chap19
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Mirror of Tamiḻ and Sanskrit
R. Nagaswamy
19. VAṄGAIA DESA AND GAṄGA NĀDU FROM TAMIḺ SOURCES
19.1. Gangetic Victory of Rājēndra - Bengal
Rājēndra Cōḻā, the famous Conqueror, invaded the Gangetic country in and around 1020 CE and mentions the Kings of the region Mahipala, Govindacandra, Ranasura, and Dhanmapala whom he defeated in battles. This victory gave him the title Gaṅgai-koṇḍa-Cōḻā to commemorate which he even issued coins bearing this title. He makes specific mention of Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa as the country, which he conquered. Obviously, the name Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa for Bengal was known in Tamiḻnāṭu from ancient times. It may be useful at this stage to give a translation of Rājēndra-praśaṣṭi in his own words beginning from the conquest of Orissa. The translation is by Prof. K.A. Nilakanta Sastri in which Rājēndras progress in the battle occurs.
“Odda-viṣaya which was difficult to approach on account of its dense forest defense; the good Kosala-naṭu where Brahmins assembled: Daṇḍabhukti in whose gardens bees abounded; a land which he acquired after having destroyed in a hot battle takkana-lāṭam (dakṣina lādam) whose fame reached all directions and which he occupied; after having forcibly attacked Raṇasūra: Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa where the rainwater never stopped and from which Govindacandra fled having descended from his male elephant; elephants of rare strength women and treasure which he seized after having been pleased to put to flight in a hot battlefield, the strong Mahipala by the sound of a conch from the deep sea; Uttara lāṭam on the shores of the expansive ocean producing pearls and the Gaṅga whose waters bearing fragrant flowers dashed against the bathing places”. (Prof.K.A.Nilakanta Sastri, The Cholas, Madras University, Reprint 1984, p 207)
It may be seen that all the countries Rājēndra conquered were along the coast. Having defeated dakṣina-lāda and uttara-lāda. Rājēndra mentions Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa and Govindacandra and finally, he defeated the powerful Mahipala and ended his conquest with the Gaṅga. It is thus clear that Rājēndra’s Gangetic victory refers to his conquest of Bengal that included Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa and uttara and dakṣina-lādas, Mahipāla and Govindacandra. Gaṅgai-nāṭu here is decidedly the Bengal region.
19.2. Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa
The term Vaṅgāḷa is made up of two words Vaṅga and Aḷam. Vaṅga is the name of the country. According to the Tamiḻ lexicon, aḷam means a maritime region and also a saline tract. Even now many coastal regions in Tamiḻnāṭu where salt is prepared from sea water are called aḷam, uppaḷam i.e., the tract of backwaters where salt is manufactured and pēraḷam i.e., is a great region manufacturing salt from the seawater. The name Vaṅgāḷa in Tamiḻ is thus used for a) a maritime country and b) a saline region both in Vaṅgam.
It may also be mentioned that the Tamiḻ literature uses the word Vaṅga for a specific country (Bengal) and also ships and boats. Maybe the name Vaṅga is applied to the country of Bengal because it abounded in ships and boats.
19.3. Gaṅgarida
There is an important article by Prof. B.N. Mukherjee on the identification of the country and people of “Gaṅgaridal”. Prof Mukherjee has shown that Gaṅga was the heart of Bengal “Gaṅga-hṛada” and that Gaṅga country and Vaṅga-dēśa are identical. (The Character of the Maurya Empire, B.N.Mukherjee, Calcutta, 2000, P 152) The Sanskrit grammarians mention Gaṅga-kūla i.e., the banks of the Ganges. The title held by some Bengali families as “Gaṅguli” is probably derived from the usage “Gaṅga-kuli” a resident on the banks of Gaṅga-kūla.
