UPSC Previous Year Question | Prelims GS | 2023

Which one of the following explains the practice of 'Vattakirutal' as mentioned in Sangam poems?

  1. Kings employing women bodyguards
  2. Learned persons assembling in royal courts to discuss religious and philosophical matters
  3. Young girls keeping watch over agricultural fields and driving away birds and animals
  4. A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death

Answer

Correct Answer

A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death

Explanation

'Vattakirutal' refers to the practice, mentioned in Sangam literature, of a defeated king committing ritual suicide through starvation (fasting to death) rather than living in defeat.

Topics: history, ritual suicide, sangam literature, vattakirutal