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Sangam period

history of the Tamil kingdoms 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.

2 Literary sources
Main articles: Sources of ancient Tamil history and
Sangam literature
There is a wealth of sources detailing the history,
socio-political environment and cultural practices of ancient Tamilakam, including volumes of literature and
[3]
?
Sangam period (Tamil: , Sangaklam , epigraphy.
Malayalam : ) is the period in the history of Tamilakams history is split into three periods; prehisancient southern India (known as the Tamilakam) span- toric, classical (see Sangam period) and medieval. A vast
ning from c. 3rd century BC to c. 4th century AD. It is array of literary, epigraphical and inscribed sources from
named after the famous Sangam academies of poets and around the world provide insight into the socio-political
scholars centered in the city of Madurai.
and cultural occurrences in the Tamil nation. The ancient
In Old Tamil language, the term Tamilakam (Tamiakam Tamil literature consists of the great grammatical work
, Purananuru 168. 18) referred to the whole of Tolkappiyam,the ten anthologies Patthupattu, the eight
the ancient Tamil-speaking area, corresponding roughly anthologies Ettuttogai, the eighteen minor works Pathito the area known as southern India today, consisting nenkeelkanaku and the ve great epics, Silappadikaram,
of the territories of the present-day Indian states of Manimegalai, Sivaga-Cindamani, Valayapathi and KunTamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Andhra Pradesh, parts of dalakesi.
South India in Sangam Period

Karnataka and northern Sri Lanka[1][2] also known as


Illam.[3][4]

3 Culture
Further information: Economy of ancient Tamil country,
Agriculture in ancient Tamil country, and Industry in
ancient Tamil country

History

Main article: History of Tamil Nadu


According to Tamilian 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 rst two being legendary. So it is also called Last Sangam period (Tamil:
, Kaaissanka paruvam ? ),[5] 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

3.1 Religion
Main article: Ancient Tamil religion
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
1

3 CULTURE

of them were sung as deied Tamil poets ascending the


Koodal academy. The Tamil landscape was classied
into ve 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 i.e. Kali) and Sevvael (Murugan) in Kurinji(the
hills), Thirumaal (Vishnu) in Mullai(the forests), Vendhan (Wanji-ko or Seyyon i.e. Indra) in Marutham(the
plains i.e. Vayu), and Kadaloan (Varuna) 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 identied with Karthikeya, the son
of Siva. Kannagi, the heroine of the Silappatikaram, 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, 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
Sangam legend.[6]

3.2

Calendar

The ancient Tamil calendar was based on the sidereal


year similar to the ancient Hindu solar calendar, except
that months were from solar calculations, and originally
there was no 60-year cycle as seen in Sanskrit calendar. The year was made up of twelve months and every
two months constituted a season. With the popularity of
Mazhai vizhavu, traditionally commencement of Tamil
year was clubbed on April 14, deviating from the astronomical date of vadavazhi vizhavu.

3.3

Festivals

month starting from the full moon in Ootrai (later


name-Cittirai) and completed on the full
moon in Puyaazhi (Vaikaasi) (which coincides with
Buddhapurnima). It is epitomised in the epic Cilapatikaram in detail.
Puyaazhi(Vaikaasi) visaagam and Thai poosam,
the festivals of Tamil God [Muruga]'s
birth and accession to the Thirupparankundram
Koodal Academy, coming on the day before the full
moons of Puyaazhi and Thai respectively.
Soornavai Vizha, the slaying of legendary Kadamba
Asura king Surabadma, by Lord [Muruga], comes
on the sixth day after new moon in Itrai (Kaarthigai). It is sung about in Thirumurugatrupadai and
Purananuru anthology.
Vaadai Vizha or Vadavazhi Vizha, the festival of welcoming the Lord Surya back to home,
as He turns northward, celebrated on December
21/22 (Winter Solstice) (the sixth day of Panmizh[Maargazhi]). It is sung about in Akanauru anthology.
Semmeen
Ezhumin
Vizhavu
(Aathi-Iai
Darisanam) or Aruthra Darishanam, the occasion of Lord Siva coming down from the
ThiruCitrambalam and taking
a look at the vaigarai Thiru Aathirai star in the
early morning on the day before the full moon in
Panmizh. Aathi Irai min means the star of the God
(Siva) on the Bull (Nandi).
Thiruonam or Onam, the birthday of Mayon (Lord
Vishnu), thiruonam is group of stars which are
bright together and resemble like an eagle. Lord
Vishnus mount is Garuda(eagle), so the day was
considered as the birthday of Lord Vishnu by the
people of pandya kingdom and was celebrated
for 10 days. That was mentioned in '[Maduraikanji]' one of the 'Pathupaatu' book, 'Thirupallandu' by Periyazhwar and from the song of
Thirugnanasambandhar in Thevaram.

