Consider the administrative and political structure of the ancient Chera kingdom during the Sangam age: 1. The primary source of royal revenue was derived from maritime custom duties collected at ports like Muziris and agricultural produce from the fertile Kuttanad region. 2. The Chera monarchs exercised absolute autocratic authority, completely bypassing traditional clan assemblies and tribal chieftains known as Velirs. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because the flourishing spice trade with Roman merchants and agrarian output from Kuttanad formed the financial bedrock of the early Chera state. Statement 2 is incorrect because early Tamil polity was characterized by a participatory network where kings shared power with traditional chieftains, clan councils, and assemblies of elders. The Muvendar or three crowned monarchs relied heavily on local alliances rather than a standing centralized bureaucracy.