Sangam period

According to southern Indian legends, there were three Sangam

periods, namely Head Sangam, Middle Sangam and Last Sangam
period. Historians use the term Sangam period to refer the last of
these, the first two being legendary. So it is also called Last
Sangam period (Tamil: Kaaissanka paruvam ?), or Third Sangam
period (Tamil: Mnm sanka paruvam ?). The Sangam literature
is thought to have been produced in three Sangam academies of
each period. The evidence on the early history of the southern
India consists of the epigraphs of the region, the Sangam
literature, and archaeological data.
Approximately during the period between 400 BC to AD 500,
Tamilakam was ruled by the three Tamil dynasties of Pandya,
Chola and Chera, and a few independent chieftains, the Velir.
Sangam period (Tamil: Sangaklam ) is the period in the history
of ancient southern India (known as the Tamilakam) spanning
from c. 3rd century BC to c. 4th century AD. It is named after the
famous Sangam academies of poets and scholars centered in the
city of Madurai.
Literary sources
There is a wealth of sources detailing the history, socio-political
environment and cultural practices of ancient Tamilakam,
including volumes of literature and epigraphy.Tamilakam's history
is split into three periods; prehistoric, classical (see Sangam

period) and medieval. A vast array of literary, epigraphical and

inscribed sources from around the world provide insight into the
socio-political and cultural occurrences in the Tamil nation.

Religion
The ancient Tamil literature consists of the great grammatical
work Tolkappiyam,the ten anthologies Patthupattu,the eight
anthologies Ettuttogai, and the eighteen minor works such as
Silappadikaram, Manimegalai and Sivaga-Cindamani. The religion
of the ancient Tamils closely follow roots of nature worship and
some elements of it can also be found in Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta
traditions. In the ancient Sangam literature, Sivan was the
supreme God, and Murugan was the one celebrated by the
masses; both of them were sung as deified Tamil poets ascending
the Koodal academy. The Tamil landscape was classified into five
categories, thinais, based on the mood, the season and the land.
Tolkappiyam, one of the oldest grammatical works in Tamil
mentions that each of these thinai had an associated deity such
as Kottravai (Mother goddess) and Sevvael (Murugan) in
Kurinji(the hills), Thirumaal in Mullai(the forests), Vendhan (Wanjiko) in Marutham(the plains), and Kadaloan in the Neithal(the
coasts and the seas). Other ancient works refer to Maayon (Maal)
and Vaali.
The most popular deity was Murugan, who has from a very early
date been identified with Karthikeya, the son of Siva. Muruga

might have been a different deity originally stemming from a local

deity. According to the noted expert on Tamil culture Kamil V.
Zvelebil, "Subrahmanya-Murugan is one of the most complicated
and baffling deities for analysis". The later(medieval to present)
worship of Amman or Mariamman, thought to have been derived
from Kotravai, an ancient mother goddess, also was very
common. Kannagi, the heroine of the Cilappatikaram, was
worshiped as Pathini by many Tamils, particularly in Sri Lanka.
There were also many temples and devotees of Thirumaal, Siva,
Ganapathi, and the other common Hindu deities.
According to George L. Hart, who holds the endowed Chair in
Tamil Studies by University of California, Berkeley, has written
that the legend of the Tamil Sangams or "literary assemblies: was
based on the Tamil Jain sangham at Madurai:
There was a permanent Jaina assembly called a Sangha
established about 604 A.D. in Madurai. It seems likely that this
assembly was the model upon which tradition fabricated the
cangkam legend.
Population
The ancient Tamil land was divided into five types- Kurinji, Mullai,
Marutam, Neithal and Palai. The people were divided into five
different clans ("kudis") based on their profession. They were;
1. Mallars- the farmers.
2. Malavars- the hill people who gather hill products, and the
traders.

3. Nagars- people in charge of border security, who guarded

the city walls and distant fortresses.
4. Kadambars- people who thrive on forests.
5. Thiraiyars- the seafarers.
All the five kudis constituted a typical settlement, which was
called an "uru". Later each clan spread across the land, formed
individual settlements of their own and concentrated into towns,
cities and countries. Thus the Mallars settled in Tamil Nadu and Sri
Lanka, while the Malavars came to live in Kerala, western Tamil
Nadu, eastern Andhra Pradesh and southern Sri Lanka. The
Nagars inhabited southern and eastern Tamil Nadu, and northern
Sri Lanka, while the Kadambars settled in central Tamil Nadu first
and later moved to western Karnataka. The Thiraiyars inhabited
throughout the coastal regions. Later various subsects were
formed based on more specific professions in each of the five
landscapes (Kurinji, Mullai, Marutam, Neithal and Palai).
Poruppas (the soldiers), Verpans (the leaders of the tribe or
weapon-ists), Silambans (the masters of martial arts or the arts of
fighting), Kuravar (the hunters and the gatherers, the people of
foothills) and Kanavars (the people of the mountainous forests) in
Kurinji.
Kurumporai Nadan-kizhaththis (the landlords of the small
towns amidst the forests in the valleys), Thonral-manaivi (the
ministers and other noble couples), Idaiyars (the milkmaids and
their families), Aiyars (the cattle-rearers) in Mullai.

