Question

What do you know about Sangam literature?

Answer 1

Hint:
The Earliest available Tamil literature was given the name Sangam literature, and it is dated between 400 BCE and 300 CE.

Historically known as the poetry of the noble people,' the Sangam literature connotes ancient Tamil literature and is South India's earliest known literature.

Complete answer:
The work of this literature was believed to be composed between 100 CE and 250 CE. The literary meaning of the word Sangam means association. Here, it is the association of the Tamil poets who were flourishing in southern India.

The first Tamil Sangam was believed to have been chaired by the ancient Tamil Siddhar Agastyar in Madurai, and the period was known as the Sangam period. The Cheras, the Cholas, and the Pandyas were the three chief Tamil Kingdoms.

Scholars coined the Sangam word, and it has about 2300 poems of 473 poets. There are three Sangams:

> Madurai
> Kapadapuram
> Thenmadurai

Except for Tolkappiyam (the 2nd Sangam work), all the works of the first two Sangams are lost. But, the third Sangam work survives. The Sangam literature of Tolkappiyam is the oldest extent of Tamil work, Tolkappiyar composes it. It offers information on the political, human psychology, social life, and economic conditions of the people during the Sangam era.

Note
The work in this literature is divided into three sections, and further, it is divided into nine chapters; it contains 1612 sutras. The Sanskrit influence in this work is very little. The author's aim in Sangam and Manimekalai was to propagate Buddhism in South India. This work is a sequel to Silappadikaram.