Know the Etymology: 120
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 01 December 2016

Amicci-kuḷam, Āṇṭāṉ-kuḷam

அமிச்சி குளம், ஆண்டான் குளம்
Amicci-kuḷam, Āṇṭāṉ-kuḷam

Amicci+kuḷam
Āṇṭāṉ+kuḷam

The tank built or maintained by obligatory labour

The tank of the lord or ruler

Amicci	from Amañci, Amiñci: forced labour, unpaid labour (Tamil, DED 159, inscription, c. 900 CE, SII, xii, 114); Ēri-amañci, Āḷ-amañci: compulsory work for maintenance of tanks (Tamil, inscriptions, 1058 CE, SII, vii, 947; 1374 CE, SII, i, 72; 1432 CE, EI, xviii, 17); Cen-nīr-amañci, Ceñ-ñīr-amañci: compulsory work to repair canals (Tamil, inscription, 1126 CE, vii, 97; 961 CE, SII, vii, 64); Matiḷ-amañci: compulsory work for the maintenance of fort walls (Tamil, inscription, 1530 CE, ARE, 1912, 375); Veṭṭi-amañci: unaccounted compulsory work (Tamil, inscription, 1120 CE, SII, vii, 542); Amacci: variation of Amañci (Tamil, inscription, c. 1000 CE, SII, v, 873); Amaiññāṉ: one who is obliged to do a duty (Tamil, inscription, 1010 CE, TAS, II, p. 42-44); from the root Amai: (verb) be abide (Tamil, DED 161); Ameyuka: (verb) to be subject, agree (Malayalam, DED 161); Amaintu: (verb) being in agreement to oblige (Tamil, inscription, 873 CE, SII, xiv, 10); Amaintōm: (verb) we agreed to oblige (Tamil, inscription, 802 CE, SII, xii, 42); Amarttu: (verb) to engage as a servant (Tamil, DED 161); Amanji, Aminji, Amiji: unpaid labour, drudgery (Telugu, DED 159)
Āṇṭāṉ	also, Āṇṭār, Āṇṭai: lord, master (Tamil, DED 5157); Āṇmai, Āḷumai: controlling power (Tamil, DED 5157); Āṭci: lordship, rule, ownership, possession (Tamil, DED 5157; from the root, Āḷ: (verb) to rule, reign over, control or manage, cherish, maintain, keep (Tamil, DED 5157); Āṇḍuva: government, ruling, reign (Sinhala, Clough); "Pālanaya, Pirivara, Dēśapālakamaṇḍalaya" (Sinhala, Sorata)
Kuḷam	tank, reservoir, lake (Tamil, DED 1828); see other columns

Amicci is a variation of Amiñci or Amañci in Tamil, meaning obligatory labour or unpaid labour.

The terms were in use in Tamil inscriptions since c. 900 CE, especially in the context of obligatory work for the maintenance of tanks.

The terms listed as Dravidian (DED 159), derived from the Tamil/ Dravidian verb root Amai, meaning 'be abide' (DED 161). The word form Amaiñcāṉ means a man in obligation to perform a duty (see box above and usage examples below).

Related to the meaning unpaid work, the word Amiñci is sometimes used to mean 'no money', as in the phrase 'Amiñci cheque' for an unpaid cheque (Putumaippittaṉ, Nicamum Niṉaippum, 1945).

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Amañci meaning obligatory work:

"இன் நிலத்துக்கு ஏருமமஞ்சியு [ஏரும் அமஞ்சியும்] இவனேய் செய்துகொண்டு" (c.900 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, xii, 114)

"iṉṉilattuku ērumamañciyum (ērum amañciyum) ivanēy ceytu koṇṭu" (Tamil inscription, c. 900 CE, SII, xii, 114)

Let this person undertake engaging tillers and obligatory workers for this land


Amañci meaning obligatory work related to tanks and canals

“இன்னிலம் உழு குடிகள் சென்னீரமஞ்சி உள்ளிட்ட ஏரியமஞ்சி செய்யக்கடவரல்லதாக” (Tamil inscription, 1058 CE., SII, vii, 947)

"iṉṉilam uḻu kuṭikal ceṉṉīramañci uḷḷiṭṭa ēriyamañci ceyyakkaṭavarallatāka" (Tamil inscription, 1058 CE., SII, vii, 947)

Let the people who till this land do not have the obligation to do compulsory work on the maintenance of the tank including the maintenance of the canals


“ஆளமஞ்சி ஏரிக்குழி வெட்ட” (Tamil, inscription, 1374 CE, SII, I, 72)

"Āḷamañci ērikkuḻi veṭṭa" (Tamil, inscription, 1374 CE, SII, I, 72)

Let the people obliged to do the tank-work deepen the tank


Veṭṭi-amañci meaning unaccounted obligatory work:

"எச்சோற்று கூற்று நெல் வெட்டி அமஞ்சி என்று காட்டவும்" (1120 CE, SII, vii, 542)

"Eccōṟṟu kūṟṟu vel veṭṭi amañci eṉṟu kāṭṭavum" (1120 CE, SII, vii, 542)

Husking and polishing paddy for the day meals (El-cōṟu) of labourers goes as unaccounted obligatory work


Amaiññāṉ meaning a person under obligation:

"திருவிளக்கினு நெய் கொடுப்பானமைஞ்ஞான் [கொடுப்பான் அமைஞ்ஞான்] நாராயணதேவன்” (1010 CE, Trivancore Archaeological Series, ii, p 42-44)

"Tiruviḷakiṉu ney koṭuppāṉamaiññāṉ nārāyaṇa tēvaṉ" (TAS, II, p. 42-44)

Nārayaṇa Tēvaṉ who is obliged to give ghee (free of cost) to the sacred lamp

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Āṇṭāṉ, meaning lord, master, ruler etc. in Tamil, corresponds to the verb root Āḷ in Tamil/ Dravidian meaning to rule, reign over etc., and to its verb forms Āṇṭa and Āṇṭu (DED 5157). Sinhala diction has a cognate, Āṇṭuva, meaning government, ruling or reign.

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Amicci-kuḷam is the name of an abandoned tank as well as a place, located south of Koṇṭacci in the Musali division of Mannar district (One Inch Sheet). A place name of comparison in Tamil Nadu is Amiñcik-karai in Chennai.

Āṇṭāṉ-kuḷam is found as tank name and place name in the following divisions: Manthai West division of Mannar district; Karaithuraippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district; Trincomalee Town and Gravets division of Trincomalee district.

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Some related place names:

Āṇḍān-kanniya: probably, Āṇṭāṉ-kēṇi or Āṇṯāṉ-kāṇi; Kalpitti, Puttalam

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Notes on obligatory labour in the island:

The practice of compelled labour in the island was known Rājakārya in Sinhala and Irāca-kāriyam or Irāca-ūḻiyam in Tamil. It was mainly practised in work related to irrigation.

The early colonial rulers made use of this native tradition for constructing roads, canals and buildings.

The compelled labour was abolished in British Ceylon in the 1830s when Sir R.W. Horton was the governor (1831-1837), as a part of the reforms recommended by the Royal Commission of Lieutenant Colonel Colebrooke and C.H. Cameron.

However, private proprietors and temples were exempted from the law. State enterprises also found loopholes in the law to enact a Road Ordinance to compel people between 18 and 55 years old to work in the laying of roads or to pay tax. It took some more years for the complete abolishment under a new Charter of Justice.






Revised: Thursday, 01 December 2016, 21:15

First published: Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 03:03