3.4 Arts

pongal, the festival of harvest and spring, See also: Ancient Tamil music
thanking Lord Indiran and Lord El (the sun),
comes on January 14/15 (Thai 1).
Musicians, stage artists and performers entertained the
PeruVaenil Kadavizha, the festival for wishing kings, the nobility, the rich and the general population.
quick and easy passage of the mid-summer months, Groups of performers included:
on the day when the Sun or El stands directly above
the head at noon (the start of Agni Natchaththiram)
Thudian, players of the thuda, a small percussion
at the southern tip of ancient Tamil land. This day
instrument
comes on April 14/15 (Chithirai 1).
Paraiyan, who beat maylam(drums) and performed
Mazhai Vizhavu, aka Indhira Vizha, the feskooththu, a stage drama in dance form, as well as
tival for want of rain, celebrated for one full
proclaiming the kings announcements

3
Muzhavan, who blew into a muzhavu, a wind instrument, for the army indicating the start and end of the
day and battleeld victories. They also performed in
kooththu alongside other artists .
Kadamban who beat a large bass-like drum, the
kadamparai, and blew a long bamboo, kuzhal, the
cerioothuthi (similar to the present naagasuram).
PaaNan, who sang songs in all pann tunes (tunes that
are specic for each landscape) and were masters
of the yaazh, a stringed instrument with a wide frequency range.
Together with the poets (pulavar) and the academic
scholars (saandror), these people of talent appeared to
originate from all walks of life, irrespective of their native profession.

People

See also: Tamil people, Sangam literature, Sangam


landscape, and Chronology of Tamil history
The people were divided into ve dierent clans
(kudes) based on their profession. They were;
Mallars- the farmers.
Malavars- the hill people who gather hill products,
and the traders.
Nagars- people in charge of border security, who
guarded the city walls and distant fortresses.
Kadambars- people who thrive on forests.
Thiraiyars- the seafarers.
All the ve 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 rst and later moved to
western Karnataka. The Thiraiyars inhabited throughout the coastal regions. Later various subsects were
formed based on more specic professions in each of the
ve landscapes (Kurinji, Mullai, Marutam, Neithal and
Palai).

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.[7]
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 shing and grow palm farms) and
Alavars (the salt cultivators) in Neithal.
Palai symbolises the dry arid lands and scorching
deserts of Tamil country where nothing except for
the hardy and war-like perseverant tribes native to
those lands can survive. It is also the only land
among all ve lands of the Sangam landscape that
a female God, erce mother goddess, Kotravai was
worshipped which is synonymous with the common belief that all the other lands of Tamil country emerged from these original dry arid lands. The
tribes existed in these lands were the ruthless and
fearsome Maravars (Noble Warriors, Hunters and
Bandits) and Eyinars (Warriors and Bandits). They
actively seek out for wars, knowledge, invade far and
distant lands and engage in banditry.[8]

Poruppas (the soldiers), Verpans (the leaders of


the tribe or weapon-ists), Silambans (the masters of martial arts or the arts of ghting), Ku- Political map of South India, 210 B.C.E.
ravar (the hunters and the gatherers, the people of

See also
History of Tamil Nadu
Tolkappiyam

P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar, History of the Tamils from


the earliest times to 600 AD, Madras, 1929; Chennai, Asian Educational Svcs. (2001) ISBN 81-2060145-9.
History of Mallars

Purananuru
Paripaatal

References

6.1

Notes

[1] Wilson, A.Jeyaratnam. Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism: Its Origins and Development in 19th and 20th Centuries. They had earlier felt secure in the concept of the
Tamilakam, a vast area of Tamilness from the south of
Dekhan in India to the north of Sri Lanka.... Google. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
[2] Early Interactions Between South and Southeast Asia:
Reections on Cross Cultural exchange. originally imported from Kerala to Tamilakam(Southern India) to Illam(Sri Lanka)". Google. |rst1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
[3] Abraham, Shinu (2003). Chera, Chola, Pandya: using
archaeological evidence to identify the Tamil kingdoms
of early historic South India.. Asian Perspectives. 42.
[4] https://books.google.com/books?id=
P1naAAAAMAAJ&q=nagadipa+naga+nadu&
dq=nagadipa+naga+nadu&hl=en&sa=X&
ei=DkulT8-ZM5OA0AWYhoTtAw&ved=
0CDgQ6AEwAA
[5] Zvelebil, Kamil (1973). The smile of Murugan on Tamil
literature of South India. BRILL. p. 46.
[6] [http://www.archive.today/P4Pvxl The Milieu of the Ancient Tamil Poems, Prof. George Hart]
[7] Mannar Uruvana 'Mallar' Varalaru Archived July 16,
2011, at the Wayback Machine.
[8] https://books.google.com.au/books?id=
VuvshP5_hg8C&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&
dq=tamils+eighteen+hundred+years+ago+
maravars&source=bl&ots=dr6E9Gbmn-&sig=
WY8jCklcE0gADyTAzKEpMIFn0js&hl=en&sa=X&
ved=0CBwQ6AEwAGoVChMI2rCQl7i4yAIVyLaUCh2d8goz#
v=onepage&q=tamils%20eighteen%20hundred%
20years%20ago%20maravars&f=false

6.2

Bibliography

A. L. Basham, The Wonder that was India, Picador


(1995) ISBN 0-330-43909-X

REFERENCES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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