Catastrophes of the past: poetic exaggeration or scientific facts?
[TamilNet, January 07, 2005 20:19 GMT]
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=13862
"To the ancient Tamil world natural calamities like the tsunami that
hit the east coast on 26 December 2004 is not unknown," says
professor A.Shanmugathas, head of the department of Tamil, Jaffna
University. The Sangam Literature, which is more than 2000 years old,
makes reference to similar natural catastrophes (perooly) that have
affected the Tamil speaking world - spreading from Cape Comarin in the
South to the Vindian ranges in the North. "The history records it that
tidal destruction (Kadatkol) has occurred from time to time and these
facts are established by the archeological excavations. They are not
imaginary accounts," he adds. This is supported by modern scientific
theories.
Professor Karsten M. Storetvedt, the chair in geomagnetism at the
University of Bergen, Norway, and an author of the Global Wrench Theory
(GWT), says that the equator regions have always been most prone to
natural catastrophes like earthquakes and volcano eruptions. A part of
explanation is that planet rotation and especially the difference in
rotation speed between poles and equator force earth mantel to strain
and to break more easily where the strain is strongest, that is at the
equator regions. These tectonic processes played important role in the
disappearance of the ancient continent known as Lemuria to western
scholars. Sri Lanka together with India, Indonesia and Malaysia were a
part of this continent. Many islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans
are remnants of this continent that in ancient time covered the whole
area of today's ocean.
Storetvedt, who seems to reject the theory of continental drift and
plate tectonics, says that descriptions of cataclysms in early
literature when land suddenly went underwater are logical. But they
should be proven to be scientific facts. This can be done with the help
of sea-floor analysis that is possible to carry out.
Modern theories find supportive evidences both in ancient literature
and language history.
The continent of Lemuria is referred as "Kumari Kandam" in ancient
Tamil literature. Tamil is one of the world's classical languages.
Tamil has continuous historical records for more than 2000 years and
Tamil language was recognized as a classical language in India (beside
the other being Sanscrit). Tamil does not belong to the Indo-European
language family.
"One can imagine the strength and magnitude of the Tidal wave required
to devour a mountainous area that had existed in the ancient coastal
belt of the Tamil world," says professor Shanmugathas.
He also refers to records in Mahavansa, the buddhist chronicle of Sri
Lanka.
The ancient Kumari Kandam drawn with the background-knoweldge gathered
from the literature references. Courtesy: Gems from the Pre Historic
Past
Dr. A.Velupillai, Department of Religious Studies, Arizona State
University.
References in Tamil records speak about devouring of landmass by the
sea (kadatkol). "The earliest connected account about kadatkol occurs
in the commentary on Iraiyanar akapporul," says Dr. A. Velupillai,
department of religious studies, Arizona State University.
Tamil poets were lamenting about "kadatkol" (devouring of the land by
the sea) so often that scholars found it difficult to explain these
references of devouring the land mass with towns and villages by the
sea, as it appeared to have been highly improbable within the Indian
Ocean area, where no similar events were recorded in the last few
centuries.
"Even though modern scholars date this commentary to the eighth century
CE, the tale refers to three Tamil academies which existed for almost
ten thousand years," Veluppillai adds.
It is believed by some Tamil scholars that the first academy existed at
southern Maturai and was terminated by sea devouring the city. The
Pandya king established a second academy at Kapadapuram. Again, the sea
devoured the city. The Pandya king established the third academy in
present Maturai (far away from sea coast).
"What is available now as Cankam literature is mentioned as productions
of the third academy," says Velupillai.
"The sea devouring entire sea coast cities in the Indian Ocean area was
something that many modern scholars dismissed as unrealistic. It now
appears very probable that this tale about devouring of land by the
sea, is not just a legend, as some modern scholars surmised," he says.
"Tamils have by long historical tradition associated themselves with
the sea. 'Cross the seas and make the fortunes' (Thirai Kadal Odiyum
Thiraviam Thedu) is a motto of the ancient Tamils who were driven to
make wealth through sea trade," says professor Sittampalam, Dean of the
faculty of advanced studies, University of Jaffna.
"International trade ports are mentioned in the Sangam Literature in
Tamil, as well as in Greek and Roman literatures. The Chola Empire had
the most powerful Navy during its time. Even as late as in the period
of 10th - 15th Century Tamil language was the language of sea trade in
the Indian Ocean," says professor Sittampalam. "Tamils engaged in sea
trade spread to other countries, especially in Asia and took along
their culture and language. For example, there was found a
2000-years-old pot in Egypt that has Tamil letters on it. The 14th
Century inscription was found in Galle, Sri Lanka, has inscriptions is
in three languages: Tamil, Chinese and Persian".
The Cilappatikaram and the Manimekalai, the two earliest
epics/narrative poems in Tamil, both refer to a vast landmass that was
swallowed by a "cataclysmic landslip" or "on-rush of the sea." These
landslips have submerged vast territory that was called Kumai Nadu or
Kumari Kandam, known also as Lemuria to western scholars.
"Even though there is some controversy on the exact date of these
works, certain inferences can be made. Large scale destruction by
kadatkol seems to have made deep impressions to the Tamil psyche," says
to Dr. Velupillai. The Manimekalai refers in graphic terms to the sea
devouring Poompukar or Kavirippoompaddinam, the Chola capital, port and
emporium of foreign trade. The New Indian Express of December 2002
published an article that Poompukar site could be the cradle of world
civilization, mentioning discovery of archaeological remains of a port
city under the sea and hypotheses of well-known scholars. "Reading this
with the background of the magnificent description of the prosperity of
this cosmopolitan port-city, it is possible now to visualize that a
huge tragedy of that magnitude could have taken place," says Dr.
Velupillai.
Tamil scholars note that there have been at least three major floods
according to the references they find in Tamil literature and vast part
of ancient literature was lost as a result of such events.
"Adiyarkkunallar, the medieval commentator to the Cilappatikaram, gives
intriguing details about lands devoured by the sea. He mentions about
Ezh Tenku nadu, Ezh Panai nadu, Ezh Kunakarai nadu, etc., listing seven
such regions. As Ezh can mean 'seven', some later interpreters say that
49 regions (7 by 7) were devoured by the sea," says Veluppillai. Some
Tamil historians argue that the political power of the Tamils
diminished due to repeated re-locations and vast damage that was caused
to the ancient Tamil homeland by the deluges.
What we know of the antiquity of Tamil civilization seems to be top of
an iceberg. More exciting and interesting prehistory of Tamils may
emerge from the jolt applied by the tsunami. Scientific details
relating to these catastrophic events, particularly the correlation of
the available socio-anthropological knowledge from the Tamil literature
with geological research is yet to be found or ascertained. There is
ample scope for Tamil scholars, socio-anthropologists and geologists to
do further research on these topics.
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