Though, it is apparently started for seeman, lets come out of that and share what was the real culture as we know.
We have read in History, that Chera's Cholas Pandiyas Pallavas co existed with Ashoka. We also know that chola once conquered the whole land (as per the inscriptions) from kumari to imayam. We also understand that there was no divisions based on language (even till recent times before Madras samastanam divided). We understand that the recent rhetoric of our politicians for dividing tamilnadu into two or 3 for ruling. The language based division was the first poison drop which is the root cause of all this அவல நிலை.
Regarding Brahmins in TN, we do not see any evidence from the sangam literature or any ancient tamil literature that the tamils are different creatures. In Tholkaapiyam itself (in poruladhikaram), it says of 4 divisions (i could not find shudra mentioned instead, velan thozil, vaaniga tholil, arasar & andhanar). It mirrors manusmiriti in flashes regarding the divisions.
Now I wonder, Tholkaapiyar himself is disputed as jain or paarpanar (avar ezuththil) and the dates (ranging from 8th BC to 10th CE), how he mentioned the yaagams, vedic deities which can not be over night influence (even on the barbarians). Besides, many tamil literature including manimegalai and inscriptions of the kings says that they invariably followed vedic way of life.
There is an interesting verses for Karppu in Tholkaapiyam
140 கற்பெனப் படுவது கரணமொடு புணரக்
கொளற்குரி மரபிற் கிழவன் கிழத்தியைக்
கொடைக்குரி மரபினோர் கொடுப்பக் கொள்வதுவே
141 கொடுப்போர் இன்றியும் கரணம் உண்டே
புணர்ந்துடன் போகிய காலை யான.
142 மேலோர் மூவர்க்கும் புணர்த்த கரணம்
கீழோர்க்கு ஆகிய காலமும் உண்டே
143 பொய்யும் வழுவும் தோன்றிய பின்னர்
ஐயர் யாத்தனர் கரணம் என்ப.
(கரணம் - சடங்குகள்) -
142 is derived from vedic divisions and 143 also indicates that there were many illicit behaviors, to streamline, saandrors had devised all these rituals. Now since we are modern, for the very reasons now avar பகுத்தறிவு வியாதிகள் encourage suya mariyaadai thirumanagal.
(தொடரும்)