How does Sangam literature help us in understanding the early Tamil society.

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 The Sangam literature forms the main source of information for the Early Historic period. The literature derives its name from Sangam, where it is believed to have been composed or compiled. According to Tamil tradition, there were three Sangam Ages, each extending over a period of thousands of years and these Sangams were patronised by the Pandya rulers. The Sangam perhaps functioned as an academy or assembly, where a number of poets were present. The extant works, which are attributed to the third Sangam Age, were compiled in the early medieval period. 

All the Tamil works that were produced in the first two Sangams are said to have been lost. However, there is very little historical or linguistic evidence to prove the authenticity of this legend. It has also been stated that the term ‘Sangam’ is of very late origin. The Sangam literature is the oral bardic literature of the ancient Tamils. Most of the works were composed by the bards and poets who praised the kings and received their patronage in return. They are also the emotional outpourings of the poets. The literature offers vital information for reconstructing the socio, economic and political history of the Early Historic Tamil country.

Though the situations in the poems were described according to the poetic conventions, the poets have taken real life situations and the happenings in the society for similes, metaphors and other codes and symbols. The symbols and codes have hidden meanings, which are not obvious. A careful analysis of these symbols and codes can offer valuable information. These works are preserved mainly due to the efforts of scholars including U.V. Swaminatha Iyer, who collected the manuscripts and published them in the modern period.

The major works produced during this era are grouped into Pathinenmelkanakku (eighteen major works – narrative) and Pathinenkilkanakku (eighteen minor works -didactic). Pathinenmelkanakku is divided into Ettutokai and Paththupattu. Besides these works, there is Tolkappiyam, an ancient Tamil grammatical treatise.

There are five major Tamil epics, Silappadikaram.

Manimekalai, Sivaka cintamani, Valaiyapati and Kundalakesi, which postdate the Sangam Age. Among these, Silapatikaram and Manimekalai are the famous works. There are also five minor epics, Yasodhara-kaviyam, Chulamani, Perunkathai, Nagakumara-kaviyam and Nilakesi, written by Jain authors.

Tolkappiyam – Grammatical Work

Tolkappiyam, the ancient extant Tamil grammar work, was written by Tolkappiyar, who was believed to be a disciple of the mythical sage Agasthya. The Tolkappiyam lays down the rules and regulations for Tamil literature. The Tolkappiyam is divided into three components: Eluttatikaram (Orthography) Collatikaram (etymology and syntax) and Porulasikaram (deals with akam (the inner life) and puram [outer life) and prosody). Chronology of Tolkappiyam is debatable.

Some scholars date it to around the beginning of the Christian era, while others place it in fifth century A.D. Pathinenmelkanakku (the Eighteen Major Works) Pathinenmelkanakku comprises Ettutokai (eight anthologies) and Paththupattu (ten Idylls),

which are the earliest Sangam works. Ettutokai (the eight anthologies) The Ettutokai is a collection of eight long and short poems. The Ettutokai works are:

1) Narrinai: The general theme of Narrinai is love and it consists of 400 stanzas, composed by 175 poets.

2) Kuruntokai: It is a short anthology’, consisting of 402 love poems.

3) Ainkurunuru: This short five hundreds’ deals with love songs of five fold

landscape.

4) Pattirrupattu: The ‘ten tens’ consists of ten long poems divided into ten sections.It is a puram work praising the valour of the Chera kings. The work is valuable for reconstructing the history of the early Chera rulers.

5) Paripatal: It is a composition of devotional songs dedicated to deities such as Vishnu and Karthikeya.

6) Kalitokai: It consists of 150 stanzas with most of the songs dealing with love theme and a few songs on moral values.

7) Akananuru: It contains 401 stanzas of poems composed by nearly 145 poets. All the songs deal with love theme.

8) Purananuru: It comprises of 400 heroic poems, composed by 157 poets 

Paththupattu (Ten Idylls) The Paththipattu is a collection of ten long poems. Out of them, five belong to the arrupatai class in which a bard directs another to a person/king for the acquisition of wealth. They are:

1) Tirumurukarruppatai: A bard directs another to the abode of Lord Muruga, to acquire spiritual wealth. All the important shrines of Lord Muruga are described in this work. It was composed by Nakkirar.

2) Porunararruppatai: It praises the valour of the Chola king Karikala. It was composed by Muttatamakanniyar.

3) Ciruppanarruppatai: In this work, the bard directs the minstrel to the court of Nalliyakotan, a chieftain. While describing his kingdom, the work also portrays the capital cities of three major kingdoms, namely, the Cheras, the Cholas and the Pandyas. It was written by Nattattanar.

4) Perumpannarruppatai: This arrupatai is in praise of the ruler of Kanchi, written by the poet Uruttirakkannanar. The administration of the city of Kanchi and its trading activities are widely described in this work.

5) Mullaipattur: The shortest of ten idylls, containing 103 lines was composed by Naputtanar. This work deals with the akam concept.

6) Maturaikanci: The longest of ten poems, contains 782 lines. Mankuti Marutanar praises the valour of the Pandya king Netunceliyan and describes in detail the trade, commerce and administrative aspects of the Pandya Kingdom.

7) Netunelvatai: This puram work was written by Nakkirar in praise of Netunceliyan, the Pandya ruler.

8) Kurincipatu: Kapilar’s work deals with akam concept.

9) Pattinapalai: In praise of the Chola ruler Karikala, this work was composed by Uruttirankannanar. This work deals with the trade relations between ancient Tamil country and foreign countries.

10) Malaipatukatam: Composed by Perumkaucikanar, the work is an arrupatai, directing the fellow bard to the kingdom of Nannan.

Pathinenkilkanakku (Eighteen Minor Works)

The eighteen minor (Kilkanakku) works which are didactic in nature are later than the Melkanakku works. They show more influence of Prakrit and Sanskrit cultural traditions than the Melkanakku works. The impact of Jainism and Buddhism is also seen in these works, which mostly contain codes of conduct for kings and people. The Kilkanakku literature was composed in fourth-fifth centuries A.D.,  when the Tamil country was under the Kalabhra rule. The most famous among these works is Muppal or Tirukural, written by Tiruvalluvar. It deals with philosophy and maxims. The eighteen minor works are:

1) Naladiyar;

2) Nanmani Kadigai;

3) Palamoli Nanuru;

4) Aintinai Elupathu;

5) Aintinai Aimbathu;

6) Tinai Malai Nurrambathu;

7) Acharakovai;

8) Tinaimoli Aimbathu;

9) Muppal (Tirukural);

10) Tirikadugam;

11) Cirupanchamulam;

12) Kalavali Narpathu;

13) Kar Narpathu;

14) Inna Narpathu;

15) Iniyavai Narpathu;

16) Kainilai;

17) Innilai; and 

18) Eladi.

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