Sangam-Era Writing Systems Found in Inscriptions: A Study

கல்வெட்டுகளில் காணப்பெறும் சங்ககால எழுத்து முறைகள் - ஓர் ஆய்வு

Abstract

This article investigates the various writing systems found in Tamil inscriptions (kal-veddukal), tracing their evolution from prehistoric pictographic forms to fully developed scripts. The study argues that ancient humans first communicated through symbols and gestures, gradually developing language and its visual representation through inscriptions, which today serve as invaluable historical documents illuminating the social, economic, and cultural life of past civilizations. The article identifies four principal writing systems found in Tamil inscriptions: pictographic script (chitra ezhuttukkal), Brahmi script (pirami ezhuttukkal), Grantha script (kiranda ezhuttukkal), and Vattezhutu (round script). Pictographic writing, evidenced in cave paintings at Sengalpatu and Virumalai in Tamil Nadu, represents the earliest stage of visual communication. Brahmi script, widely used across India for religious and royal edicts, was prevalent in Tamil Nadu from approximately the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE, found in major sites including Arasalur, Melur, Aanimali, and Thiruparangundram. Grantha script, derived from Sanskrit literary conventions, evolved through three developmental phases and is classified as Early Grantha, Pallava Grantha, and later forms. Vattezhutu, the oldest distinctively Tamil script, was prevalent especially in the Pandiya region and continued through the Chola period, with classical Tamil literary works including Silappatikaram and Manimekalai composed in this script. The article concludes that these writing systems are not merely orthographic tools but living mirrors of Tamil civilization, preserving the social, political, and cultural heritage of ancient Tamil society without any fictional embellishment.