The objective of the 'Sangam Period in South Indian History' series is to understand and share the idea of Tamil Sangam Period, Tamil Sangam Literature, Kumari Kandam, Antediluvian Sangam Civilization and its history.
Thamilakam
The word Thamilakam was used to refer to the entire Tamil speaking region which corresponded to the territory of South Indian royalties of Sangam period (3rd century B.C. - 3rd century A.D.) as well as the modern south India comprising territories of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as parts of Sri Lanka. Historians referred to the 'whole of the Ancient Tamil country' as the single cultural area, though many Tamil kingdoms existed here within its boundaries.
'Tamiḻakam' aka. 'Tamizhakam' (Tamil தமிழகம்), a Tamil word was first coined in Purananuru, poem 168.18, a Sangam Tamil poetic work.
வையக வரைப்பில் தமிழகம் கேட்ப (புறநானூறு 168.18)
The other classical references include:
'இமிழ் கடல் வேலித் தமிழகம் விளங்க (பதிற்றுப்பத்து, இரண்டாம் பத்து, பதிகம் : 5) Pathirruppaththu, Second Tens, Hymn 5
'இமிழ் கடல் வரைப்பில் தமிழகம் அறிய (சிலப்பதிகாரம், அரங்கேற்றுகாதை : 38)' Silapathikaram, Arangerru Kathai 38
' சம்புத் தீவினுள் தமிழக மருங்கில் (மணிமேகலை, 17: 62) ' Manimekalai, 17:62
வடவேங்கடந் தென்குமரி ஆயிடைத்
தமிழ் கூறு நல்லுலகம் - தொல்காப்பியம் Tamilakam and Sangam Period
The history of Tamilakam (of South India) conventionally divided into three distinct periods: 1. Prehistoric, 2. (Tamil) Sangam Period or Classical Period and 3. Medieval Period. Though there are many sources used for documenting the history of ancient Tamilakam, the Sangam literature is the foremost among the available sources. The other sources of Tamilakam include:
1. Archaeological evidences: historical sites have been excavated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala i.e, Arikamedu settlement (250 B.C.); Kodumanal and Perur villages in Coimbatore district; Kaveripumpattinam (Chola portal-city) on-shore and off-shore excavations; Korkai and Alagankulam (Pandya portal-cities) and other excavations.
1. the megaliths and the grave materials;
2. the hero worship stones;
3. the Brahmi and Tamil Brahmi epigraphy - discovery of about 39 cave inscriptions in a dozen locations, all near Madurai.Important inscriptions at Mangulam, Kilavalavu, Alagarmalai and Sittannavasal, Pugalur village near Karur.
4. Pottery inscriptions: Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, have been found from about 20 archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu.
Source: Wikipedia Satavahana Bilingual coin http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/Satavahana_Bilingual_Coin.jpg
Source: Wikipedia Roman Gold coins excavated in Pudukkottai, India
5. Numismatics: a. the punch - marked coins from Magadha (400 B.C. – 187 B.C.) and the Satavahanas (200 B.C – 200 A.D.); b. Roman coins - dated from 31 B.C. to 217 A.D. coins of Phoenicians and Seleucids and coins from the Mediterranean region (c. 300 B.C.); c. Sangam age Tamil kings - punch-marked silver, copper and lead coins dated 200 B.C. – 200 A.D.
6. Greek source on India: Greek traveler Megasthenes' (302 B.C.) famous work Indica
7. Roman source on India: Roman historian Strabo (1st century B.C.)
8. Roman source on India: Pliny the Elder (77 A.D.) refers to many Tamil ports in his work The Natural History.
9. Roman source on India: The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (60–100 A.D.) gives an elaborate description of the Tamil country and describes the riches of a 'Pandyan Kingdom':
10. Ancient Sanskrit work Arthashastra by Kautilya (c. 370–283 BCE),
11. Gajabahu synchronism i.e, Mahawamsa references on king Gajabahu I
Academy of Tamil Poets - Tamil Sangam
Tamil is considered as the most ancient among the spoken literary languages of South India. The Tamil Sangam refers to an Academy of 473 poets and bards, including 30 female poets who participated in the Academy and composed a body of classical Tamil literature comprising 2382 poems (anonymous authors composed 102 poems) or 26,350 poem lines. The Tamil poets of Sangam period, both men and women, came from various professions and classes of society i.e., kings, learned scholars, noble people, accountants, peasants, physicians, traders, teachers, goldsmiths, metal smiths and cattle herders. The corpus is the oldest extant literature written in Tamil and occupies a canonical position in the cultural history of Tamil people.
