Gajabahu synchronism

Gajabahu synchronism is the chronological device used by historians to help date early Tamil history.cite book
last=V.
first= Kanakasabhai
title= The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago
origyear=
year=1997
publisher= Asian Educational Services
location=
isbn= 8120601505] From a mention in the "Silappatikaram", the Lanka king Gajabahu is taken to be a contemporary of the Chera king Senguttuvan. The genuineness of Gajabahu synchronism as an instrument to date early Tamil literature is accepted by most scholars today.cite book
last=Zvelebil
first= Kamil
title= The smile of Murugan: On Tamil literature of south India
origyear=
year=1973
publisher= Brill Academic Publishers
location=
pages = 37-39
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=VF2VMUoY_okC&pg=PA38&dq=gajabahu+synchronism&sig=8NZMMg8rzIDxWAC275LUmODFdb8
isbn= 9004035915
quote = The opinion that the Gajabahu Synchronism is an expression of genuine historical tradition is accepted by most scholars today] cite book
last=Pillai
first= Vaiyapuri
title= History of Tamil Language and Literature; Beginning to 1000 AD
origyear=
year=1956
publisher= New Century Book House
location= Madras, India
isbn=
pages = 22
quote = We may be reasonably certain that chronological conclusion reached above is historically sound]

Dating of Senguttuvan

In the "Silappatikaram", there is reference to a certain "Kayavaku", the king of Ceylon. He is said to have attended the coronation of the Chera king Senguttuvan.

The 30th Canto, 160, in translation, reads -

"Kayavaku" here, despite some disagreement has been taken to mean "Gajabahu".P. T. S. Iyengar in his "History of the Tamils"(p335) advances the theory that "Kayavaku" ought to be read as "Kaval"] The "Silappatikaram", therefore is read to imply that, "Gajabahu" was a contemporary of the Chera king Senguttuvan, the protagonist of the epic. Ceylonese history, however records the reign of two Gajabahus. According to the "Mahavamso", Gajabahu I reigned between 113 - 134 CE, while Gajabahu II reigned in the 12th century CE.

Kanakasabhai's reasoning for not considering Gajabahu II as the king mentioned is as follows:

This, in turn, has been used to imply that the Chera king kuttuvan, who, according to the "Pathirruppaththu" ruled for 55 years may be dated to c. 110 - 165 CE. This computation, which was first proposed by V Kanakasabhai Pillai in his book, "The Tamils 1800 years ago (1904)", has come to be known as the "Gajabahu synchronism". [V. Kanakasabhai, "The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago", Asian Educational Services, pp 6 - 9.] Kanakasabhai also mentions another reference from Silappatikaram which has the Chera king meet the Magadha king "Nurruvan Kannar" who is interpretted to as "Satakarni", which was a common among the Satavahana and Andhra dynasties as an additional proof for the synchronism. [V. Kanakasabhai, pp 7.]

Scholars Tieken and Swamy criticize this synchronism as of circular logic. [Tieken, Herman Joseph Hugo. 2001. Kavya in South India: old Tamil Cankam poetry. Groningen: Egbert Forsten.] [Dr Swamy, B.G.L, "The Date of the Tolkappiyam: A Retrospect." Annals of Oriental Research (Madras), Silver Jubilee Volume: 292-317] Failed verification|date=April 2008 Tieken's work has, however, been severely criticized on methodological and scientific grounds. [George Hart III. "Review of Tieken's "Kavya in South India." "Journal of the American Oriental Institute" "124":1. pp. 180-184. 2004.] [G.E. Ferro-Luzzi. "Tieken, Herman, "Kavya in South India" (Book review). "Asian Folklore Studies". June 2001. pp. 373-374] The Gajabahu synchronism has been widely used as the pivot around which much of the dating of Sangam literature is carried out.

References