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1. TINAI

2. Tinai meaning The term tinai has four distinct, but interconnected meanings. They spring from the basic meaning, namely, 'to join’ Tinai refers to, ‘Human community indigenous to a specific ecoregion'.

3. Definition of tinai Tinai is an order of community life found among early Tamils and, perhaps, others. Its characteristic feature is its emphasis on land- life relationship. Accordingly, human communities like other organismic communities were organised on eco-regional basis. (Tinai studies by Dr.Nirmal selvamony)

4. Tinai in English Tinai has no perfect translation in english because it is a typical tamil word used in sangam age of tamilnadu . It is a bad thing to translate as landscape But both of them has some similarities.

5. Landscape Daniel and Cosgrove defines it as an outward expression of human perception, “ a landscape is a cultural image, a pictorial way of representing, structuring or symbolizing surroundings ”(Daniel & Cosgrove,1988).

6. Tinai concept is from….. This ‘Tinai concept’ is evidenced from Tamil literature(poems) Poetry is a literary art that reflects human life in an aesthetic way It deals with many concepts like love, war, truth, happiness, frustrations, hopes, friendship, enmity and beliefs. The Tamil poems deploy nature and its surrounding landscape (Tinai) as a framework to express human love.

7. Tamil literature

8. Our tinai concept is in akam poem According to Tolkappiyam (Tamilbook which is considered to be a encyclopedia for sangam age) there are three aspects which are very basic to akam poetry Tolkāppiyam, in sutra 3 of Aka-t-tinai Iyal, lists the components of the Akam poem as follows: On examination, when we list them, the entities which constitute the poem are, excelling in order, mutal, karu and uri-p-porul

9. Three divisions These are all called 1.Muthal porul (principal or first thing) 2.Karupporul ( Naturo-cultural element) 3.Uripporul (Human action)

10. The Tamil equivalent of ‘oikos’ is ‘Tinai’ A typical oikos is a nexus in which the sacred, the humans, natural and cultural phenomena stand in an integrated relationship. The Tamil equivalent of oikos is tinai that integrates specific space and time(Muthal) ,naturo-cultural(Karu) elements and human action(Uri).

11. Muthal porul (first thing) Muthal means first or principal, and refers to the setting in 1. Time – Poluthu , and 2. place – Nilam , in which the activity of the Akam poem takes place. 1. Time is conceived of in two aspects, the time of the year, or season and the time of the day or night .

12. time Tinai Major time Minor time 1.Kurunji 2.Mullai 3.Marutam 4.Neytal 5.Palai Winter and early dewy season (mid-October to mid-February) Rainy season (mid-August to mid-October) All seasons All seasons Summer mild and wild,late dewy season(M id-February to mid-August) Midnight Evening Small hours an dawn Sun-set Mid-Day

13. Place (muthalpporul) Tamil literature has classified our land into five landscapes(Tinai) Each of these was name after a flower In the Sangam Age, the Tamil people had a common language and culture. But, they lived in five different natural landscapes. These natural landscapes or geographical regions were known as Thinais (Eco zones) Land refers to the landscape in which the poem is set

14. there are five places(tinai) Kurinji - Mountains, Hilly tracts Mullai – Forest and pasture; Marutham – Agricultural lands Neytal – Lands by the seashore; Pālai – waste lands,Drylands.

15. Kurinji tinai The kurinji region was hilly and mountainous. Obviously the kurinji was the region particularly suited to the early or primitive mode of living man could take shelter from wild beast as well as from sun and rain in the natural caves of the hills. As civilization developed ,the people of kurinji abandoned their caves an started building small houses Some type of agriculture also undertaken

16. Mullai tinai The pastoral region was called “Mullai” The cattle breeding were their major occupation , this profession required a group of people . The emergence of the joint family system was one of the features of this On account of the facilities afforded by nature in the mullai region , the domestication of animals had developed in a large way.

17. Marutam tinai The most advanced tinai among early Tamilnadu was those who occupied the fertile riverine valleys in Marutam Houses big and small were found constructed for the purpose of storing food grain , cotton and other materials and also for the residence of the cultivator and his family

18. Neytal tinai The coastal region was called Neytal Near about their home the people of Neytal earned their livelihood by selling fish and salt In due course, they took fish and salt into the interior of the country and bartered them for other kinds of foodstuff

19. Palai tinai Another division was palai, the sandy desert region which occupied a rather insignificant but singular place in the Tamil country The term Palai refers to the desert region. But, there was no desert in the Tamil country. Therefore, it could be said that whenever there was drought due to failure of rains, that region was called as Palai.

