“but, I prayed in silence, may (my lover) the lord of many a fertile field return home speedily.”[1]
The distinction of the four castes Brahma, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, observed by the Aryas, did not exist amongst the Tamils. The expression “twice-born” applied by Aryans to those who were sanctified by the investiture of the sacred thread, was always used in Ancient Tamil literature to denote only the Brahmins, and it is evident therefore that the Kshatriya and Vaisya who wore the sacred thread were not known in Tamilakam. Amongst the pure Tamils the class most honoured was that of the Arivar or “sages.” They pretended to know the three stages of time, that is, the past, present and future. They led a retired and religious life, dwelling outside the great towns. While the Brahmins were not unwilling to mix in the society of courtezans and prostitutes,[2] and acted as messengers between lovers, the “sages” strictly avoided them.[3]
Next in rank to the Arivar were the Ulavar or farmers. The Arivar were ascetics: but of the men living in society, the farmers occupied the highest position. They formed the nobility, or the landed aristocracy, of the country. They were also called the Vellâlar, “lords of the flood,” or Karalar, “lords of the clouds,” titles expressive of their skill in controlling floods and in storing water for agricultural purposes. The Chera, Chola and Pandyan kings, and most of the petty chiefs of Tamilakam belonged to the tribe of Vellâlas. The poor families of Vellâlas who owned small estates were generally spoken of as the Veelkudi- Ulavar or “the fallen Vellâlas,” implying thereby that the rest of the Vellâlas were wealthy land-holders.[4] When Karikâl the Great defeated the Aruvâlar and annexed their territory to his kingdom, he distributed the conquered lands amongst Vellâla chiefs.[5] The descendants of some of these chiefs are to this day in pos-
