The structure of social and political relations in a south Indian little kingdom

Abstract

This paper represents a preliminary formulation of an analysis of the development of political structures of authority and kingship in the little kingdom of Pudukkottai as well as a partial presentation of ethnographic material concerning the royal subcaste of Pudukkottai. The basic argument is that kinship, or social organization, cannot be seen apart from a political context which must be understood in terms of particular historical dynamics. This argument is exemplified by the myriad ways in which the royal caste, the Kallars, as a whole and the royal subcaste in particular have been formed in relation to the political history of Pudukkottai. The argument further places great emphasis on the institution of the temple, and demonstrates the ways in which temples, and the honors which they constitute and distribute, mediate the relationship of politics and society. Finally, kinship is seen to be only one aspect of the symbolic and moral relationships which are ultimately constituted in relation to the king and the gifts of honors, privileges, and entitlements which he gives.