Pure Tamil Names Hidden in the Eelam Prakrit Inscriptions
Pure Tamil Names Hidden in the Eelam Prakrit Inscriptions
Ancient Tamil names such as Miththan, Kuththan, Kuttan, Kootran, Thiththan, Theeyan, Koththan, Kotran, Nakkan, Nannan, and Nagan can be identified in Prakrit-language inscriptions from ancient Tamil regions, where they appear in altered linguistic forms such as Mithaha, Kuthaha, Thisaha, and Naga. This demonstrates how original Tamil names underwent phonetic transformation into Prakrit forms.
In this context, the term Kuan found in the Mangulam inscription of Tamil Nadu is an abbreviated form of Kuththan. The inscription refers to Kani Nandan, a teacher, and Kuththan (Kuan) Anthai. Similarly, hundreds of inscriptions in Eelam refer to Kuthaha, that is, Kuththan.
The expression Maha Kuthaha corresponds in Tamil to Perunkootran (“Great Kootran”).
Likewise, the Mangulam inscription of Tamil Nadu states:
“Kaniy Nandasiriy Kuan thamam eetha Nedunchezhiyan Saalagan Ilanchadikan thanthai Chadikan seyy paliy.”
This may be interpreted as:
“A gift was granted by Kani Nandan (Nannan), the teacher, to Kuththan (Kootran).”
Another inscription reads:
“Kaniy Nanda Asiriyi Ku(v)an ke thammam iththaa Nedunchezhiyan Panaan Kadalaan vazhuththiy kottupitha paliy.”
And another states:
“Kani Nadasiriy Kuva[n] … Velarai Nigamathu Kaavathiyi Kaazhithiga Anthai Asuthan Pinu kodupithon.”
In Prakrit, the term Nandar refers to the ancient Magadhan Velir rulers known as the Nannars. Their empire was the first major empire to emerge in Magadha, preceding the Mauryan rule.
Thus, all three inscriptions cited above contain the names Kani Nandan and Kuvan/Kuva, demonstrating that these are shortened forms of the ancient Tamil name Kuththan (Kootran).
A further example is inscription IC-367, which reads:
“Pada Dhammakuthaha sa Thisakuthaha sa Dhamarakitha lene.”
Its meaning is:
“The cave belonging to Thisakuthan (Theeyan Kootran), a musician skilled in percussion instruments, and to his teacher Dhammakuthan.”
Likewise, names such as Kanathisa found in Eelam inscriptions carry the meaning of Kani Theeyan. This is a Prakrit form of the Tamil name Theeyan. The form Thisa is thus understood as a Prakrit transformation of Theeya.
Members of the Theeyar community are said to have travelled in all eight directions and excelled in maritime trade. As a result, they acquired names such as Vanija Thisaha (“merchant Thisaha”). Some rose to become kings, known as Thisaraju; some became teachers, called Pada Thisa; some became monks, known as Thisa Thera; and some became heads of households, called Hapathi Thisaha.
These Theeyars were also communities belonging to the Chera country.
What do these facts indicate? Do they not point toward identities such as Theeyar, Theeyan, Athiyar, and Athiyan?
Similarly, in many places it is stated that the Pandyan king Nedunchezhiyan provided a residence for Kani Nanda Asiriyar Viyakkan. This Kani Nanda Asiriyar Ku(th)an was a Jain ascetic.
The first people to introduce Jainism to Eelam were merchants. Subsequently, the Eelam Pandyans came to be identified as (I)Viyakkars.
Those who instead continued to follow their ancestral religion were known as the Nagars. The name Nakkan is also one of the names associated with Shiva. Those who practised Naga worship were therefore called Nagars.
Thus, the Vi(I)yakkars and Nagars were ancient Tamil people of Eelam known through the indigenous traditions of Eelam.
Only after the arrival of the Prakrit language did the Tamil word Parumakan acquire the Prakrit suffix and become Parumakanth. Later even that evolved further into the simpler form Parumaka.
Similarly, the Tamil word Marumaan became Marumaanth through the addition of the Prakrit suffix and eventually disappeared.
The factor responsible for these changes was Jainism, which arrived together with the Prakrit language.
Before Jainism spread in Eelam, refined Tamil already existed there. Evidence for this can be found in several inscriptions written entirely in pure Tamil.
These inscriptions contain names such as:
- Maninagan
- Senthan Maran
- Vēl Kannan’s son Vēlnagan
- Vēlnagan’s son Vēl Kannan
These inscriptions are dated to the 6th and 7th centuries BCE.
Subsequently, when Prakrit began to be written in Eelam, most of the scripts used were in fact Tamil letter forms. The reason for this was that Tamil had existed in Eelam before the spread of Prakrit.
For example, many letters such as:
ம (ma), ந (na), ன (ṉa), க (ka), ள (ḷa), ழ (ḻa), ற (ṟa), வ (va), and அ (a)
are characteristic of Tamil.
Because many Prakrit words could not be written using these letters alone, additional letters were created. This same method was later adopted by Emperor Ashoka of Magadha, resulting in Ashoka’s inscriptions.
Before Ashoka’s time, Prakrit inscriptions and pottery inscriptions are not found in northern regions. The very few inscriptions that do exist are written in the Eelam Prakrit script that lacks Ashoka’s conjunct-letter forms.
Even those inscriptions are connected with Jainism.
Translation by Hari
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