20. Kurinji-areas in tamilnadu

21. Mullai-areas in tamilnadu

22. Marutham-areas in tamilnadu

23. Neytal-areas in tamilnadu

24. Palai-areas in tamilnadu

25. Karupporul (Native element) Karu means embryo, nucleus, and refers to the various elements of flora, fauna, food , Inhabitants , soil ,Musical instruments, and so on, which are native and specific to each tinai. This is a naturo-cultural thing

26. people Kurinji- kuravar (shifting agriculturists), vetar (hunters and food gatherers) Mullai- Idaiyar (cattle-keepers) Marutam- Ulavar (plough agriculturists), Neytal- paratavar (fisherman), Umnar (salt manufactures) Palai- kallar (Robbers)

27. occupation Kurinji- Hill tribes, Gathering honey Mullai-Grazing cattle(shepherds) Marutam-Agriculture Neytal-Fishing and salt manufacture Palai- Travellers and robbers

28. animals Kurinji-Elephant ,Tiger , Bear Mullai-Deer, Rabbit Marutam- Buffalo and the water-Dog Neytal-Shark , Cod Palai-Emaciated elephant ,Wild Dog

29. flowers Kurinji- Strobilanthus (Kurinji) Mullai-Jasmine (Jaminium sambac) Marutam- Lotus, Lily Neytal-Lotus alba (Thaalzhai) Palai-Wild cinchona (Maram-Flower)

30. Birds Kurinji- Peacock , Parrot Mullai- Forest hen Marutam- Swan , water fowl Neytal- The sea crow Palai- Vulture, Hawk

31. Source of water Kurinji-Water falls, Springs Mullai-Jungle river Marutam-Rivers ,Tanks Neytal-Wells, Sea water Palai-Dry wells , stagnant water

32. Drum (parai) and tune (Raga) Tinai Drum Tune 1.Kurinji 2.Mullai 3.Marutam 4.Neytal 5.Palai Veriyattupparai, Thontakapparai Erukot parai Nellari Parai Navaipparai Valipparipparai Kurinji tune Catari (Kamavardhini) Marutam Cevvali Palai (panjuram)

33. food Kurinji-Millet , wild rice and bamboo grain Mullai- Mutirai (a pulse-variety),paspulam frumantaceum Marutam-Rice Neytal-Food obtained by sale of salt Palai-Whatever is obtained by loot

34. trees Kurinji-Indian kino(Santanam) , Silk cotton tree Mullai-Indian laburnum (konrai) Marutam- Arjuna(Marutam) , Myrobalan Neytal-Alexandrian laurel , Fragrant screw pine Palai-south Indian mahua,purge,soorai

35. Cultivation and production Kurinji-People cultivated fruits and vegetables and gathered honey Mullai-Being shepherds, they produced dairy products like milk, curd and ghee. Marutam-They cultivated paddy, sugar cane and a variety of fruits like mango, plantain and Jackfruit. Irrigation methods were also known to them . Neytal-People of this region produced and sold salt

36. soil Kurinji-Red and black soils with stones and pebbles Mullai-Red soil Marutam-Alluvial Neytal-Sandy ,saline soil Palai-Salt affected soil

37. Supernaturalism in tinai These five tracts had such clear cut socio-cultural traits that they had their own Gods to worship and forms of worship. The God for Marutham was Indran(Rain God) The God for Mullai was Thirumal (Lord Vishnu) The God for Kurunchi was Murugan (Lord Karthikeyan) The God for Neythal was Varunan (sea God) The God for Palai was Kotravai .

38. Reason The Neidal or the fisher folk worshipped Varuna, the God of the seas as well as the shark which they propitiated naturally. This reference is not merely to a literary convention but a living socio-religious practice compelled by the local regional environment suitably embellished with the divine activities of these Gods and gave meaning to the beliefs of the mortals who worshipped them.

39. God’s relation to land Marutam tinai had cultivation land so the people need water to agriculture. In Hinduism Indran is the god who give rain so they worshipped in Indran and celebrated indra vilza According to hindu holy books kali or durgai is the symbol of braveness .so palai people worshipped in kali Murugan is the god of kurinji . Because Murugan has six hands, six heads (Hindu books) .His power and wealth is used to protect all hills and animals ,plants living there . And a belief is that he married a tribal girl called valli . so Murugan was worshipped in kurinji.

40. Totemic worship Apart from these, we know that totemic worship also was well known and widely practised. Rivers, mountains, animals, reptiles, birds etc. were objects of worship and deemed sources of protection. It was a tribal practice to hold such objects in reverence and this kind of religion also developed its own mythology

41. Sangam tamil poem about gods “The jungle tracts close to Vishnu dear, The mountain slopes, fav'rite haunts of Skanda, The river-fed regions by Indra blessed, The sandy sea-sides under Varuna's care,”

42. Uripporul (Human action) Uri is connected with the word urimai – ownership, appropriateness, propreity, and refers to the distinctive mood that characterises each tinai. The correspondence between the five tinai and their associated moods is as follows: Kurinji – union of lovers (punartal) Palai- Separation of lovers (pirital) Mullai- patient waiting ( Iruttal ) Neytal-Mood of despair (Irangal) Marutam- Love quarrels (Utal)

43. Kurinji-union of lovers Poem (Ainkurunuru-214): He will go back to his glorious country where  heavy rains fall on mountains, and where huge sweet jackfruits on mountain slopes fall down below between cracked black boulders, breaking  the large honey combs. The friend says this at a place where the hero can hear her. This is a way of nudging him to come and marry her friend

