Sangam Literature: Origin, Classification & Major Works

Sangam (Cankam) Literature connotes the ancient Tamil literature which was formulated during the span of c. 300-BCE to 300-CE. This literature is a collection of works that contains approximately 2381 poems that have been attributed to 473 poets and a corpus of literature written by 102 anonymous poets.

Sangam literature has been considered a source material to study the trade relations between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, West Asia, and the Mediterranean.

Sangam Literature

Origin of Sangam Literature

Sangam literature, a cornerstone of Tamil literary tradition, refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between 600 BCE and 300 CE. This period, known as the Sangam period, is named after the Sangam academies, which were scholarly assemblies of Tamil poets and scholars believed to have been sponsored by the Pandyan kings of the ancient Tamil Kingdoms. These gatherings were held in the city of Madurai, a significant cultural and religious center in Tamil Nadu, southern India.

The origin of Sangam literature is deeply rooted in the ancient Tamil oral tradition, which encompassed poetry, folk songs, and worship practices dedicated to various gods, heroes, and ancestral spirits. This oral tradition laid the groundwork for the Sangam literature, characterized by its rich poetic nature, exploring themes such as love, valor, ethics, and the daily life of the people, along with the geographical beauty and wealth of the Tamil land.

Sangam literature is traditionally divided into two main categories: Agam (internal) and Puram (external). Agam literature focuses on themes related to love and personal relationships, while Puram literature deals with social, political, and heroic themes, including wars, governance, and trade.

The literature compiled during the Sangam era includes eight anthologies of poetry (Ettuthogai), ten long poems (Pathuppattu), and two didactic works (Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar and Naladiyar), among others. These works are not only significant for their literary value but also for their detailed descriptions of the social, political, and economic conditions of the time, providing valuable insights into the ancient Tamil civilization.

Classification of Sangam Literature

Sangam means “fraternity, meeting, gathering, academy”. The Sangam poetry focuses on the culture and people. It has both narrative and didactic compositions, occasional mentions of the Hindu gods, and more substantial mentions of various gods in the shorter poems.

Category	Description
Genre
Poetry	Sangam literature primarily consists of poetry, including love poems, war poems, nature poems, and didactic poems.
Prose	While poetry dominates Sangam literature, there are also prose texts, such as grammatical treatises and commentaries.
Periods
Early Sangam	The Early Sangam period (300 BCE – 200 CE) corresponds to the oldest layer of Sangam literature.
Middle Sangam	The Middle Sangam period (200 – 600 CE) represents a continuation of literary activity with new themes and styles.
Later Sangam	The Later Sangam period (600 – 900 CE) marks the decline of the Sangam tradition, with fewer literary works produced.
Themes
Love	Love and romance are prominent themes in Sangam poetry, with poems expressing various aspects of romantic relationships.
War	War poems glorify heroic deeds of warriors and describe battles, weapons, and the valor of soldiers.
Nature	Nature poems celebrate the beauty of the natural world, depicting landscapes, flora, fauna, and changing seasons.
Ethics	Didactic poems impart moral lessons and ethical principles, offering guidance on virtuous living and social conduct.
Collections
Ettuthokai	Ettuthokai, meaning “Eight Anthologies,” is a collection of eight Sangam literary works.
Pattupattu	Pattupattu, meaning “Ten Idylls,” is a collection of Sangam poems celebrating various aspects of life and nature.
Pathuppāṭṭu	Pathuppāṭṭu is a collection of ten poetic works that belong to the Sangam literary tradition.
Purananuru	Purananuru is an anthology of 400 poems providing historical and sociocultural insights into ancient Tamil society.
Language
Tamil	Sangam literature is composed in the Tamil language, showcasing the richness and versatility of ancient Tamil poetry.

Sangam Literature- Three Sangam

The Tamil tradition and legends link it to three literary gatherings around Madurai (Pandyan capital): the first over 4,440 years, the second over 3,700 years, and the third over 1,850 years before the start of the common era, this Tamil tradition-based chronology has been considered by historian as being ahistorical and mythical. Historians have referred to the organization of three Sangams over 600- 700 years.

Sangam	Kingdom	Place Organised	Books
First	Pandya	Madurai	No books have survived. Used Agattiyam as grammar
Second or Middle	Pandya	Kapatapuram	Around 2000 poems were collected and compiled into Tolkappiyam (textbook on grammar) includes the classification of animals, plants, and human beings
Third	Pandya	Madurai	Most of the existing corpus of Sangam literature was written during this period.

Sangam Corpus:

Ezhuthu	Letters and Phonetics
Porul	Subject- Matter and Poetics
Chol	Words and Syntax

Sangam classification based on period of composition

The Early Sangam literature included Agattiyam, Ettuttogai, Tolkappiyam and Pattuppattu. The Early Sangam literature provides sources to study the social, literary, and cultural aspects of ancient Tamil kingdoms.

