பெண்ணியம்: சங்க காலம் முதல் தற்காலம் வரையிலான தமிழ்ச் சமூகக் கட்டமைப்பும் இலக்கியப் பதிவுகளும் – ஓர் ஆய்வு

Feminism: Tamil Social Structure and Literary Records from the Sangam Era to the Contemporary Age – A Study

Abstract

The primary objective of this research paper is to comprehensively examine female subjugation, patriarchal ideologies, and the social standing of women across the historical spectrum of Tamil society, utilizing literary evidence from the Sangam period to the present day. It elaborately discusses how the concept of “Feminism”—which diverges from traditional notions of womanhood to emphasize equality and liberation for women—originated in Western nations and subsequently evolved within the Tamil literary landscape. The paper systematically analyzes restrictions related to inner life (Aham) in Sangam literature, rules from Tolkappiyam, gendered division of labor, and oppressive practices such as enforced widowhood (Kaimmai Nonbu) and Sati (Udankattai Eruthal). Furthermore, it critically evaluates modern feminist thought that emerged in the 1980s, the growth of women’s education, voices raised against dowry atrocities, and the fragmentation of family structures as portrayed through the novels of women writers such as Rajam Krishnan and Tilakavathi. Additionally, the reflection of the economic theories of Marxist feminist thinker Friedrich Engels in modern Tamil novels and the perspectives of contemporary feminist studies published in open-access journals are presented in detail on a comparative basis.