The themes of the secular Sangam poems related to life including kingship, warfare and family life. 'Sangam Period' is the period in the history of ancient Tamilakam. Sangam Period or Sangam Age is the period during which Sangam literature (Sangam poems) were written. During Sangam period Tamilakam was ruled by three major dynasties Pandya, Chola and Chera as well as some minor chieftains (Velirs) with independent territory. The Seven Patrons or Kadaiyelu Vallalgal was most popular among the minor chieftains.
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Nakkiranar's Commentary to Iraiyanar Akapporul
Wikipedia - Iraiyaṉār Akapporuḷ - Tamil legends say that the sixty verses that form the core of the Iraiyanar Akapporul were discovered beneath the altar of Shiva in Madurai.
Nakkiranar, (நக்கீரானர்) son of Madurai Kanakkayanar (மதுரை கணக்காயானார்) (6th - 7th century A.D.) written the erudite textual commentary on Iraiyanar Akapporul aka. Kalaviyal ("Iraiyanar's treatise on the love-theme, called 'The study of stolen love'") provides the oldest account of the Sangam legend.
Antediluvian Pandya Kingdom
According to the legend, over a period of 9000 years, the antediluvian Tamil kingdom, the Pandya dynasty, founded three Sangams to foster Tamil language, poetical literature as well as the culture and philosophy of Tamils. They include: Head Sangam (Thalai Sangam), Middle Sangam (Idai Sangam) and Last Sangam (Kadai Sangam). The first two Sangams were located in the antediluvian lands of “Kumari Kandam” (Virgin or Virgin Continent). The literary evidences influenced the Tamil scholars to believe that the civilization of Sangams was literally an 'antediluvian civilization.' Kumari Kandam was an ancient land mass which existed and extended from southern tip of peninsular India, towards west of Madagascar and towards Australia in the east.
Source: Wikipedia - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Ancientlemuria.jpg
Few references in Sangam literature:
Purananuru 9
செந்நீர்ப் பசும் பொன் வயிரியர்க் கீத்த
முந்நீர் விழவின் நெடியோன்
நன்னீர்ப் பஃறுளி மணலினும் பலவே - புறநானூறு 9Kalittokai 135
"மலிதிரை யூர்ந்துதன் மண்கடல் வௌவலின்
மெலிவின்றி மேற்சென்று மேவார்நா டிடம்பட" (கலித் தொகை 135)
Silappathikaram,(Tamil Epic) 11 : 19-20
பஃறுளி ஆற்றுடன் பன்மலை அடுக்கத்துக்
குமரிக் கோடும் கொடுங்கடல் கொள்ள.... 11 : 19-20
’குமரி கொல்லம் முதலிய பன்மலை நாடும், காடும், நதியும், பதியும்,
தட நீர்க் குமரி வட பெருங்கோட்டின்காறும் கடல் கொண்டு அழிதலால்’ - அடியார்க்கு நல்லார் - சிலப்பதிகார உரை (8 - 1)
speak about Kumari Kandam and how the land mass of the Pandyan king Nilan Tharu Thiruvil Pandyan II submerged into the sea and how Pandya led his people north and conquered new lands to replace those they had lost. It is also learned from poet Adiyarkkunallar, a medieval commentator, about the existence of forested and populated land, stretching about 700 kavathams, between the Pahruli and Kumari rivers before the deluge by flood. The great Indian epic Ramayana and Mahabharata have references about the sunken land mass. There are also other literary references from Sri Lankan Sinhala text 'Mahavamsa.' The trade ports existed during Sangam Period are detailed in the Tamil Sangam Literature, as well as in the literature of Greek and Roman languages. The maps of Greek and Roman geographers / naturalists Ptolemy, Pliny and Periplus show sunken land mass. The Arab historian, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Abu Rayhan al-Biruni also observed and documented about the Great Cataclysmic.
