SANGAM AGE Sangam Literature:  Period - 200 BC to 300 AD  Contemporary texts 1. Greek text – Periplus Erythra Thalassa 80 AD 2. Ptolemy’s – Geographike Hyphegesis 150 AD 3. Latin text – Pliny’s Naturalis Historia 80 AD

Contemporary texts Periplus Erythra Thalassa

Geographike Hyphegesis

Pliny’s Naturalis Historia

 Sangam texts – literary products of Tamilakam  Tamilakam – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Mysore, Coorg, Chittoor

 Kerala Putras – Cheras >> Greek / Latin texts – Keprobortas / Cheraputtas  Satya Putras – N. Tamil Nadu  Putras –system of clan > succession > kinship organisation Meaning of Sangam – Assembly of Scholars  Word Sangam was used by the Buddhist and Jains, as a subtitle for the earlier Tamil word “Kudal”

 Poems were put into collection in the form of text  Earliest texts in Tamil Grammar – Tolkappaiyam 400 – 500AD It contained not only the rules of grammer but also , information regarding condition in the society . Matters connected with love, war and some traditional concepts on sociology are contained in the Tolokappiyam . It was composed by Tolkappiar It is in the form of sutras dealing with Eluthu ( Orthography ) sol (etymology ) and porul (matter)

 Sangam Texts is different from Silappadikaram and Manimekalai

 First attempt to codify the floating mass of bardic poetry

 Commentories on the above 2 texts by Pandyan rulers – Bardic poetry was composed  Later commentories gives the name “Sangam”

 Speaks on 2 types of collection of poems – Ettuttokai and Pattupattu

 Ettuttokai – 8 collections of poems  Pattupattu – 10 songs  Sangam texts : 1. There is no homogenity 2. Spontaneous – Composed in praise of powerful heroes  Common things in Sangam poetry 1. Akam or love poems Theme – love is expressed in separation and living before or after marriage 7 types of love – 2 improper and 5 proper : 2 categories – premarital love and extra-marital love

2. Puram – public poems on wars Theme – War 7 situations of war – 2 unrecommended and 5 celebrated(public celebrations in praise of heroes) – Bardic composition

 2 themes emerged a new thing – Tinai concept 5 types of poetic situations – 5 ecozones – war zone Locating the poetic themes of Akam amd Puram

3 Sangams flourished in Pandyan Kingdom 1st Sangam –  Old Madura: Agastya was one of the prominent poets of this Sangam, which was known as Mudal Sangam.  The membership of the academy- 549. No less then 4,499 authors submitted their writings to the Sangam and obtained its approval for them. Eighty Nine Pandyan kings, seven of them poets, patronized the first Sangam, which lasted 4400 years.

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 2nd Sangam (Idai sangam) Kapatapuram: second capital of the Pandyas after the first capital was washed away. Supported by 59 Pandyan kings, and flourished the classics of this period were Akattiyam ,Tolkappiyam, Mapuranam, Isai Nunukkam, Kali. This Sangam housed in its library 8149 works, but all were swept away by the sea. Since Agastya (Akattiyas) is common to both the Sangamas, it is obvious that the second was but a continuation of the first, though held in a different place owing to the loss of old Madura. The works of the second Sangam are also now lost, expect Tolakappiyam, the great Tamil grammer attributed to Tolkappiyar, one of Agastya’s twelve direct disciples

3rd Sangam  Northern Madura or the Madura  49 Pandyan kings patronized it, and it continued for 1850 years.  While many of these are now totally lost, some have fortunately survived to give modem readers an idea of the richness and variety of Sangam literature.  The complete list of the forty Nine members of the third Sangam is given in the “Garland of Tiruvallavar, included at the end of his immortal work Kural.  Among the classical works of the third Sangam that havesurvived three are most famous.

 Patthu pattu (The Ten songs), Ettutokai (The Eight poems) and Pandinenkil Kanakku ("The eighteen Minor Didactic poems).

Epics:  The Tamil literature has five major epics - Silappadikaram . Manimekhalai, Jivk a –Chintamani (Avialable - SMJ), Valavapati and Kundalakesi

 Most of these epics were the works of Buddhist and Jain authors.  5 minor epics are Yasodhare Kavyam , Chulamani, Vdyana Kalyam,Nagakumara Kavyam and Nilakasi Silappadikaram:  The greatest luminary of the period was Sittalai Sattanar, the author of Silappadikaram

“Silappatikaram literally translated to the story of anklet that depicts the life of Kannagi, a chaste woman who led a peaceful life with Kovalan in Puhar (Poompuhar), then the capital of Cholas. Her life later went astray by the association of Kovalan with another woman Madhavi who was a dancer. The duo started resurrecting their life in Madurai, the capital of Pandyas. Kovalan went on to sell the anklet of Kannagi to start a business, but was beheaded having been held guilty of stealing it from the queen. Kannagi went on to prove the innocence of her husband and was believed to have burnt the entire city of Madurai by her chastity. Apart from the story, it is a vast treasure of information on music and dance, both classical and folk”

The lovers of the story however, are at last reunited in heaven, and Kannagi is hence fourth worshipped as the goddess of chastity in the land of the Tamils. Silappadikaram , besides telling us a moving and poignant story, amazes us by its perfect sense of form , its harmonized blending of poetry, music and drama, its gorgeous and picturesque descriptions, epic dignity and sublimity. Manimekhalai:  Composed by Sittalai Sattanar  Its story is a sequel to another of the Five Great Epics, Silappatikaram, and tells the story of the conversion to Buddhism of the daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi.

 The Buddhism referred to in Mani Mekahali is the Hinayana form of Buddhism .  It is a Buddhist work dealing with the story of Mani Mekahali, the daughter of Kovilan, becoming a Buddhist Sanyasini, having leamt about Buddhist wisdom at the feet of saint Aravana of Kanchi.  It is true Silappadikaram and Mani mekhalai read have and there like sectarian special pleadings, but we are never made to forget that humanity is the main thing, and that poetry is one with humanity.

Jivaka – Chintamani:  Jain author – Tiruthakkatheva  A Minister usurps his masters throne; the king dies; his child Jivaka, undergoes many tribulations, but at last regains his father throne after killing the usurper. In his forty fifth year, king Jivaka renounces the world, lives the life of a Jain ascetic and gains bliss at last

Value of the Literature:  Sangama literature constitutes the most important source- material for the first phase of Tamil history.  Useful for writing not only the political history of the Tamils tag their social history.  According to Nilakanata Sastri, Sangam literature reflects and is the result of the meeting and fusion o f the two cultures Tamil and Aryan.  Apart from its value as source -material for history writing Sangam literature is important because of the tremendous influence it had and still has on the Tamilians.  Influenced succeeding generations in many ways in determining the values and way of life of the people and in shaping the trends in Tamil literature the Sangama literature has played a great role.