Did IVC have low-intensity wars?

[Vanbakkam Vijayaraghavan]

On Fri, 2 Feb 2001 18:13:12 +0000, N. Ganesan <naga_ganesan at HOTMAIL.COM>
wrote:

>emphasizing aRam. Pallavan rule in fact patronizes the
>Sanskrit and Brahmins with large land grants. Probably the stability
>of  Gupta dynasty in the North with their patronage of the Sanskrit
>culture provides a model to build kingdoms covering a wider area than
>hitherto possible. Earlier in sangam times when Tamils were
>transforming from an oral society towards literacy, the Brahmins and
>the Jainas were moving in, but the indigenous priests were the
>potters, washerfolk, conch shell cutters, and so on and their
>infuence is highly visible. The discontinuity from sangam to Pallavan
>era is accomplished by a radical shift of sponsorship from the native,
>often indigent, priests to the Brahmins.

You are saying in pre-Pallava times, it was "indigenous priests" in
contradistinction to Brahmins were the mainstay of priesthood.

Please read Prof.S.Vaiyapuri Pillai's "Life of Amcient Tamils". It is
at http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/5828/tcpthv.htm#castes.
Prof.Vaiyapuri Pillai mentions:

The section on "Fourfold Jathis" says:
At the time of Tholkappiam (my words: the earliest Tamil literure),
the four fold division of jatis were in vogue. Tholkappiyam mentions
the fourfold division as Brahmins, Kings, vaishyas and Vellalas.
(Thol. Marabus:71, 72, 77, 81). Purananuru 181 also refers to
fourfold varnas., etc, etc......

The next section on Brahmins says:
Of the fourfold varnas, Brahmins were considered as special. It was
to Brahmins that (Tamil)Kings bowed. Ref Padirrupattu 63. Brahmins did
the yagnas required by the Kings (Puram.224). Kings sent Brahmins as
ambassadors to other countries(Puram 34). It was the brahmins who got
the vedic religion and education (Puram 22). Those who gave trouble
to brahmins were considered as great sinners (Puram 34) Kings
preserved Brahmins by givin donations of Nadus.(Puram 122). Brahmins
also became rulers  sometimes. Tholkappiyam Marabu 80 says: Kingship
can go to Brahmins. It was not considered degrading for brahmins to
become rulers (Puram 200).


So if Vaiyapuri Pillai is to be belived, it looks like brahmins had become
well established by CT time. Any comments?