பிற்கால அறஇலக்கியங்களில் குற்றவியல் சிந்தனைகளும் சமூக நீதி நிர்வாகமும்: Concepts of Criminal Justice and the Administration of Social Justice in Later Didactic Literature

Abstract

Ethical thought forms the foundation for social order and a peaceful way of life. Following the Sangam and post-Sangam eras, a significant number of didactic works emerged in Tamil literature during the later period—specifically between the 14th and 19th centuries. These texts provided the necessary guidelines for maintaining social order and ensuring a harmonious existence. Later ethical works—such as Neethineri Vilakkam, Nanneri, Aranericharam, and Mayuram Vedanayagam Pillai’s Neethinool—not only emphasize individual morality but also offer nuanced insights into crime prevention, theories of punishment, and the administration of justice within the social framework. The primary objective of this article is to examine, from a multifaceted perspective, the concepts of criminology and the systems of social justice administration embedded in these later ethical literary works.