Page:Origin and spread of the Tamils.djvu/45



34 ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF THE TAMILS in general. I may mention in passing that the early Andhra and Kurumbar coins bear the figure of two masted ships but with no outriggers. They suggest overseas trade. Simultaneously, South India had intercourse with Malaysia'. It is taken for granted that the reşulls of the maritime commerce with these countries were the introduction of cocoanut of Pacific origin, toddy-tapping and betel chewing. Whatever this may be, we have the mention of all this in the Sangam works, though palm toddy seems to have been the favourite drink. We have in Polynesia, burial in a sitting posture, which custom is still found in South India among the Devaganga weavers, Visvakarma Brahmans, Okkhyians of Coimbatore, Pisharodis of Travancore and Irulas of the Nilgiris. The tanged adzes of South India have their counterpart in Poly. nesia and Archipelago islands. In the same way the boomerang,* the earliest weapon in use, is considered Australian in origin and was brought to South India by early mariners. The Maravars in Madura District use a boomerang crescent-shaped with a knob at one end while the Bhils in Central India used curved shaped ones. What is interesting is that the boomerang was in use in the Nile valley. How could this have gone to Egypt unless it be through South India ? This is one of the unassailable links of South India with Egypt probably from lithic times. I have already referred to South Indian pottery in predynasty Egypt. What we have to notice here is that South India adopted elements of alien culture whenever it suited its purposes. It