‘Commercial activities resulted in urban areas getting shifted from temple cities’

The focal points for mobilisation and distribution of resources in the pre-modern city era have been the temples in South India, said Dr. R. Champakalakshmi, renowned historian and Professor Emeritus in Ancient History, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

She was delivering a special lecture under the Business Line Club, Thiagarajar College of Arts in the city, organised in association with INTACH, Tamil Nadu Chapter, here on Wednesday, on “Urbanisation in South India-the pre-modern city”. The study on the concept of urbanisation could be traced to the processes of the forms and change in the evolution that marked the mobilisation and distribution of resources in South India during the times, she said.

The event was sponsored by Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB), Tuticorin.

Quoting profusely from diverse sources — from literature and from historians at different points times covering South India, she said the substance and the forms marked a transformation from a combination of political and cultural base to political and commercial base marked by the power of military. Subsistent agriculture gave way to trade across regions and industrialisation on the horizon. A major factor during the transformation that could be identified was that temples were “a validating instrument for urbanisation” covering all activities — political, social, economic and religious she added.

Commercial activities

With the emergence of distinct commercial activities as exemplified through the rise of ports in the east and west coast, urban centres got shifted from temple cities.

Craft and merchant guilds emerged, a network of trade associations came into prominence. The Tamils were identified as the ‘Masters of Sea”. To serve the diverse requirements of the changing scenario, one could see the adoption of ‘Varna System', especially from the Pallava period, she added.

She explained the emergence of the terms such as Nagaram and Nagarathar as integral to the economic and social transformation in the process of urbanisation with significant increase in the number of cities.

She added that spiritual leadership yielded place to military leadership and the temples receded into the background.

Earlier, Thamaraiselvan, Principal of the College, welcomed the gathering. Vani C.Senguttuwan, INTACH, Tamil Nadu, introduced the chief guest. V. Jeyaraman, Chief Manager, Simmakkal Branch, TMB, Madurai, gave a special address. Sharmila C. Ganesan, Co-convener, INTACH, Tamil Nadu, proposed the vote of thanks.

A large number of staff and students from various colleges, including from the neighbouring districts participated.

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