Tamil Heritage Month began in 2010 and seeks to celebrate Tamil heritage, culture, and history. Throughout this month, we will be providing you with educational material such as this that seeks to help us understand our culture, roots and heritage.
“The Pandiyan nation is governed by females, with a queen.” – Megasthenes, ambassador from Greece, circa 4th century BC
“From the kingdom of Fon-kan-tou-lou, going by boat for more than two months, you reach the kingdom of Kanchi. These are extensive and populous lands, full of strange product, pearls and precious stones. From the time of emperor Won (140-86 BC) they have been trading with us.” – Pan Kou, visitor from China, circa 1st century BC
“From one place in India, and from one king, Pandiyan, there came to Augustus Caesar, ambassadors carrying gifts.” – Strabo of Greece, circa 10 BC-10AD
“From Comari (Kumari) toward the south, this region extends to Colchi (Korkal) where the pearl fisheries are and it belongs to the Pandiya kingdom. Beyond Colchi there follows another district. …with a region called Argaru (Uraiyur). At this place, and nowhere else, are bought the pearls gathered on the coast, and from ther are exported muslins.” – Periplus of Erythraean Sea (Pliny the Elder), Rome, circa 75 AD
“(The Tamils) have a written character and a literature that they are well versed in astronomy or the science of the heavens. All the men study the instructive books known as Siddantham, writted on palm-leaf intended to preserve a record of things.” – Ma Twan Lin, Chinese-historian, 550-600 AD
“The capital Kan-chih-pur-lo (Kanchipuram): The region had a rich fertile soil, it abounded in fruits and flowers and yielded precious substances. The people were courageous, thoroughly trustworthy and public-spirited and they esteemed great learning.” – Yuan Chwang, Chinese pilgrim, circa 640 AD
“Kales Dewar’s (Kulasekara Pandiyan) coffer were replete with wealth… In the treasury of the city of Mardi (Madurai) there were 1200 crores of gold deposited. Besides this, there was an accumulation of precious stone, such as pearls, rubies, turquoises and emeralds – more than is in the power of language to express.” – Wassaf, Muslim historian from Shiraz, circa 1281 AD
“…there are five kings, who are own brothers. At the province’s end reigns one of these five royal brothers who is crowned king, and his name is Sonder Bandi Davar (Sundara Pandi Devar). The Prince is the finest and noblest in the land.” – Marco Polo, traveler from Venice, circa 1293 AD
“The Tamils left brilliant legacies in poetry, painting and sculpture. But their finest creations were in bronze. Among their masterpieces is the image of Siva… cast in one piece in 1011, four hundred year before Donatello in Florence. There had been nothing like it since the ancient Greeks.” – Michael Wood, British writer and narrator, TV series on world civilizations, 1991
Source:
International Tamil Language Foundation (2000). Tirukkural; The handbook of Tamil culture and heritage; Guide to Tamils Future. Illinois, National Publishing Co.