The Later Sangam Literature is mainly poetic work known as Patinen Kilkanakku (The Eighteen Lesser Texts), and five great epics, extensive narrative Tamil epics according to later Tamil literary tradition. Like the twin Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, even Tamil have two major texts written in the 5th and 6th century AD, i.e., Silappadikaram (Tales of an Anklet) by Ilango Adigal, and the Manimekalai (The Story of Manimekalai), written by Satan. These texts focus on Tamil society and the economic and political changes it was experiencing.

Sangam classification based on context and interpretation.

Sangam and Tholkappiyam

Tholkappiyam is an ancient Tamil treatise that has divided poetry into two categories: Aham (inner) and Puram (outer).

Akam	Puram
The Akam poetry is about emotions and feelings in the context of romantic love, sexual union, and eroticism	The Puram poetry is about exploits and heroic deeds in the context of war and public life
Approximately three-fourths of the Sangam poetry is Akam-themed	and about one-fourth of Sangam poetry is Puram-themed
1862 poems associated with aka	519 poems associated with Puram

Sangam literature, both akam and puram, can be subclassified into seven minor genres called tiṇai. This minor genre is based on the location or landscape in which the poetry is set. Akam has five Tinas.

Akam Tinas

Tinai	Ecozone	Subsistence	Uri
Kurinji	Hills	Hunting and gathering	A clandestine meeting of lovers.
Marutam	Fertile River valley	Agriculture (with plough and irrigation)	Man’s infidelity and wife’s sulk.
Mullai	Dry pastures	Pastoralism	Hopeful waiting of the wife.
Palai	Arid Scrub land	Cattle- raids, waylaying	Lover’s departure for education or adventure of earning money through the wilderness.
Neital/ Neytal	Coastal Region	Fishing, salt- making etc	Wife’s anxious wait for the return of her husband.

Puram Tinas:

Tinai	Uri theme
Vetchi	Capturing enemy cattle as a prelude to war
Karanthai	Retrieval of cattle after enemy raid
Kanchi	Invading the enemy
Padan	Glory in battle/charity/honor
Ulaignai	Encirclement of enemy fortifications
Vagai	Celebrating war victory
Thumbai	Waging a war

Major Works in Sangam Literature

Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku, and epic Manimegalai are some of the major works of Sangam literature.

Silappathikaram

Silappatikaram is the first Tamil epic. It’s a 5,730-line poem almost entirely written in akaval (aciriyam) meter. The epic’s protagonists are Kannaki and her husband Kovalan, who tell the sad love story of an ordinary couple. Ilango Adigal is credited with creating this text.

Tolkappiyam

Tolkappiyam is the oldest extant Tamil grammar text as well as the oldest extant lengthy work of Tamil literature, it was written by a single author named Tholkappiyar. This text contains sutras on spelling, phonology, etymology, morphology, semantics, prosody, sentence structure, and the importance of context in language.

Ettuthogai

The Eight Anthologies is a great Tamil literary work that is part of the Eighteen Greater Texts (Patinen-melkanakku) anthology series.

Pattuppattu

The Ten Idylls, also known as Pattupattu or Ten Lays, is a collection of ten longer poems. The Pattupattu  (Ten Idylls) consists of ten works: Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunarruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Perumpanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Madurai Kanji, Kurinjippatttu, Pattinappalai, and Malaipadukadam.

Pathinenkilkanakku

The Pathinenkilkanakku, also known as the Eighteen Lesser Texts in literature, is a collection of eighteen poetry compositions, the majority of which were composed after the Sangam period. The most important of these texts is Tirukkural.

Manimekalai

Manimekalai also known as Manimekhalai or Manimekalai, is a Tamil-Buddhist epic written most likely in the sixth century by Kulavika Seethalai Sataar. It’s an “anti-love narrative,” a sequel to the “love story” in the first Tamil epic Silappadikaram

Post- Sangam Period (200- 600 C.E.)

The Post- Sangam Age is marked by the composition of five great Tamil epics, which consist of Manimekalai, Jivaka-cintamani, Valaiyapati, Kundalakesi, and Silappadikaram.

Silapadikaram

the earliest epic poem in Tamil, written in the 5th–6th century AD by Prince Ilanko Adikal. The Silappathikaram is a detailed poetic witness to Tamil culture, its varied religions, its town plans and city types, the commingling of Greek, Arab, and Tamil peoples, and the arts of dance and music.

Manimekalai

The epic poem Manimekalai by Poet Sathanar, 2nd century A.D., is unique for the deep spirituality and mysticism it unfolds against the historical and geographical background of South India and adjacent Jaffna.

Jivakachintamani

The epic was written in the early 10th century by Tiruttakkatvar, a Madurai-based Jain monk. It tells the narrative of a prince who is the ideal master of all arts, warrior, and lover with many wives. The poet deftly blends the martial exploits of the ideal man with graphic intimate depictions of his affairs as well as lyrical interludes extolling his qualities such as benevolence, duty, sensitivity, and affection for all living creatures.

