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276 their cattle and to destroy their moats and ditches with elephants. When a fort was besieged by an enemy, the men in the fort used to fight even without taking food and write the number of days thus passed on the fort-walls (vii.8). The battlements were filled with bows and arrows, swords, anklets and wreaths of green leaves (vi. 3) ; the two last (worn by women) for distribution among the coward soldiers as marks of shame. It was also the custom to pour oil on the head of the vanquished leader and to drag him by both hands from behind. The victorious kings and soldiers used to dance with raised swords on the field of battle (vi. 6) and then give grand feasts to their men when the severed heads and bodies of the departed heroes lay strewn around them. This was களவேள்வி (camp feast) and துணங்கைக்கூத்து (war dance). They knew something of surgery and used to stitch the wounds received in battles with needles called Nettai or நெடு வெள்ளூசி (v. 2). They had their own military rules of discipline, and always preferred winter for military operations (ix. 2). Plunder was not their sole object, but a desire for power and authority actuated the Tamil kings to carry on wars with the neighbouring chiefs. Naval fights too were not unknown to them.

The standard authority on grammar for this period was Tolkapyam. The following peculiarities may be found in the work under consideration. The plural of high caste nouns had, ர், while the neuter