Source http://www.saivasiddhanta.in/prevedicscriptures.html
The Head Sangam (Thalai Sangam)
Name: The Head Sangam (Thalai Sangam - தலைச்சங்கம்)
Founded by: Sage Agastya
Location: Southern Madurai (Then Madurai - தென்மதுரை) . The first Pandya capital city was existing in legendary Kumari Kandam (குமரிக் கண்டம்) was submerged into sea.
Span: Nakkiranar marks beginning of Head Sangam somewhere in 9000 B.C. and according to him this Sangam lasted over 4400 years.
No. of Poets: 4449 poets composed songs for this Sangam. The grammar followed by these poets was 'Agattiyam' ('அகத்தியம்).'
Poems composed: Paripaadal (பரிபாடல்), Mudunarai (முதுநாரை), Mudukurugu (முதுகுருகு), Kalariyavirai (களரியாவிரை)
Patrons: 89 Pandya kings - from Kaysina Vazhuthi (காய்சின வழுதி) to Kadungon (கடுங்கோன்) - were the descendants, rulers and patrons of the Head Sangam.
Evidence: The Sangam literature does not contain any mention of the Head Sangam.
Second Sangam (Idai Sangam)
Name: The Second Sangam (Idai Sangam - இடைச்சங்கம்)
Location: Kapatapuram (கபாடபுரம்). The second Pandya capital city was existing in legendary Kumari Kandam ) (குமரிக் கண்டம்) (Lemuria) and was submerged into sea.
Span: Nakkiranar marks beginning of Idai Sangam somewhere in 4600 B.C. and according to him this Sangam lasted over 3700 years.
No. of Poets: 3700 poets composed songs for this Sangam. The grammar books followed by these poets were 'Agattiyam' (அகத்தியம்), 'Budapuranam' (பூதப்புராணம்), 'Isainunukkam' (இசைநுணுக்கம்), 'Mapuranam' (மாபுராணம்), and 'Tholkaapiyam' (தொல்காப்பியம்).
Poems composed: Kali (கலி), Kurugu (குருகு), Vendali (வெண்டலை) and Viyalamalai ahaval (வியாளமலை அகவல்).
Patrons: Some 59 Pandya kings - from Vendercceliyan (வெண்தேர் செழியன்) to Mudattirumaran (முட்டதுத் திருமாறன்) - were the descendants, rulers and patrons of the Second Sangam.
Evidence: The existences of the city known in the name 'Kavatapuram' is seen from the epic Valmiki Ramayana (Kishkinda Kanda 42:13) and the canonical work Arthasastra by saint Kautalya. The Sangam literature does not contain any mention of the Second (Idai) Sangam.
Third Sangam (Kadai Sangam - கடைச்சங்கம்)
Name: The Third Sangam (Kadai Sangam - கடைச்சங்கம்)
Location: Madurai (மதுரை) Present Madurai - existing on the banks of Vaigai River - located in South Tamil Nadu. Legends which came later state that the proceedings of the Third Sangam was held on the banks of the Golden Lotus Tank at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai.
Span: Nakkiranar marks beginning of Third Sangam somewhere in 900 B.C. and according to him this Sangam lasted over 1850 years.
No. of Poets: 449 poets composed songs for this Sangam. The grammar books followed by these poets were 'Agattiyam' (அகத்தியம்), and 'Tholkaapiyam' (தொல்காப்பியம்).
Poems composed: 'Kurunthogai' (குறுந்தொகை), 'Netunthogai' (நெடுந்தொகை), 'Kurunthogai Nanooru' (குறுந்தொகை நானூறு), 'Narrinai Nanooru' (நற்றினை நானூறு), 'Purananooru' (புறநானூறு), 'Aingurunooru' (ஐங்குறுநூறு), 'Padirrupaatu' (பதிற்றுபத்து), 'Kali' (கலி), 'Paripaadal' (பரிபாடல்), 'Kuttu' (குத்து),vari (வரி), 'Sirrisai' (சிற்றிசை) and 'Perisai' (பேரிசை).
Patrons: Some 49 Pandya kings - from Mudattirumaran (முட்டதுத் திருமாறன்) to Ukkirapperu Vazhuudi (உக்கிர பெருவழுதி) - were the descendants, rulers and patrons of the Kadai Sangam. King Mudattirumaran came away from Kapatapuram.
