 CE. Purananuru is part of the Ettuthokai anthology which is the oldest available collection of poems of Sangam literature in Tamil....
anthology's much quoted verse says, 'யாதும் ஊரே, யாவரும் கேளிர்' meaning 'everywhere is my home, and all are my kindred'. In the following kural, Thiruvalluvar shows the rationale and logic behind Dravidian culture:
Theory that mankind is divided into four varnas or groups of caste, such as Brahman, Kshatrya, Vaisya, and Sudra was wholly foreign to the Southern Dravidians. Caste was non-existent. Until the rediscovery and publication of the ancient Sangam poems in 1880s, [Tirukkural] was considered the oldest extant Tamil text, composed before northern influences were said to have produced, as some people may term it, rigid caste inequality, priestly domination and ritualised superstition. The value of the Tirukkural was not that it railed against these practices, which were yet to consolidate, but that it presents an ethical system devoid of them.
Women
The key difference in finding a definition for Ancient Dravidian culture, or as Ka. Pa. Aravanan puts it rather bluntly:Although historically this is accurate, but modern South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
is patrilineal, much like their northern and European counterparts. However, there are remnants of this tradition, a famous example is the Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
caste in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
who still follow the original Dravidian culture. Others include the Jaffna Kingdom
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Travancore royal family
Travancore Royal Family
The Travancore Royal Family descended from the Venad line of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1947.The Royal family, alternatively known as the Kupaka Royal Family, Thripappur Swaroopam, Venad Swaroopam, Vanchi Swaroopam etc., has its seat today at Trivandrum in...
of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
and Chowta dynasty of Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu is a Tulu-speaking region spread over to parts of present Karnataka and Kerala States of India. It consists of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and the northern parts of the Kasaragod district of Kerala up to the Payaswini River...
.
Dravidians had huge respect for women, especially mothers. This is why people living in rural areas in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
often worship 'Amman' (mother). Amman was also known as Kottravai or Kali, and later became the concept of Shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
and Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
. The Dravidians originally worshiped the gods in their child forms like Kannan and Mayon (Krishna). The Dravidian support of Shaivism
Shaivism
Shaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...
emerges from the familial nature of Shiva and his promise to give half of himself to his wife. The Tamils worship the language as 'Tamil Thai' or 'Mother Tamil'.
According to the Sangam literature, a woman had to play different roles in the family such as a dutiful wife, responsible mother and an ideal hostess to guests. Women’s education was also insisted during the Sangam Age. We come to know a few women poets like Avvaiyar, Kakkai Padiniyar and Nachchellaiyar, whose verses are found in the Sangam literature. Sangam women were also known for their courage. However, from the post-Sangam period, there was a decline in the status of women.
Muttupattan
The story of the Ballad of Mutuppattan is as follows: Mutuppattan, one of five Brahmin brothers,quarrels with his family and leaves to seek his fortune elsewhere. After
finding employment in a nearby kingdom, his brothers seek him out to
marry him off to a particular girl so that the family will acquire certain
property rights. They find him and convince him to return. On his
return, however, he is mesmerized by the singing of two women. He
runs to them, declaring his love for them, and pleads with them to marry
him. As members of an untouchable caste, Paraiyar, they are shocked
and, since he could only be joking, insulted at his play. The energy of
the narrative, which has building up to this scene, bursts with their
dramatic reply, "You are like the great Siva himself, my Lord! Would
the earth bear our impurity?" With this, they run away and tell their
father who, angry at the Brahmin's joke, starts out to punish him. He
comes upon Muttuppattan who has fallen down with despair and exhaustation
after unsuccessfully chasing the women. Mutuppattan explains
that he is serious. The father is shocked, but moved by his sincerity
and agrees to the marriage if Mutuppattan performs certain tasks: cutting
off his sacred thread and top knot (the symbols of his Brahmin
birth), transport the carcass of a dead cattle, skin the body and sew
sandals from the hide (all the work of the Paraiyar untouchables).
Muttuppattan completes the tasks, in effect renouncing his Brahmin birth
and becoming an untouchable, and marries the women.
Women
The heroine of Silappathigaram, KannagiKannagi
Kannagi or , a legendary Tamil woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city with disaster.-The story:Kovalan, the son of a...
had been hailed for her chastity and worshipped by the people. The women were given freedom to choose their life partners during the Sangam period. The concept of love had been elaborately discussed in Agananuru.
Martial arts
From the Indian Folklore Research Journal, Cross-Cultural Relations between Dravidian India and Central China: New Evidences from the Tradition of Martial Art, Mathew Varghese opines out:This opinion is further supported by others due to the strength of the martial traditions present in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
and North-east Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and also because the two earliest discussed topics of Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
poetry was mating and fighting.
Varmakalai (Marma ati)
Often called the art of vital points, this method of using minimal force at vital points (marmapoints) of the body helps a practitioner disarm or dissuade an opponent
with minimal force and effort, as he uses his fingers or a small stick to strike
at these points to generate severe pain, which results in partial paralysis or
severe pain in the attacker’s body.
Jallikattu
Jallikattu, or bull fighting, is an ancient Dravidian tradition that was practised about 4,000 years ago during the Indus Valley civilisation. A seal found at Mohenjodaro in the 1930s attests to this.This seal shows a vigorous scene of bull-fighting. It portrays a ferocious bull in action, several men or a single man (according to two different interpretations), thrown in the air by it as they try to control it.
The bull is shown to be the victor. This seal, made of stone, is on display in the National Museum, New Delhi. It can be dated to 2,000 B.C.