CHAPTER FOUR HISTORICAL AND ETHICAL INTERPRETATION History and Nature It is a favourite observation with writers on India to say that the “historical sense” is wanting in all ancient Indian literature. If by a “historical sense” is meant a sense that ought to have produced chronological tables, and authors like Herodotus and Livy who wrote to recount the deeds and facts of the past, then it must be admitted that little literature has come down to us from antiquity that warrants the existence of such works.1 Yet ancient Tamil literature abounds with allusions both to contemporary and past events. If even in the absence of works similar to those written by Greek and Roman historians, it has been possible to trace out a history of the Tamil people during the Cankam period, it is due to the historical references in Cankam literature.2 Many of these references occur in love-poetry. This fact ought to prove to some extent how much folk traditions were held in regard. At the same time, it must be observed, that even these references were often made not only to praise the memory of great Tamil personages of the past, but also to eulogize contemporary patron-kings and patron-chiefs. For instance, a poet writes about the gossip in the locality regarding the courtship and clandestine meetings of a hero and a heroine. It may be that he has an actual “case” in mind, or it may be that he is just imagining a poetic situation. The poet would compare the widespread gossip and scandal-mongering “alar” of neighbours to some contemporaneous or past victory in battle achieved by a king or chief he admires, or from whom he has received bounteous ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Writers like P. T. SRINIVAS IYENGARand K. N. SIVARAJA PILLAI have based their works entirely on this literature. 2 The Sinhalese chronicles, Dipavamsa and Mahaavamsa are notable exceptions. |