Valaiyapati

It is one of the five major Tamil epics, the major emotion is love, and its primary goal is to instill Jain values and philosophies. It revolves around the story of a man with two wives who abandoned his son.

Kundalakesi

Kundalakesi is a Tamil Buddhist epic authored by Nathakuthanaar about the 10th century. The epic is about love, marriage, becoming bored of one’s wedded partner, murder, and finally discovering religion.

Other path-breaking epics written during this period in Tamil include – Jivakachintamani or Mudiporultodarnilaiseyyul, Valaiyapati, and Kundalakesi. Apart from these Tamil literature, the Jain authors have also developed five minor works — Yasodhara-kavya, Chulamani, Perunkathai, Nagakumara-kaviyam, and Nilakesi.

Art and Architecture During Sangam Age

During this period, the Viman style of architecture flourished. Dwarpal and Gana were common in Chola temples. Pandya style of temple architecture existed during this period which consisted of Gopuram, Garbagriha, Prakaras, gateways, and Viman.

• (Nadu Kal worship) Hero Stone Worship: Various Hero Stone were erected to commemorate the warrior’s gallantry in battle. These stones have been excavated from various regions of Tamil Nadu with legends carved on them.
• Various texts like Pattinappalai have referred to port cities like Puhar. Other seaports during the Sangam period are Tondi, Musiri, and Korkai.
• Karaikala (Chola King) built Kallanai across the Kaveri River and built a large number of irrigation tanks.

Significance of Sangam Literature

The Sangam literature provides evidence of some aspects of the ancient Tamil culture, secular and religious beliefs, and the people. More than giving accounts of shaped power balance and foreign relations with other states, the Sangam period gave more importance towards hero- worship and exaggeration of victories and territories of the king. Sangam literature has been extensively used to trace back the history of the Cholas, Chera, and Pandya kingdoms and to understand the inception of Tamil literature dating back to 300 B.C.E.

Deccan Dynasties associated with the Sangam Literature.

The Sangam literature offers a window into some aspects of the ancient Tamil culture, secular and religious beliefs, and the people These poems also allude to historical incidents, ancient Tamil kings, and the effect of war on loved ones and households.

The Sangam literature arose in distant antiquity over three periods, each stretching over many millennia. The first has been associated with the Hindu deity Shiva, his son Murugan, Kubera, and 545 sages including the famed Rigvedic poet Agastya. The first academy, states the legend, extended over 4 millennia and was located far to the south of the modern city of Madurai, a location later “swallowed up by the sea”, states Shulman The second academy, also chaired by a very long lived Agastya, was near the eastern seaside Kapāṭapuram and lasted three millennia.

The Pandya kingdom has been referred to frequently in Sangam Literature. The Sangam age has been named after the various Sangam academies that were held during the period from 300 BCE. to 300 CE that flourished under the patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai.

Important Facts about Sangam Literature

1. Sangam literature is important because Sangam literature provides historical evidence of the presence of indigenous Tamil literature in parallel to Sanskrit and provides literary sources to historians for constructing a history of ancient Tamil.

2. Sangam poem can be classified into two i.e., akam (inner) such as love, and sexual relations, and the puram (outer) heroism, customs, social life, ethics, and philanthropy. It represents two contradictory yet complementary themes of abstract emotions and heroic deeds.

3. Sangam literature includes 18 Major works (Pathinen Melkanakku), 8 Anthologies (Ettutokoi), 10 Long Poems (Pattupattu), Tolkappiyam (Grammar work) and two epics named – Silappathikaram and Manimegala.

Conclusion

Sangam literature reflects the conception of the state getting crystallized in the Deccan kingdoms. The Sangam literature provides evidence to trace back the history of Tamil and the Deccan kingdoms which dates back to 300 B.C.E. The Sangam literature provides historical evidence of the indigenous literary developments in Deccan parallel to Sanskrit and the classical status of the Tamil language.

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FAQ’s on Sangam Literature

Where were the three Sangam held?

The First Sangam, traditionally said to have taken place in Madurai has no literary works from this Sangam that have survived to this day.

The Second Sangam was convened at Kapadapuram, and from it, only Tolkappiyam has been considered as a literary work.

The Third Sangam, also held in Madurai, left behind various literary compositions that serve as valuable sources for understanding the historical context of the Sangam period.

Who founded the Sangam literature?

The Ancient Tamil Siddhar Agastyar, from the 1st to 4th century C.E. is thought to have founded and presided over the first Tamil Sangam in Madurai.

What was the social structure that existed during the Sangam period?

During this period, the society was divided into four main castes i.e., arasar (Ruling Class), anthanar (priest), vanigar (engaged in trade and commerce), and vellalar (Agriculturists).

What is Sangam Literature?

The Sangam literature was known as ‘the poetry of the noble ones’. Sangam literally means ‘association,’ and it is a literature that refers to ancient Tamil literature.