குறுந்தொகை பாடல்கள்வழி மருதநில வாழ்வியல் / The Life of Marutham People from the Kurunthokai Songs

Abstract

Sangam literature has documented that there are five types of culture in the Tamil Land. They have named the highlands ‘Kurinchi’, the forests ‘Mullai’, the plains ‘Marutham’ and the seas as ‘Neithal’ and the desert area ‘Palai’. At first, the people were living a nomadic life in Kurinchi and Mullai. Later, they started to live in the field areas which led to the start of 'Kudi' life (a stable living place). After that, they started to fulfil their needs by forming groups. This is the start of the government (chief and later monarchy). Marutham land was the main reason for this many cultural changes. Therefore this article explains the lifestyle of Marutham Thinai and its culture. This article is set to record the lifestyle of the people of Maruthathinai. In “Kurunthogai” 401 songs have been sung by 203 poets. In this, 24 songs are sung only on Agam and 26 songs on both Agam (Love and chastity) and Puram (Valour and War) in ancient life. In total 50 songs have been sung on Marutham. Through these 50 songs, the lifestyle of the Marutham people is conveyed aesthetically. The field of the land, the cultivators, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the chariot making, the animals, the muller and subsistence games, the reclamation of the land, the orchard, the cultivating industry, the cultivators living in poverty, the reference to the paddy and grain, the weeding and ploughing of the land, mallar, applying clay for the hair and the water bodies which shows us the wealth of Marutham land in the Tamil ancient society. Thus, this article is based on the fact that we can have a better understanding of the lifestyle of Marutham's livelihood.

Keywords

• life
• marutham land
• kurunthokai
• songs.