Legendary Tamil Sangams: Difference between revisions
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'''Sangams''' were [[tamil language|Tamil]] academies, which according to Tamil legends, enabled poets and authors to gather periodically to publish their work.<ref> George L. Hart III, The Poems of Ancient Tamil, University of California Press, 1975</ref>. The earliest extant works of Tamil date back to the period between 200 BCE and 200 CE. 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. |
'''Sangams''' were [[tamil language|Tamil]] academies, which according to Tamil legends, enabled poets and authors to gather periodically to publish their work.<ref> George L. Hart III, The Poems of Ancient Tamil, University of California Press, 1975</ref>. The earliest extant works of Tamil date back to the period between 200 BCE and 200 CE. 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. Due to the evidences of this period being more mythological than factual, some scholars are of the opinion that, the whole Sangam story is a hoax and a fabrication.<ref name="hoax">''The facts mentioned above have persuaded some scholars to consider that everything about the Sangam found in that commentary is a fabrication. Some treat the entire legend as a hoax.'', P.N. Chopra, T.K. Ravindran, N. Subrahmanian, History of South India (2003), p32</ref> |
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==Sangam legends== |
==Sangam legends== |
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*Minatchisuntharan, T.P. History of Tamil Literature. Annamalai University Publications in linguistics - Annamalai University,1965). |
*Minatchisuntharan, T.P. History of Tamil Literature. Annamalai University Publications in linguistics - Annamalai University,1965). |
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* Krishnamurti , C.R., ''Thamizh Literature Through the Ages'', Vancouver, B.C. Canada (http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/krishnamurti/02sangam.htm) |
* Krishnamurti , C.R., ''Thamizh Literature Through the Ages'', Vancouver, B.C. Canada (http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/krishnamurti/02sangam.htm) |
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* P.N. Chopra, T.K. Ravindran, N. Subrahmanian, History of South India, S. Chand, ISBN 8121901537 |
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[[Category:Indian literature]] |
[[Category:Indian literature]] |
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Revision as of 10:35, 19 October 2007
Sangams were 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 CE. 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. Due to the evidences of this period being more mythological than factual, some scholars are of the opinion that, the whole Sangam story is a hoax and a fabrication.[2]
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).[3] there were three Sangams spanning thousands of years. The first Sangam, whose seat was southern Madurai (later submerged into the Indian Ocean South and West of Kanyakumari), lasted a total of 4440 years, and over 4000 poets which supposedly included some gods of the Hindu pantheon such as Siva etc., 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. [4]
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".[5] In 470 CE, a Dravida Sangha was established in Madurai by a Jain named Vajranandi. [6] During that time the Tamil country was ruled by Kalabhra dynasty. The Kalabhra rulers were followers of either Buddhism or Jainism. The Dravida Sangha took much interest in the Tamil language and literature. [7] 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.[8]
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.
Literary evidence
Although the term Sangam literature is applied to the corpus of the earliest known Tamil literature belonging to the c. 300 BCE – 300 CE, the name Sangam and the legend was probably of a much later date.[9] 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.[10] 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'.[11].
Archeological evidence
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]
Sangam literature
Historians refer to the Tamil literature from c. 300 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.
See also
Notes
- ^ George L. Hart III, The Poems of Ancient Tamil, University of California Press, 1975
- ^ The facts mentioned above have persuaded some scholars to consider that everything about the Sangam found in that commentary is a fabrication. Some treat the entire legend as a hoax., P.N. Chopra, T.K. Ravindran, N. Subrahmanian, History of South India (2003), p32
- ^ K.V. Zvelebil, The Smile of Muruga, pp 46
- ^ K.V. Zvelebil, The Smile of Muruga, pp 47
- ^ Kamil V. Zvelebil: The Smile of Murugan p.49-50
- ^ Kamil V. Zvelebil: The Smile of Murugan p.48
- ^ Kamil V. Zvelebil: The Smile of Murugan p.48
- ^ Purananuru poem 175
- ^ Appar mentions the Sangam in his 'poem Tirupattur Tandakam. Referring to Siva, he says: 'Look at Him who was gracious enough to appear in the Sangam as a poet of fine poems' – K.V. Zvelebil, The smile of Murugan, pp 46
- ^ Purananuru (58) refers to the Pandya king Velliyammabalathu thunjiya Peruvaluthi as 'the ruler of Madurai where Tamil lives'.
- ^ (தொல் லாணை நல் லாசிரியர்/புணர்கூட் டுண்ட புகழ்சால் சிறப்பின்) - Mathuraikkanci (761-763)
- ^ An inscription of the early tenth century CE mentions the achievements of the early Pandya kings of establishing a Sangam in Madurai. See K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, A History of South India, OUP (1955) pp 105
- ^ Kamil Veith Zvelebil, Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature, pp12
- ^ See K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, A History of South India, OUP (1955) pp 105
- ^ Chera, Chola, Pandya: Using Archaeological Evidence to Identify the Tamil Kingdoms of Early Historic South India - Abraham, Shinu Anna, Asian Perspectives - Volume 42, Number 2, Fall 2003, pp. 207-223 University of Hawaii Press
References
- http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/
- Kamil Veith Zvelebil, The Smile of Murugan: on Tamil literature of South India (1973), Brill Academic Publishers
- K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, A History of South India (New Delhi : OUP, 4th edition 1975)
- B. Narasimhaiah, Neolithic and Megalithic Cultures in Tamil Nadu (Delhi : Sundeep Prakashan, 1980)
- A. L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India (Calcutta : Rupa, 3rd ed. 1981)
- Minatchisuntharan, T.P. History of Tamil Literature. Annamalai University Publications in linguistics - Annamalai University,1965).
- Krishnamurti , C.R., Thamizh Literature Through the Ages, Vancouver, B.C. Canada (http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/krishnamurti/02sangam.htm)
- P.N. Chopra, T.K. Ravindran, N. Subrahmanian, History of South India, S. Chand, ISBN 8121901537