Evidence: The literature does not contain any mention of the Third Sangam, although some relationship between Madurai and literature may be found in some of the Sangam age literature. Cinnamanur inscription of the Pandyas of 10th century is the earliest archaeological evidence discovered in relation to Madurai and the Sangams.
Source: Wikipedia - Sangam Period - Political map of South India, 210 B.C.E.
Anthologies of Sangam poems
The anthologists and annotators took pains to collect, edit, adding colophon, and index or classify the Sangam poems into different anthology heads in the 10th century. However the poems went out of popular memory. It was rediscovered by Tamil scholars C.W.Damodaram Pillai and U.V. Swaminatha Iyer in the 19th century and reorganized to the present formats. Two major categorizations are:
1. 'Major Anthology Eighteen Series' (பதினெண்மேல்கணக்கு) and
2. 'The Minor Eighteen Anthology Series' (பதினெண்கீழ்கணக்கு).
1. The Major Anthology Eighteen Series comprise:
1.1 'The Eight Anthologies' or 'Ettuthokai' (எட்டுத்தொகை), and
1.2 'The Ten Idyls' or 'Pattupattu' (பத்துப்பாட்டு).
1.1 The Eight Anthologies
1.1 The following poem by an anonymous author helps us to remember the component poems of the Eight Anthologies:
நற்றிணை நல்ல குறுந்தொகை ஐங்குறுநூறு
ஒத்த பதிற்றுப்பத்து ஓங்கு பரிபாடல்
கற்றறிந்தார் ஏத்தும் கலியோடு அகம்புறம்
என்று இத்திறத்த எட்டுத் தொகை.
The poems of the Eight Anthologies were sung by 470 Sangam poets and dealt with 'Akam' or subjective including 'ideal love' and 'Puram' or objective including valor, war and munificence etc. The Eight Anthologies are formed by the under mentioned poems :
1.1.1 Ainkurnuru (ஐங்குறுநூறு): No. of poems: 500 short poems. Indexed into five sections namely Kurinji, Neythal, Marutham, Mullai and Pālai and each section have 100 verses. Each section is further divided by sets of 10 thematic sub-sections. The themes include boars, monkeys, peacocks and all. Poets contributed: Kapilar composed Kurinji poems; Orampokiyar composed Marutham poems; Ammovanar wrote Neythal poems; Peyanar composed Mullai poems and Othalanthaiyar wrote Palai poems.
1.1.2. Akananuru (அகநானூறு) aka. ‘Nedunthokai Nānuru’: No. of poets: 142; No. of poems: 400; References to historical events: 288. Includes poems on Akam.
1.1.3. Purananuru (புறநானூறு): No. of poets: 156 - male poets including 43 Chera, Chola and Pandya king poets and 15 female poets including Avvaiyar; No. of poems: 400; References to historical events: 288; Includes poems on Akam.
1.1.4. Kaliththokai (கலித்தொகை): No. of poems: 150; Includes poems on Akam in 'Kali' meter. Number of lines ranging from 12 to 80. Poet: Poet Kapilar (Kurinji), Palai Padiya Perunkadungko (Palai); Nallanthuvanar (Neythal); Nalluthiran (Mullai) and Ilanakanar (Marutham).
1.1.5. Kuruntokai (குறுந்தொகை): No. of poets: 205; No. of poems: 400; References to historical events: 27.
1.1.6. Natrinai (நற்றிணை): No. of poets: 175; No. of poems: 400 - poem 175 fully missing and poem 395 partly missing; References to historical events: 59.
1.1.7. Paripaatal (பரிபாடல்): No. of poems: 22; Includes poems on both Akam and Puram. One of the later anthologies and theme of poems include gods - Murukan, Thirumal and river Vaigai (Madurai).
1.1.8. Pathirruppaththu (பதிற்றுப்பத்து): No. of poems: 80 (Total 100 poems and 20 missing); Name indicates TEN TENs or ten poems (epilog or pathikam) in each sections. Includes Puram poems. Poems deal with the Chera dynasty and details the achievements and exploits of eight Chera kings.