Mallar or Pallar (the farmers and warriors), Vendans (Chera,

Chola and Pandya kings were called as "Vendans"), Urans (small
landlords), Magizhnans (successful small scale farmers), Uzhavars
(the farm workers), Kadaiyars (the merchants) in Marutham.
Saerppans (the seafood vendors and traders), Pulampans (the
vegetarians who thrive on coconut and palm products), Parathars
or Paravas (people who lived near the seas-the rulers, sea
warriors, merchants and the pirates), Nulaiyars (the wealthy
people who both do fishing and grow palm farms) and Alavars
(the salt cultivators) in Neithal.
Palai is a dry land. The people who lived here were Eyinars and
Eyitriyars. Their work was robbery.
The Sangam Age in India witnessed the rapid development of
literary works in the southern regions. The literature that was
created during this time came to be known as Sangam literature.
The great poets, writers, etc. of this age have left behind
invaluable accounts of brilliant literature that continue to enthrall
historians and scholars. The earliest literary work dates back to
200 B.C. Read more about the history of Sangham Age in India.
The word Sangam has most likely been derived from the IndoAryan word Sangha, which means an assembly. This word was
usually used for Buddhist and Jain monks. Roughly around 470 C.E
an academy called Dravida Sangha was established by a Jain
called Vajranandi. The members of this academy had much
interest in literature and Tamil language. In early Sangam age

poems, one finds the mention of Jain cosmology and mythology.

During the Sangam Age, the three empires that ruled the South of
India were that of Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras. Though there
were constant wars among the different kings for dominion of
states and territory, they were all promoters of literature and
other classical literary works. Under their rule, Indian art and
culture flourished like anything. The early Sangam literature
mentions the kingdom of the Pandyas. It is said that the kingdom
became insignificant before emerging again during the 6th
Century. With the rise of the Chola dynasty, the dynasty of
Pandyas again declined. They were in constant conflict with the
Cholas and fought for their part of territory. However, the Pandyas
found reliable allies in the form of the Cheras and the Sinhalese
and left no opportunity to disturb the Cholas with them. By the
late 13th Century, the Pandyas were able to revive their position
and gain back heir lost territories and riches. One of the earliest
written scriptures in Tamil grammar is known as Tolkappiyam.
Another work known as Ettutogai or Eight Anthologies is
considered to be a fantastic product of the Sangam Age. Many
poems were composed during this age and some of the famous
ones are Manimekhalai, Shilpathikaram, Akananuru, Purananuru,
etc. These poems speak about the political, social, cultural and
traditional aspects of life during the Sangam age. Some poems
also mention the fact that the Cheras formed a vital trading
center with Rome. Some of the great poets who deserve a

mention are Avvaiyar, Kapilar, Mamulanar, Paramer, Gautamanar,

etc.
Sangam Literature:
The Sangam age (first to third century A.D.): 'Sangam' is the Tamil
form of Sanskrit word "Sangha" meaning a group of persons or an
association. The Tamil Sangam was an Academy of poets and
bards, who flourished in three different periods and in different
places under the patronage of the Tamil kings. According to
tradition, the first Sangam was founded by Sage Agastya and its
seat was at Thenmadurai (South Madurai).
The Sangam literature speaks highly of threr South Indian
kingdoms- Chola, Pandya and Chera.
The three ancient kingdoms of the Cholas, the Pandas and the
Chera combined with were known as Tamilakha, or the Tamil
realm.
The Three Sangam Kingdoms
The Cholas: the homeland of the Cholas was the Kaveri delta
and the adjoining region of modern Tanjore and Trichinopoly. They
were the first to acquire ascendancy in the far south with
kaveripattanam, or Puhar as their capital. Its ugly capital was
Uraiyur
Towards the beginning of the fourth century A.D. the power of the
Chola's big gain to decline mainly because of the rise of Pallavas

on one hand and the continuous war waged by the Pandyas and
the Cheras on the other.
The Pandyas: The ancient kingdom of the Pandas, with its
capital at Madurai, compromised the modern districts of Madura,
Ramnad, Tirunelveli and southern parts of Travancore. The
Pandyas were first mentioned by Megarthanese. According to the
Magashense, the kingdom was once ruled by a woman. According
to Asoka edicts, the Pandyas were independent people living
beyond the South than border of the Maurya Empire. The greatest
Pandya king was Nedunchezhian who defeated the Chera and
Cholas.
The Cheras : The earliest reference to the Chera (Keralaputra)
kingdom cards in the Ashokan inscriptions. It compromised the
mordern districts of Malabr, Cochin and Northern Travancore. Its
Capital was Vanji. The greatest Chera king was Senguttuvan, the
red or good Chera. He is credited with having invaded the north
and crossed the river Ganga.