19.4. Vaṅga-vaḷa-nāṭu
There are copious references to Vaṅgam and Gaṅga region in Tamiḻ sources. A Jaina Tamiḻ text named “Culāmaṇi” composed by one Tolāmoḻit-tēvar, is assigned to the early Pāṇḍyā times 7th Century. It is said to have been composed in the time of Pāṇḍyā ruler Māravarmaṉ Avanicūlāmaṇi of Maturai. The text describes a Swayamvara in which the bride selects a bridegroom from among the assembled kings and nobles. Among those who presented themselves were rulers of Aṅga country, Avanti, Kosala, and one Kuvaḷai Kaṇṇaṉ. The last mentioned was the ruler of Vaṅgavay Vaḷa nāṭu - meaning “the mouth of Vaṅga country”. The verse makes it clear that Vaṅga is the region where the Ganges river overflowing with waters on both its banks reaches the mouth of Vaṅga country, where the sea waves dash against the shores (Cūḷāmaṇi verse.1820). It also suggests a country where the ships and boats frequented. The verse seems to settle the fact the Vaṅga country was a coastal territory bordering the sea where the Ganges enters the sea. The name vaḷa-nāṭu shows a fertile cultivated territorial region. The mention of Vaṅga country as vaṅga-vāy-vaḷa-nāṭu is a clear indication that it was a fertile cultivated territory. (Cūḷāmaṇi, Ed. U.V.Swaminatha Iyer Chennai. 2nd Edition, 1962.)
19.5. Vaṅga, a Maritime Country
The city of Maturai, the capital of the Pāṇḍyās is compared in a Tamiḻ poem “Maturaik-kāñchi” (first cent.CE) with immeasurable rich treasures and commodities brought by ships and boats at the mouth of the great Ganges where it joins the sea. The wealth of Maturai City is likened to the mouth of Gaṅga-Bengal. The great commentator Nacciṉārkkiṉiyar explains this line as rich immeasurable treasures coming into the city of Maturai like the beautiful Ganges that falls into the sea branching into thousands of streams. The richness and fertility of the mouth of the Ganges were proverbial in Tamiḻnāṭu at the beginning of CE. There were also rich transactions of rare commodities that were brought daily by the ships.
nal aravunta viluk kaḷam anaittum
gaṅgai ām periyāṟṟu kaṭal patarnta aṅgu
aḷantu kaṭai aṟiya vaḷam keḻu tāyam
(Maturaik-Kāñchi 694-697)
That would indicate that Vaṅgāḷa-dēśa was a well-established maritime center at the beginning of the common era in the eyes of the Tamiḻ people.
In another place, the same poem says that merchants belonging to great countries came to the city of Maturai to buy beautifully made jewels in exchange for the commodities they brought. The foreign materials were brought in Vaṅga ships which reached the shores wafted by winds sails. They reached the shores by the dead of night and were anchored in the backwaters of the sea. (Maturaik-kāñchi line 536)
19.6. Gaṅga-vāri
Another ancient Tamiḻ Text Paṭṭinappāḷai assignable to the beginning of the current era, mentions the Cōḻā port of Kāviripūm-paṭṭinam where the “Gaṅga-vāri” were brought in ships. Gaṅga-vāri literally means “waters of Ganges”. But the commentator Nacciṉārkkiṉiyar of the 12th-century states Gaṅga-vāri refers to commodities brought from the Gaṅga region which included elephants, rubies, pearls gold, etc. The commodities so brought included kumkum, pannir-nīr, karpura (camphor), etc., from China and other countries in ships. Also, were imported fragrant material from the country of Kaṭaka (Kadāra) and food from Īḷam-Srilanka (lines-185-195).
19.7. Vaṅga Ships
It seems Vaṅga was famous as a sea-faring country from the very beginning and was building special types of ships or boats, so much so ships, in general, were called Vaṅgam in early Tamiḻ literature. There are two references to Vaṅga in the meaning of ship. The first is found in Puṟaṉāṉūru, verse no.400. It is in praise of Cōḻā Nalamkiḷḷi who is praised for receiving several Vaṅga ships and facilitated their halt in several of his ports. The second is in Puṟaṉāṉūru, verse 368 which refers to the Vaṅga ship that lost its direction in strong winds. (Puṟaṉāṉūru, Edited by Dr.U.V.Swaminatha Iyer, 6th edition, Madras, 1963). Puṟaṉāṉūru belongs to the first century C.E.
