This question might be not relevant to the PS Group.
In those days (Chera, Chola and Pandiya), how the general public allowed to travel from one country to another. For eg. people travelled from Kanchipuram to Madurai or Madurai to Korkai. Is there any type of permission slip (like visa in these days). Even in some historical novels, the hero travelled from one place to another place.
People generally did not travel too much outside country. Kith and kin lived in nearby villages and cities. Few did travel outside the country on business and govt related affairs. Few travelled only on pilgrimage outside the country - with the probability of return being low ! Kasi yatra was referred to as final journey and only those who have completed the tasks and obligations as grihasthas (home makers) travelled to long distances like kasi !! You never were sure of your return J
Pl imagine situation where most of these chera-chola-panyda were hostile for most part of the history, these journeys were not possible for commoners - and why would you go out when the concept of tourism was not there??. Also religiously, some sect of the society were prevented to travel abroad ! And moreover, no trains, no flights or busses L !! Only Bullock carts or leg service !
People used to have kadavu cheetu something that was quite similar to passport. The kadavu cheetu was distributed only by certain authorized personnel (something similar to that of passport control office today)
To others : Any inscriptions on this kadavu cheetu ???
eople should have walked "ONLY ON FOOT" between kingdoms/places!!!!!!!!. Those who were a bit wealthier and govt. officials must have used horses/horses drawn carts. Namma Vandhiya Thevar enna pannaar.... Ellaam horsela thaanae?
Re: currency - the international currency for all times is only "gold" besides barter system.
Re: Identification - Mainly the accent people used in their respective kingdoms. Govt. officials were carrying (Logo) Raja Muthirai, or Oalai (again our VT did!) on official duty!
This is because even during pre/post independent India, particularly in Tamilnadu, during the early 50s and 60s, people had literally walked long distances without any fuss! No petrol hike, strike for price, etc.etc.! Nothing to grudge!
Even today people walk long distances in Ramnad, Pudukkottai and other districts where there is no frequent bus service. When I was working in Thiruppunnavasal, in Avudayar koil taluk, Aranthangi Zilla, Pudukkottai district, in a remote rural village, the local temple gurukkal used to tell me that he used to walk to Pudukkottai from Thiruppunnavasal (it is nothing but just 80 kms walk!) during the early 50s as there was literally no transport in that part of the district! He told me that he will start from Thiruppunnavasal in the early morning and reach Pudukkottai midnight of the same day, of course, carrying food and water, along with fellow villagers for making purchases in the market! Idhu eppadi irukku? That gurukkal is still alive and healthy!
What I do is I take my two wheeler to purchase a pack of cigarette from the shop which is just half-a-kilometer away!!
Dears The merchant communities criss crossed the countries extensively from time immemorial. They may have joined in groups and had some guards to protect them. Of course there were no official currency exchanges but barter and gold served very well. The hosts welcomed the merchants everywhere usually because they wanted to purchase the goods from far off lands. The merchants communities were well recognised and as such may not have needed any passport except their own faces and style of dressing and speaking. Hari
Hi I dont think visitors were restricted at any point of time upto the 1900s
ordinary visitors were not thought as threat or possible immigrants. i guess the sense of nationality did not exist with rapidly changing borders and affliations
If there were no security checks, internal security must have been a big problem, no? We know spies were used extensively and considering that the kingdoms of the south were in perpetual warfare i just can't imagine such a loose security system. Conquerors wouldn't even need a Trojan Horse. Even taking into account the 'honourable war' doctrine, i don't think a good general would ignore the idea of men behind enemy lines.
No, i'm sure some sort of registration system must have existed. I think well organised kingdoms had a sort of birth and death registries. There was such a system in the Maghada kingdom.
There is also the logical conclusion. The lack of internal security explains why there were so many wars.
As for mode of travel, i think common people just walked. The presence of 'chattirams' justifies it. Horses were like cars, only for the upper class. I also wonder if there were public transport systems? Large boats in rivers, multiple-horse drawn wagons and like?