Why did people bring these gifts? What would the chief have used these for?
People brought gifts to show respect to the victorious chief. The text states that 'just as the defeated show respect to the victorious king, so did they bring gifts.' These gifts included ivory, fragrant wood, honey, sandalwood, spices, fruits, and various animals like tigers, lions, elephants, and peacocks.
The chief would have distributed these gifts amongst his supporters. According to the context, a chief receives gifts from his subordinates (unlike kings who collect taxes) and often distributes these among his supporters. This helped the chief maintain his position and derive support from his kinfolk.
Explanation
This question is based on the excerpt from the Silappadikaram describing the Pandya chief Senguttuvan's visit to the forest. The answer draws from two key sections: the epic description itself (which compares the gifts to those given by defeated people to victorious kings) and the section on 'Chiefs and chiefdoms' which explains the political economy of chiefdoms. The key distinction is that chiefs receive gifts rather than collecting taxes, and redistribution among supporters is crucial for maintaining political authority.