19.8. Visits to Vaṅga Country
Deivaccilaiyār, the commentator on Tamiḻ grammatical work, Tolkāppiyam, mentions a verse that refers to those who returned after visiting Vaṅga country and that their return brought happiness to all. (Cited by P.S. Subramanya Sastri, Tolkappiyam, Col-adhikara-kuṟippu, Madras, 1930, p.182). Deivaccilaiyār’s date is uncertain but belongs to medieval times.
19.9. Sātakarṇis, Rulers of the Vaṅga Country
There are two references in the text Cilappatikāram to Vaṅga region. The Cēra ruler Ceṅkuṭṭuvaṉ wanted to bring a stone from the Himalayas to carve the image of Kaṇṇaki. He crossed the great river Ganges with a fleet of boats (or ships) called Vaṅgam, provided by Sātakarṇi rulers of the region. The Sātakarṇis, with great comradeship, received the Cēra. The Sātakarṇis are called, the rulers of Vaṅga country, controlling both sides of the Gangetic river. After the Vaṅga country, the Cēra proceeded further north where Kanaka and Vijaya, the sons of Pāla-kumaraṉ, opposed him. They were aided by many other kings. The Cēra who ultimately defeated all of them got a stone from the Himalayas and made the vanquished Kanaka and Vijaya to carry the stone on their head. On his way back also, he was received by the Sātakarṇis on the southern bank of the Ganges. The Sātakarṇis are now called Ārya rulers. The reference in the Cilappatikāram seems clear to the dakṣina and uttara-lāda (Radha) country that covered probably both sides of the Ganges. (Silappatikaram, Edited by Dr.U.V.Svamintah Iyer, Kāl-kōt-katai, in Vañcik-kāṇṭam, lines 175-255).
19.10. Seaborne Silk Route
Another interesting reference to Vaṅga in the Cilappatikāram occurs in Maturaik-kāṇṭam, Ūr-kāṇ-kātai, lines 106-112. It refers to the month of Palguna (March), the end of winter, when Vaṅga ships used to sail to Toṇḍi, the port of the Pāṇḍyās on the east coast, laden with fragrant material, including the agaru and silken clothes such as the kosikam, pitakam (yellow) fine silks (like muslins), rakta silks (red), and northern silks. They also brought varieties of garlands, and other materials like kasturi, gorocana, candana, kumkum, lavanga, and karpura. The Vaṅga ships laden with all these materials moved into the Toṇḍi port wafted by the cool eastern breeze of the Vaṅga sea. This was the season when people used to celebrate the Kāma festival on a grand scale every year (Madanotsava.). That the Vaṅga country was famous in Tamiḻnāṭu for its silks, and fragrant material and that they were brought in Vaṅga ships especially during Madanotsava deserve notice. The Tamiḻs also eagerly awaited the arrival of these ships, which brought great joy to them.
19.11. Coastal Country of the Āryas
Cūḷāmaṇi is a Jain work in Tamiḻ composed by one Tolamoḻit-tēvar in the 7th century (edited with the help of eminent pandits by Kalyanasundara Iyer, the son of U.V.Svaminatha Iyer at Madras.2nd Edition, 1962). It refers to the cool coastal country of the Āryas and the resounding waves and the waters of Vaṅga in chapter 2, verse 32 (which points to the location of the Vaṅga country on the coast). The description occurs with reference to a country named Surama, near the Magada region. Describing the beauty of a girl, the same text, at another place, compares her lips to coral from the mouth of Vaṅga (region), vaṅga vāy pavaḷam. Vāy means mouth; pavaḷam (skt pravālam) is coral. Obviously, Vaṅga had a coral industry at its mouth and its pearls were also famous. Again the same text refers to the Vaṅga country as a sacred tīrtha as the Ganges empties itself into the sea at that place. (Culamani. Chapt.4.verse 222).
