பண்பாட்டு மானிடவியல் மற்றும் சமூக வரலாற்றுப் பின்னணியில் பேராசிரியர் தொ. பரமசிவனின் ஆய்வு முறையியல்: ஒரு பன்முகப் பார்வை

Research Methodology of Professor Tho. Paramasivan in the Context of Cultural Anthropology and Social History: A Multidimensional Perspective

Abstract

Professor Tho. Paramasivan (Tho. Pa.) created a new genre of historical perspective within the landscape of Tamil research during the late twentieth century. This article extensively examines his research methodology through the lens of a "multidimensional literary perspective." Moving beyond traditional histories centered on the ruling class, his approach—which focuses on the lifestyle of subaltern (grassroots) people and their material culture—is identified as "Bottom-up History." This paper analyzes Tho. Pa.’s specific research techniques, such as:

• Comparing epigraphical (inscription) data with Sangam literature.
• Approaching the human values embedded in Bhakti literature from a populist viewpoint.
• Identifying Tamil nationalist politics through the epic Silappathikaram.

Furthermore, this study traces how Tho. Pa. fits into Antonio Gramsci’s concept of the "Organic Intellectual" and explores how his seminal works, Alagar Koil and Ariyappadatha Thamizhagam (Unknown Tamil Nadu), brought the hidden facets of Tamil society to light.