the tamil revivalists did not consider kumari kandam as a primitive society or a rural civilization. instead, they described it as a utopia which had reached the zenith of human achievement, and where people lived a life devoted to learning, education, travel and commerce. sumanthi ramaswamy notes that this "placemaking" of kumari kandam was frequently intended as a teaching tool, meant to inspire the modern tamils to pursue excellence. but this pre-occupation with "civilization" was also a response to the british rulers' projection of the europeans as more civilized than the tamils.