Page:Origin and spread of the Tamils.djvu/41



LECTURE II SPREAD OF TAMIL CULTURE ABROAD I SHALL endeavour to show tonight the cultural drifts from and into South India from prehistoric times. Before doing so I must give you some idea of the geography of the ancient world, at least the world which was known to the ancient Tamils and the world with which they had an active intercourse. On the west, they knew the Mediterranean countries, Africa and Egypt, the ancient Babylonia and Sumer, Persia ; on the east, China and Burma. They had the knowledge of the Archipelago group, Australia and Polynesian countries. North India and Ceylon of course were known. If the thesis which I have propounded, viz., that South India was the original home of what we may call the Mediterranean race, be granted, the remarkable consequence will be to give an eastern origin to the western Asiaticand even Egyptian culture (De Morgan, L'Egypte et l'Asie aux temps antéhistoriques, JA., cciii, 1923, pp. 117-159; La Prehistorie Orientala, Vol. I and Vol. 11, Paris, 1925-6). In dealing with prehistory one cannot always expect precision. But the following details may be noted. There was contact between South India