Sangam

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For other uses of Sangam see Sangam (disambiguation)

Topics in Tamil literature
Sangam literature
Agattiyam	Tolkappiyam
Pathinenmaelkanakku
Ettuthokai
Ainkurnuru	Akananuru
Purananuru	Kaliththokai
Kuruntokai	Natrinai
Paripaatal	Pathirruppaththu
Pattupattu
Tirumurugarruppatai	Kurincippattu
Malaipatukatam	Mathuraikkanci
Mullaippattu	Netunalvatai
Pattinappaalai	Perumpanarruppatai
Porunaraatruppadai	Cirupanarruppatai
Pathinenkilkanakku
Nalatiyar	Nanmanikkatigai
Inna Narpathu	Iniyavai Narpathu
Kar Narpathu	Kalavazhi Narpathu
Ainthinai Aimpathu	Thinaimozhi Aimpathu
Ainthinai Ezhupathu	Thinaimalai Nurru Aimpathu
Tirukural	Thirikatukam
Acharakkovai	Pazhamozhi Nanuru
Siruppanchamulam	Muthumozhikkanchi
Elathi	Kainnilai
Sangam culture
Sangam	Sangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literature	Tamil literature
Ancient Tamil music
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Sangam refers to the Tamil academies, which according to Tamil legends, enabled poets and authors to gather periodically to publish their work.^[1]. The earliest extant works of Tamil date back to the period between 200 BCE and 200 AD. The literature of this period has been referred to as The Sangam literature and the period in which these works were composed itself is referred to as the Sangam period alluding to the legends. Scientifically and historically, the legends of multiple Sangams existing prior to the period of the earliest extant works in Tamil have been dismissed due to lack of any tangible proof.

Contents 1 Sangam legends 2 Etymology 3 Evidence 3.1 Literary evidence 3.2 Archeological evidence 4 Sangam literature 5 Notes 6 References

[edit] Sangam legends

According to the Sangam legends first described in the Irayanaar Agapporul and a commentary to it by Nakkirar (c. seventh/eighth century CE).^[2] there were three Sangams spanning thousands of years. The first Sangam, whose seat was southern Madurai, later submerged into the sea, lasted a total of 4440 years and 4449 poets, which included some gods of the Hindu pantheon, took part in it. The second Sangam was convened in Kapatapuram, which finds mention in Valmiki Ramayana (Kishkinda Kanda 42:13). This Sangam lasted for 3700 years and had 3700 poets participating. This city also submerged in sea. The third Sangam is described as believed to be located in the current city of Madurai and lasted for 1850 years under 49 kings. ^[3]

[edit] Etymology

The word Sangam is probably of Indo-Aryan origin, coming from Sangha, the Buddhist and Jain term for an assembly of monks. In Tamil the word means "assembly" or "academy".^[4] In 470 CE, a Dravida Sangha was established in Madurai by a Jain named Vajranandi. ^[5] During that time the Tamil country was under the occupation of Kalabhras, who had displaced the traditional Tamil kings. The Kalabhra rulers were followers of either Buddhism or Jainism. The Dravida Sangha took much interest in the Tamil language and literature. ^[6] We can also find Jain names such as Uloccnaar and Maathirthan among the early poets. Jain cosmology and mythology are also found mentioned in the early Sangam poems.^[7]

[edit] Evidence

There has been no contemporary archaeological or scientific evidence found to substantiate whether these academies existed at all and if so, the dates, the participants or their works.

[edit] Literary evidence

Although the term Sangam literature is applied to the corpus of the earliest known Tamil literature belonging to the c100 BCE – 200 CE, the name Sangam and the legend was probably of a much later date.^[8] The early literature belonging to the pre-Pallava dynasty period (c.400 – 600 CE) do not contain any mention of the Sangam academies, although some relationship between Madurai and literature may be found in some of the Sangam age literature.^[9] Further references to Sangam and its association with Madurai have been mentioned by poets such as Sekkilar, Andal, Auvaiyar and Kambar (all belonging to the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE). The actual poems of the Sangam literature themselves do not directly mention such academies. However the poem Mathuraikkanci (761-763), which belongs to the early collection of Pattupattu, describes Madurai as the 'place where authors met and interacted'.^[10].

[edit] Archeological evidence

Claims of the Sangams and the description of sunken land masses have been dismissed by the historian and scientific community at large^[11]. From the available archaeological and epigraphic evidence, the earliest Tamil kingdoms may have been established only thousands of years after the end of the Third Sangam in the fourth century BC. Between the fourth century B.C.E. and c 1000 B.C.E., the archaeological findings point to only a megalithic period, and going further back a Neolithic period starting from about the third millennium BC. These two prehistoric periods do not show any sign of a complex culture, and no clear connection with the dawn of urban civilization in South India.

An accurate chronological assessment of literary works had been rendered difficult due to lack of concrete scientific evidence to support conflicting claims. Undue reliance on the Sangam legends have thus culminated in controversial opinions or interpretations among scholars, confusion in the dates, names and personal accounts of authors and doubts of even their existence in some cases. The earliest archealogical evidence connecting Madurai and the Sangams is the tenth century Cinnamanur inscription of the Pandyas.^[12]

[edit] Sangam literature

Main article: Sangam literature

Historians refer to the Tamil literature from c 200 BCE to 300 CE as Sangam literature.^[13][14] Sangam literature comprises of some of the oldest extant Tamil literature, and deals with love, war, governance, trade and bereavement. ^[15] Unfortunately much of the Tamil literature belonging to the Sangam period had been lost.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References