Dravida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses of Dravida, see Dravidian (disambiguation)
Dravida is a term that represented various identities throughout the history of India. The ambiguity of the term has continued even today as sometimes it denotes people of South India, sometimes speakers of Dravidian languages.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
This Sanskrit word is believed to be an equivalent of Prakrit form of the word in Tamil.
* Tamil to Prakrit * Thamizha(r)->Damila->Damida
* Prakrit to Sanskrit * Damida ->Dramida->Dravida
[edit] Association with South
In South India, Tamils were the first Dravidian speakers to build native empires around 300 BCE. Other major Dravidian speakers like Kannadigas and Telugus were at that time ruled by great empires whose official languge was Prakrit with capitals in central India (Shatavahana empire).
Although around 350 CE. the first native Kannada empires, the Kadambas of Banavasi and Gangas of Talakad rose to power in northern and southern Karnataka respectively, the term Dravida came to denote not just Tamil or Tamil region but the entire South India because of the early political prominence and independence of the Tamil region.
However, the identity with South India in classical texts denote to Brahmins of southern states couple of which are not linguistically related to Dravidian states.
[edit] Pancha Dravida Brahmins
Brahmins in old days were classified as Northern and Southern Brahmins. Northern Brahmins were called Pancha Gauda Brahmana and Southern Brahmins were known as Pancha Dravida Brahmana. The Dravida(Southern) regions included, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Dravida(Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and Andhra Pradesh.
[edit] Manu Smriti and Dravida
Manu Smriti declares all Dravidas are Shudras degraded from their Kshatriya position for not following Vedic rituals. Dravidas share this position along with Sakas, Yavanas, Pahlavas. But it is unclear if Dravida in Manusmriti meant all of South Indians or only Tamils. Another linguistically Dravidian tribe, Andhra, finds a mention in the book.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Madrasi
The association of South Indian identity with Tamils continued even to modern times. During initial decades of 20th century and may be initial decades of Indian independence there was a conspicuous presence Tamil Brahmins in North Indian society who generally migrated from Madras province. This resulted in labelling of South Indians as Madrasis. However, this is viewed by all South Indians as derogatory. Also, Kannadigas and Telugus find the identity completely alien.
[edit] Dravida sisu
Adi Shankaracharya who was born in Kaladi, Kerala, in his devotional poem 'Soundarya Lahari' talks of 'Dravida sisu' i.e. Dravida child. Kanchi Shankaracharya thinks he is referring to himself. There is another school of throught which says by Dravida Sisu he meant Thirugnana_Sambanthar, a Tamil Saivite poet, who incidentally was a brahmin. Either way, this is the first historical record of someone referring to himself or someone socially similar as Dravida.
[edit] References
 |
This article about an Indian ethnicity or social group is a stub. See the WikiProject India for article coordination. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
