Land ownership Agriculture in ancient Tamil country

paddy fields in present-day kerala

the king owned lot of land, not sole landlord, had donated lands poets, brahmins, schools, hospitals , temples. bulk of agriculturists cultivators of own plots of land. tillers of soil , known different names - ulutunbar or yerinvalnar, because subsisted through end of plough, vellalar because considered proprietors of water , karalar or kalamar meant ruler of clouds. women cultivators called ulathiar. among vellalars, higher class people subsisted on produce lands owned whereas lower-class people had work on lands earn livelihood. higher class vellalars, besides holding land, held high offices under king, discharging civil , military duties, , assumed titles of vel, arasu, kavidi , had matrimonial alliances royal family.

apart traditional landlords , cultivators, there absentee landlords too. there various instances in kings donated tax-free lands poets, brahmins, educational institutions , hospitals. lands given brahmins known brahmateya. when lands given brahmins , poets, these donees quite left donated lands in hands of tenants or farm laborers. terms of tenancy in respect of such cultivation not known. independent laborers engaged specific purposes , known adiyor. regardless of nature of ownership, ranging great landlords owned vast stretches of land ordinary cultivator owned tiny piece of land, there feeling of pride in fact producers of food.

land, immobile property, , produce both taxable, king owed share being administrator of land. landlords , peasants paid tax - land tax known irai or karai , tax on produce called vari. believed one-sixth of produce collected tax. during times of floods , famines, cultivation affected , kings known kind enough make remissions. taxes collected revenue officials known variya , kavidi , assisted accountants called ayakanakkar. there graneries, known kalanjiyam, in public places in houses of farmers store excess grain people did not suffer in times of floods or famines. manram (council) of village took necessary decisions safeguard interests of people.

for surveys , taxation purposes, various measurements used measure land , produce. small land known ma , bigger 1 veli. 1 veli equal hundred kuli. produce measured using cubic-measures such tuni, nali, cher , kalam , weight-measures such tulam , kalanju. common vessels used measuring grains ambanam, nazhi , padakku, equivalent 2 marakkals. cubic measurements of shape of wine cask broader waist , narrow bottom , top. tightened , fixed metallic bands. balance known tulakkol in vogue.