History of Tamil Humanism

Humanism was practiced by the Tamil people for over 70 000 years. It flourished among the Tamils in the Indus Valley civilization and continued in the four Tamil Kingdoms of Chera, Chola, Pandya and Jaffna Kingdom.

10 000 years ago, Tamil Saints called this philosophy ‘Samanam’. Samanam means ‘Ethical Humanism’ or ‘Tamil Humanism’. Tamil Humanism is one of the oldest philosophies in the world. It is pure Tamil in its origins.

Samanam is a popular religion in ancient religious history of Tamil Nadu. It was called Lokayata (Atheism) and was practiced more than 2500 years ago.

In 31 BC Thiruvalluvar revived Samanam and consolidated ethics into a book called Thirukkural (Tamil Marai). Thiruvalluvar recorded the message of the Thirukkural and the religion popular at that time was called Samanam.

From 3rd century five other new religions entered Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the followers of pure Samanam called this religion Lokayata to retain its unique identity.

In the Tamil Epic, Mannimegalai, dated 3rd century AD, it states there was six religions that Tamil Nadu people followed which are as follows:

  1. Lokayata (Atheism)
  2. Buddhism
  3. Sankhya
  4. Naiyayika
  5. Vaisesika
  6. Mimamsa

In the Niganndu (ancient Tamil lexicon) Sehndham Thivaagaram, dated 6th century AD the six religions that Tamil people followed is as follows:

  1. (Prati) Lokayata
  2. Vaisesika
  3. Naiyayika
  4. Mimamsa
  5. Arugatam (Jainism)
  6. Buddhism

The Thevaraaram, in the 7th century mentions the existence of the above six religions. However, it does not mention the names as this was common knowledge to the people of Tamil Nadu.

All the above religions accepted the Thirukkural as the Tamil Scripture (Tamil Marai).

Hence there were different schools of religions promoting the one Samanam religion. The Buddhists and Jains were also referred to as Samanars for this reason.

In ancient times Samanam’s main school of philosophy was called ‘Lokayata’, ‘Charvaka’ and ‘Aaseevagam’.

Charvaka means ‘Sweet-tongued’. The word Tamil also means ‘Sweetness’ and ‘Sweet language’.

Lokayata, Charvaka and Aaseevagam teachings were in existence before the Aryan invasion and colonization. The Aryan colonization brought in the Vedic Religion of anthropomorphism. Lokayata, Charvaka and Aaseevagam in response to the Vedic Priests added two more principles to its philosophy which is the rejection of Rituals, Superstitions and Supernaturalism. Thereafter Charvaka and Aaseevagam was popularly known as Samanam.  Samanam teachers influenced three Aryans saints namely Buddha who founded Buddhism, Mahavira who founded Jainism and Brihaspati.

The followers of pure Samanam called it Lokayata. This separated them from the Buddhist and Jains who were part of the Samanam school of philosophy however they had Sanskrit influence hence Lokayata was separated from them.

In the 8th century AD, Aadhi Sankarachariyar created a new list of six religions that Tamils began to practice as follows:

  1. Saivaism
  2. Vaishnavism
  3. Saktam
  4. Kowmaaram
  5. Gannaapathiyam
  6. Sowram

The followers of the Lokayata religion in Tamil Nadu was conquered. Lokayata as a Tamil religion was totally erased from Tamil Nadu. Samanam survived among few families scattered in villages across Tamil Nadu and migrated out of India during British rule.

Saints in every century thereafter attempted to keep the Tamil Humanist values alive amongst the people. Samanam Values have influenced the formation of Jainism, Buddhism and many other religions that followed after.

The Tamils give to the humanist world their contribution of over 2000 years of written humanist literature and the ruins of Indus Valley civilization that was built on Tamil Humanist principles in 3300 BC. The Indus Valley cities were constructed according to the humanist principles of the oral tradition of the Thirukkural.

Tamil Humanism since ancient times was called The Path of Virtue.

FOUNDER OF TAMIL HUMANISM: THIRUVALLUVAR

2000 years ago, Thiruvalluvar recorded the values of Tamil Humanism in the Thirukkural (Tamil Marai).

The Tamil Marai also called Thirukkural defines the Eight Core Values of Tamil Humanism.

In the year 31 BC, on 15 January Thiruvalluvar was born. Thiruvalluvar is the author of the Thirukkural. His principles are the foundation of Tamil Humanism.

LEADERS OF TAMIL HUMANISM

200 years ago, Tamils migrated throughout the world carrying the richness of Tamil Ethics to every corner of the world.

In 1860, Tamils arrived in South Africa as indentured labourers.

SINGARA VELLOO MOODLEY

Singara Velloo Moodley formed the Pretoria Tamil Rationalism Society in 1888. Singara Velloo and Anban had a meeting in 1948 where it was decided that they change the name to Tamizhar Kazhagam. The Pretoria Tamil Rationalism Society evolved into the Tamizhar Kazhagam and the Tamizhar Kazhagam evolved into the Thirukkural Society.

MURUVAN MUNSAMY (M. ANBAN)

On 13 January 1949, Anban founded the Thirukkural Society. Anban advocated the Thirukkural as a code of conduct for human life.

SEENIVASA MOODLEY

Seenivasa Moodley brought the first Tamil Marai (Thirukkural) in 1889 which had the humanist layout of Thiruvalluvar’s verses and started propagating its Tamil Humanist message in Tinley Manor in KZN and in Germiston in Gauteng.

R.M. MOODALI

In 1907, R.M. Moodali was born in South Africa and was an active leader of Tamil Humanism.

DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION

The Valluvar’s disciplic succession is 2000 years old. It begins with Valluvar with his first student disciple Elelasingan. The disciplic succession is based on anyone who accepts the humanist ideals of the Thirukkural and practices it. Therefore, anyone can accept Valluvar as a teacher. They become a disciple of Valluvar. In Tamil history there are times when no student of Valluvar was present. This does not mean the disciplic succession ends. This is a disciplic succession of people committed to the Thirukkural principles. The humanist ideals of the Thirukkural is preserved in book format. When a student is ready and becomes a ‘Devotee of the Thirukkural’ then Valluvar becomes present as a teacher to continue the disciplic succession.

This is different from the disciplic succession of where a teacher passes knowledge onto the student who becomes a teacher and then passes the same knowledge onto his students thus creating different lineages as well. In this instance the individual must be physically present and pass over the knowledge. When the teacher dies and there are no disciples the knowledge is lost and the disciplic succession ends.

Teacher:

Valluvar was born 31BC and is the teacher of the Thirukkural.

Students:

The students who are ‘Devotees of the Thirukkural’ over the ages that kept the ideals alive is as follows:

1. Elelasingan, Mullai and Vasuki                             – (4BC)

2. Avvaiyar                                                                – (5 BC)

3. Avvaiyars                                                               – (many Avvaiyars from 1 AD to 1300)

4. Seenivasa Moodley                                                – 1861 (Chidambaram, India)

5. Periyar Singara Velloo Moodley (P.S. Velloo)      – 1867 – 24 October 1960 (India)

6. R.M. Moodali                                                         – 31 October 1907 – 9 April 2008

7. Muruvan Munsamy (M. Anban)                            – 20 February 1926 – 26 October 2013