19.12. Bengali Agriculturists in Tamiḻnāṭu
A good number of agricultural cultivators of Tamiḻnāṭu claim even to this day that originally they hailed from Gangetic plains and migrated to Tamiḻnāṭu in very ancient times. The most illustrious of such a family is that of Sēkkiḻar, the minister to the Cōḻā ruler Kulōttuṅga II in the 12th century. This minister claimed himself as Gaṅga-kulōdbhava. He wrote the famous Periyapuraṇam on the lives of 63 Śaiva saints that became the most influential Śaiva text. (see my article on Gaṅga-kula-tilaka in the Professor Enamul Haque Felicitation volume)
19.13. Tamiḻ Cultivators are Gāṅgēyās
An 18th century Tamiḻ work on Koṅgu Veḷḷāḷa chief’s one on Kandasāmi and the other on Ponnaiyam, refers to them as born in Gaṅgai-kula i.e., the family of Gaṅgai. They were agricultural cultivators, who wielded considerable influence in the Koṅgu region (Koṭumaṇal Ilakkiyaṅgkaḷ, Ed.S.Raju, Gen Editor, Dr.R.Nagaswamy, Tamiḻnadu State Archaeological Department, Chennai 1983). These agricultural families also called themselves as Gāṅgēyas. i.e., those who came from the Gaṅga region.
19.14. First Migration to Kāñchipuram
They seemed to have migrated first to Kāñchipuram in Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam which included modern Chennai. The Toṇḍai nadu is the first northern part of Tamiḻnāṭu from where they migrated to the Kāvēri region. As Kāñchipuram was the most flourishing city that also served as a capital, the cultivators from Gangetic banks first moved there from where they went further south. Besides claiming migration from the Gaṅga region they also claimed a connection with Kāñchi, particularly with the Goddess Kāmākṣi in their transactions and records.
19.15. Kāmākṣi Presents Paddy Seeds
Goddess Kāmākṣi the daughter of the Himālayas and the consort of Śiva first migrated to Kāñchi in the south to do penance. According to legends recorded in medieval literature, Goddess Kāmākṣi presented initially paddy seeds to cultivators who developed paddy cultivation from then on.
19.16. The Sons of Ganges as Sons of Kāvēri
The Tamiḻ text Cilappatikāram mentions an interesting tradition that deserves attention. It speaks of “the sons of the Kāvēri river” who were agricultural cultivators. The commentator Aṭiyārkkunallār 12th cent on the Cilappatikāram says that the sons of Gaṅga river are called sons of Kāvēri because Kāvēri waters are Ganges waters (as sacred as Ganges waters), kāviri nīr gaṅgai nīr ātaliṉ gaṅgaiyiṉ maintarai kāviriyiṉ maintar enṟatu). It was held 1700 years ago that the cultivators on the Kāvēri delta were immigrants from Gangetic banks. As the Cōḻā-Kāvēri basin is on the coast skirting the Bay of Bengal, the migration ought to have taken place from Gaṅga country along the east coast. I have shown that Vaṅgam and Gaṅga country are synonyms. The cultivation of paddy and plantain etc in the Kāvēri deltaic region greatly benefited from the technical skill of cultivators from Bengal. (Cilappatikāram, kāṇḍam 1, kāthai 10, line 158-159).
19.17. Gaṅgai Nāṭu
I have shown earlier, in my article published in the Journal of Bengal Art, that the Śaiva Saint Jñana-sambandar in the 7th century mentions learned and venerated Vedic scholars from Gaṅgai naṭu, settling in Sīrkaḻi in Tamiḻnāṭu near Chidambaram.
The Vaiṣnava saint, Āṇḍal mentions Vaṅga kaṭal - i.e., Vaṅga sea, which she uses in the sense of the legendary “Milky ocean”. She also mentions that seagulls used to perch on the masts of the Vaṅga ships. Interestingly the name Vaṅga is also applied in early Tamiḻ literature Kuṟuntokai, to a bird, probably a sea bird, found in the Bay of Bengal (Kuṟuntokai poem 151 Ed U.V.Swaminatha Iyer Annamalai nagar, 1983).
Further studies in Tamiḻ sources are likely to throw more light on contacts between Tamiḻnāṭu and Bengal which is sure to fascinate Indian historians.