44. Mullai-patient waiting Poem (kuruntokai-234) : The sun goes down and the sky reddens, pain grows sharp, light dwindles . Then is evening when jasmine flowers open, the deluded say. But evening is the great brightening dawn when crested cocks crow all through the tall city and evening is the whole day for those without their lovers Heroine (who languishes because of the separation of her lover)speaks to her friend about her lover who has gone in such of wealth

45. Marutam-love quarrel Poem (Ainkurunuru-17) Hovering like the heron in the sky over the white cane-blossom waving tall among leaves of grass, he goes after new women, My simple heart stands empty.   Heroine speaks to herself about the unwanted attitude of her companion

46. Neytal-mood of despair Poem (Ainkurunuru-50) Man from the flourishing town where vanji grows abundantly! My friends and I are sad because you left her. Please show her some mercy. Your wife who has you in her heart, cries.  The friend of the heroine speaks to hero about her friend’s situation without him

47. Palai-separation of lovers Poem(kuruntokai-130) He will not dig up the earth and enter it, he will not climb into the sky, he will not walk across the dark sea. If we search every country, every city, every village, can your lover escape us? Heroine’s friend (relaxing) the herione who is feeling bad about the ‘separation of her lover’

48. Uripporul was associated with their land and occupation Example : Neytal’s karupporul (Human action ) Is Mood of despair It is because hero went to sea for fishing .Heroine waiting for his returning home .But she worried about his journey in the sea .sea traveling has a lot of difficulties. storms ,big waves, Cyclones will kill her lover so she has a mood of despair still his lover will come to home.

49. A.K.ramanujan’s idea of mutal,karu,uri porul ………the systematic symbology depends on the association between these two aspects (karu and uri). They are distinct and co-present . They require each other ; together they make the world . Mutal and karu, First things and Native elements are seen as the objective correlative or rather than correlative objectives , of human experience . It is also significant that in the Tamil system , though gods are mentioned ,they are only part of the scene ; they preside , but as natives of the landscape.

50. Tinai society people People from each tinai went out interacting with the peoples of the other tinaisand entered into barter of goods. Example: the people from the hilly backwoods came down to other zones for exchanging their resources like honey , meat, fruits and other wild goods. The people of pastoral tracts exchanged their dairy products and the coasted people fish and salt. The small, self-sustaining tinais grew up into larger eco-zones through such interaction and interdependence. society was essentially simple and consisted of clans.

51. connection between tinai, ecosystem and ecology P.L.Samy shows the connection between tinai, ecosystem and ecology thus: 'The modern concepts of Ecosystem and Ecology are surprisingly close to the concept of Thinai Division in ancient Cankam literature… The term ecology means the relationship of plants, animals, and people to their environment from time to time through change of season, rainfall, climate and the influence of man himself‘ However, systematic ecological approach begins only later in the eighties when ecological concepts like biome (are adopted to elucidate tinai theory.

52. Importance of tinai As in the pre-historic period, the life of the people in the Sangam age had remained simple and natural. The Sangam Tamils had chosen their occupation according to their natural environment. Although they lived in five different regions, there was a close interaction between them. This interaction had resulted in the development of a common language and culture in the Tamil country.

53. Why tinai? Because people, like other organisms, have a right to their own traditional community order. To help people integrate with their environment better and rediscover their lifestyles compatible with their environments. Because tinai can help grapple with most present-day problems -- environmental, social (caste, untouchability and other forms of discrimination and oppression), economic (class conflict), political (corruption, law and order problems, and inadequate participation in government) and other such. To free people from their dependence on power centres, knowledge systems, affective systems, technologies, and other pervasive forces that lie outside their home environments.

54. summary In the Sangam Age, the Tamil people had a common language and culture. But, they lived in five different natural landscapes. These natural landscapes or geographical regions were known as Thinais. The five Thinais referred to in the Sangam literature were Kurinji, Mullai, Marudham, Neydal and Palai, Each Thinai was geographically distinct from the other. Moreover, each of these regions had reflected their own social characteristics.

55. Thank you By, Balambiga.B (I Msc che) Devibala. P (I Msc che) Keerthana kannu. S (I Msc Mat)

56. REFERENCES (books) 1.Popular Culture In Ancient Tamilagam by Dr.A.Singaravel 2.The Interior Landscape by Prof.A.K.Ramanujan 3.Akananuru translated by Dr.A.Dakshinamurthy (vol1,vol2,vol3) 4.Kurunthogai translated by R.Balakrishna mudaliyar 5.School 3 std social science book vol 2(TN Gov)

57. REFERENCES (FROM web search) Tamil literature ,wikipedia sangam landscape, wikipedia Tinai studies by Dr.Nirmal selvamony OSLE India newsletter (vol 1.No 3) The poetic landscapes of Tamilnadu Essays in ecocriticism by Rayson K.Alex,Nirmal selvamony,Nirmaldasan (e-book) Definition of Tinai, wikipedia Oikopoetics and Tamil poetry by Dr. Nirmal selvamony