Socio-Economic Condition Of Kongu Region With Special Reference To Salem District

Abstract

This study is about the history of the Kongu Vellalas from the tenth century A.D. to the arrival of the British on the scene. The Vellalas started migrating to the kongu country from the tenth century A.D. gradually and spread throughout the Kongu country. During this period, the Vellalas fought against the native tribes. With conflicts, emerged intercultural contacts. Till the dawn of the eighteenth century A.D., the history of the Kongu vellalas was a history of conflicts and problems. The post-eighteenth-century history of the Kongu Vellalala needs a separate study. Hence the present study stops with the eighteenth century A.D. in the post eighteenth century, several far-reaching changes have taken place in the history of Tamil particularly so in the Kongu country. The early tribal organization gave place to caste organization. A pattern will throw light on the caste structure. The importance of ancient kongu Nadu is well known- the kongu country had commercial contact with the western world during the first few centuries of the christen era. To substantiate this, more than two thousand Roman coins were unearthed from important places like velanthavalam, anaimalai, Pollachi, vellalur, Karur, and kalvamuthur of kongu country ranging from 1^st century B.C. to the century A.D.