1.2 The Ten Idylls
1.2 The lengthy Ten Idylls poem collections are fairly long and ranging from 103 (Mullaippattu) to 782 (Mathuraikkanci) lines. The Ten Idylls poem collections dealt with 'Arruppatai,' the unique Sangam literary form in which the bard or the minstrel directs another bard to the Maecenas, from whom the former bard received bountiful gifts. The bard gained immense opportunity to detail the nature of 'Sangam' terrain', (its beauty, fertility, and the other resources) and its territory to be traversed to reach the fort palace of the Maecenas. It is a guidance or travelogue for the bards to travel. There are five Arrupadai collections - Tirumurugarruppatai, Porunaraatruppadai, Perumpanarruppatai, Cirupanarruppatai and Malaipatukatam. The five Arrupadai formats and Mathuraikkanci belong to Puram poems category. The three poem collections - Mullaippattu, Kurincippattu and Pattinappaalai belong to Akam poem collections. The collection Netunalvatai cannot be determined as Akam or Puram poem. The following poem by an anonymous author helps us to remember the component poems of the Ten Idylls:
முருகு பொருநாறு பாணிரண்டு முல்லை
பெருகு வளமதுரைக் காஞ்சி - மருவினிய
கோலநெடு நல்வாடை கோல்குறிஞ்சி பட்டினப்
பாலை கடாத்தொடும் பத்து
The Ten Idylls are formed by the under mentioned poems :
1. Tirumurugarruppatai (திருமுருகாற்றுப்படை) No. of lines: 317; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Nakkeerar. The lyrical and narrative hymns of Tirumurugarruppatai guide the devotees about the abodes of Lord Muruga (the Tamil God) and the poem aims to propagate the philosophical and theological aspects of Muruga worship.
2. Kurincippattu (குறிஞ்சிப்பாட்டு): No. of lines: 261; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Kapilar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Brahadatha.
3. Malaipatukatam (மலைபடுகடாம்): No. of lines: 583; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Perunkousikanar. Name of the king (Maecenas): King Nannan Venman.
4. Mathuraikkanci (மதுரைக் காஞ்சி): No. of lines: 583; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Mangudi Maruthanar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Pāndyan king Neduncheliyan.
5. Mullaippattu (முல்லைப்பாட்டு): No. of lines: 103; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Nappoothanar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Thalaiyālankānathu Cheruvendra Neduncheliyan.
6. Netunalvatai (நெடுநல்வாடை): No. of lines: 188; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Nakkeeranar (S/o Madurai Kanakkayanar). Name of the king (Maecenas): Pandyan (unknown king).
7. Pattinappaalai (பட்டினப்பாலை): No. of lines: 301; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Vanjippa (வஞ்சிப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Kadiyalur Urithirankannanar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Karikala Cholan.
8. Perumpanarruppatai (பெரும்பாணாற்றுப்படை): No. of lines: 500; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Kadiyalur Urithirankannanar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Thondaimān Ilanthiraiyan.
9. Porunaraatruppadai (பொருநராற்றுப்படை): No. of lines: 250; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Mudathamakkaniyar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Karikal Cholan.
10. Cirupanarruppatai (சிறுபாணாற்றுப்படை): No. of lines: 269; Meter: Asiriyappa (ஆசிரியப்பா) / Akaval (அகவல்); Name of poet: Nathathanar. Name of the king (Maecenas): Nalliyakodan.
Sangam Period
Most of the historians are of the view that the dates of early two Sangams periods as mythical. The legendary dates mostly are not in accordance with the historical dates. Scholars find it very difficult to fix the exact date of the Sangam period. In spite of varied opinions in fixing the date of the Sangam, the Sangam period estimation falls between the span of 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. Some other estimation fixes the Sangam Period between 100 B.C. and 300 A.D. The Sangam Period was ceased around the 300 A.D. with the invasion of Kalabhras from the north.
Reference
- Absolute Astronomy Sangam http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Sangam
- Ancient Indian History and Civilization. Sailendra Nath Sen. Google Books
- Iraiyanar Akapporul Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraiyanar_Akapporul http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0nk260ck#page-11
- Sources of ancient Tamil History Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sources_of_ancient_Tamil_history
- Tamilakam Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamilakam
- Tamil Sangams/Venus62 version Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ASangam/Venus62_version
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