A history lesson for grade 9 of ICSE .

1. The Sangam Age
A Fun history for a younger generation

2. Tamilakam, or Thamizhagam, refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil
people. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and
southern parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

3. Sources
Megaliths

4. Thiruvalluvar
The Tirukkural (திருக்குறள், literally Sacred Verses), or
shortly the Kural, is a classic Tamil language text
consisting of 1,330 couplets or Kurals. The text is
divided into three books, each with aphoristic teachings
on virtue (aram, dharma), wealth (porul, artha) and love
(inbam, kama)
• Book I – Aṟam (அறம்): Book of Virtue (Dharma),
dealing with moral values of an individual and
essentials of yoga philosophy (Chapters 1-38)
• Book II – Poruḷ (ப ொருள்): Book of Polity (Artha),
dealing with socio-economic values, polity, society
and administration[54] (Chapters 39-108)
• Book III – Inbam (இன் ம்): Book of Love (Kama),
dealing with psychological values and love (Chapters
109-133)

5. Megaliths
Megaliths were constructed either as burial sites or
commemorative (non-sepulchral) memorials. The
former are sites with actual burial remains, such as
dolmenoid cists (box-shaped stone burial chambers),
cairn circles (stone circles with defined peripheries)
and capstones (distinctive mushroom-shaped burial
chambers found mainly in Kerala). The urn or the
sarcophagus containing the mortal remains was
usually made of terracotta.
Megaliths are very large stones found at most sites of
burial from the Sangam Age. The said structure was
box-like and was constructed by arranging stone slabs
without the application of mortar. Sometimes, the
builder would cut an opening into one of the slabs.
These structures are also known as memorial stones.

6. Tamil kingdoms

7. Cheras
• The Cheras ruled over large parts of modern-day Kerala.
• Vanji was the capital of the Cheras.
• Musiri and Tondi were the important seaports in this period.
• The emblem of Cheras is the ‘bow and arrow’.
• The first-century Pugalur inscriptions references to 3
generations of Chera kings.
• Senguttuvan (2nd century CE) was the prominent ruler of the
Chera dynasty.
• The military achievements of Senguttuvan have been
recorded in the epic Silapathikaram, which talks about his
Himalayan expedition where he vanquished many rulers from
northern India.
• Senguttuvan introduced in Tamil Nadu the Pattini cult or the
worship of Kannagi as the ideal wife.
• He was the first to send an ambassador to China from South
India.

8. Cholas
• The Chola kingdom of the Sangam period stretched from the
present-day Tiruchi district to Southern Andhra Pradesh.
• Initially, the capital of the Cholas was Uraiyur. Later it was
shifted to Puhar (also called Poompuhar).
• King Karikala was a prominent king of the Sangam Chola
dynasty.
• The insignia/emblem of the Cholas was ‘tiger’.
• Pattinappalai written by Kadiyalur Uruttirangannanar depicts
his life as well as military achievements.
• Various Sangam poems mention the Battle of Venni where he
defeated an alliance of the Cheras, Pandyas and 11 smaller
chieftains.
• Vahaipparandalai was another important battle fought by
Karikala.
• Trade and commerce prospered during his rule.
• He also constructed irrigation tanks near river Kaveri to make
available water for reclaimed land from the forest for farming.

9. Pandyas
• The Pandyas reigned over the Southern
region of modern-day Tamil Nadu.
• Madurai was the capital of Pandyas.
• Their emblem was the ‘Carp’.
• King Neduncheliyan was also called
Aryappadai Kadantha Neduncheliyan.
• According to mythology, the curse of the
Kannagi, wife of Kovalan, burnt and
destroyed Madurai.
• The socio-economic condition of the seaport
of Korkai was mentioned in Maduraikkanji
which was written by Mangudi Maruthanar.

10. Local Chieftains
• Apart from the three Tamil kingdoms, a number of local
chieftains ruled in different parts of Tamil Nadu. They were
known as Velirs. The Sangam literature furnishes lot of
information about them. The most famous among the Velirs
were called Seven Patrons or Kadaiyelu Vallalgal. They were
Pari, Ori, Malayan, Elini, Pegan, Aay, and Nalli.
• The local chieftains had extended patronage to the Tamil poets
like Kabilar,, Avvaiyar, Nallathanar and Perunchithiranar. In
turn, these poets hailed them for their generosity. They had also
extended their help to resolve any disputes between the rulers.
For example, Avvaiyar played the role of a diplomat in the court
of Adhiyaman. Another Sangam poet, Kapilar had taken care of
Pari’s daughter’s after his death. These local chieftains made
generous donations to the poets, bards and their consorts. Like
the Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers, the local chieftains had
also played a significant role in the political, social and cultural
domains during the Sangam Age

11. Sangam Literature
• Tolkappiyam refers to the five-fold division of lands - Kurinji (hilly tracks),
Mullai (pastoral), Marudam (agricultural), Neydal (coastal) and Palai
(desert). The people living in these five divisions had their respective
chief occupations as well as gods for worship.
• Kurinji - chief deity was Murugan - chief occupation, hunting and honey
collection.
• Mullai - chief deity Mayon (Vishnu) - chief occupation, cattle-rearing and
dealing with dairy products.
• Marudam - chief deity Indira - chief occupation, agriculture.
• Neydal - chief deity Varunan - chief occupation fishing and salt
manufacturing.
• Palai - chief deity Korravai - chief occupation robbery.
• Tolkappiyam also refers to four castes namely arasar, anthanar, vanigar
and vellalar. The ruling class was called arasar. Anthanars played a
significant role in the Sangam polity and religion. Vanigars carried on
trade and commerce. The vellalas were agriculturists. Other tribal
groups like Parathavar, Panar, Eyinar, Kadambar, Maravar and Pulaiyar
were also found in the Sangam society. Ancient primitive tribes like
Thodas, Irulas, Nagas and Vedars lived in this period.

12. Sangam food and
dress
• In the Sangam age, women and upper
higher class men wore two garments, the
lower garment, and the upper garment and
called Kalingam.
• They used cotton, silk, and wool to make
dresses and the leaf garment was also very
popularly used during that period.
• The ornaments were worn by both men and
women.
• People bartered fish oil, edible yams,
honey, ghee, deer meat and wine with rice.

13. Sangam entertainment
• Poetry, music and dancing were popular among the
people of the Sangam age.
• Liberal donations were given to poets by the kings,
chieftains and nobles.
• The royal courts were crowded with singing bards
called Panar and Viraliyar.
• They were experts in folk songs and folk dances.
• The arts of music and dancing were highly
developed.
• A variety of Yazhs and drums are referred to in the
Sangam literature.
• Dancing was performed by Kanigaiyar.
• Koothu was the most popular entertainment of the
people
Koothu
Kattaikkuttu

14. Sangam position of
women• There is a plenty of information in the Sangam literature
to trace the position of women during the Sangam age.
• Women poets like Avvaiyar, Nachchellaiyar, and
Kakkaipadiniyar flourished in this period and contributed
to Tamil literature.
• The courage of women was also appreciated in many
poems.
• Karpu or Chaste life was considered the highest virtue of
women.
• Love marriage was a common practice.
• Women were allowed to choose their life partners.
• However, the life of widows was miserable.
• The practice of Sati was also prevalent in the higher
strata of society.
• The class of dancers was patronised by the kings and
nobles.

15. Sangam Economy
• The Sangam economy was simple and mostly self-
sufficient. Agriculture was the main occupation and
the chief crops were rice, cotton, ragi, sugarcane
pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon etc.
Weaving, ship-building, metal working, carpentry,
rope-making, ornament-making, making of ivory
products, tanning etc were some of the handicrafts,
which were widely practiced.
• The market place was known as avanam. This
period also witnessed the emergence of various
towns like Puhar, Uraiyur, Vanji, Tondi, Muzuris,
Madurai, Kanchi, etc. Industry and crafts was given
a fillip by a rising demand in the foreign markets.

16. Sangam agriculture
• The ancient Tamils cultivated a wide range of crops such as rice,
sugarcane, millets, pepper, various grams, coconuts, beans, cotton,
plantain, tamarind and sandalwood. Paddy was the main crop and
different varieties of paddy such as Vennel, Sennel, Pudunel, Aivananel
and Torai were grown in the wet land of Marutam. Sennel and pudunel
were the more refined varieties. In a very fertile land, a Veli of land yielded
1000 Kalam of paddy. The peasants lived under the shady groves beyond
the Marutam land. Each house had jack, coconut, palm, areca and
plantain trees. Turmeric plants were grown in front of the houses and
flower gardens were laid in between the houses. The Mullai people
undertook the cultivation of fruit trees and crops for cattle. The sugarcane
producers even employed mechanical contrivances to extract juices from
it. In some plots, rotation of crops was followed – cotton and millet were
grown simultaneously on a plot and after that, beans were cultivated on
the same land. There, generally, was surplus from the produce. Each
village was almost self-sufficient and if necessary people bought
additional commodities from neighboring villages. Such trade happened
under the barter system, with paddy and salt being used as the medium of
buying and selling. The agricultural surplus produced by the villages is
one of the reasons for the growth of urban centers in ancient Tamilakam

17. Sangam trade
• Trade, both inland and foreign, was well organised and briskly carried our
throughout the period Internal trade was brisk, caravans of merchants with carts
and pack-animals carried their merchandise from place to place, Barter played a
large part in all transactions and salt was an important commodity of trade. The
Sangam period witnessed the rise of maritime activity.
• External trade was carried on between South India and Hellenistic kingdom of
Egypt and Arabia as well as the Malay Archipelago. The author of the Periplus of
the Erythrean Sea (75 A.D.) gives the most valuable information about the trade
between India and the Roman Empire. He mentions the port of Naura
(Cannanore) Tyndis (Tondi), Muzuris (Musiri, Cranganore), and Nelcynda as the
leading ones on the west coast.
• Other ports of South India were Balita (Varkalai), Comari, Colchi, Puhar (Khaberis
of Ptolemy), Saliyur, Poduca (Arikamedu) and Sopatma (Markanam). A landmark
in the development of communications was the discovery of the monsoon winds
by the Greek sailor Hippalus in around A.D. 46-47.
• This led to increase in volume of trade. Large vessels made up of single logs
called Sangara and very large vessels, called Colondia made voyages. The
Periplus of the Erythraen Sea, written by an anonymous Greek navigator, gives
details of Indian exports to the Roman Empire. The main exports were: pepper,
pearls, ivory, silk, spike-nard, malabathrum, diamonds, saffron, precious stone
and tortoise shell.

18. The end