Sangam Age - Introduction

Age of muvendar – Cheran, Cholan, Pandiyan

Historical Sources:

• Literary Source
• Archaeological Source
• Foreign Accounts

Literary source:

• Tolkappiyam – earliest of all tamil literature
• Ettuthogai
• Pathuppaatu
• Pathinenkilkanaku
  
• Silapathikaram          Post Sangam Literature
  
• Manimegalai

Archaeological Sources:

• EPIGRAPHY

  Source	What it Shows
  Asokan Edicts	Chera, Chola, Pandiya kindom
  Hathikumba Inscription of Kalinga king Karuvela	3 tamil kingdom
  Kazhugumalai Inscription	Tamil Script Brahmi
  Thirukovilur Inscription	Local chieftains and tragic end of kapilar
  Tiruparangundram inscription	Gift of cavebeds to Jain monks
  Arnattar hills inscription	First Century A.D Cheran Kings

• EXCAVATION

  Robert Brute @ Adhichanallur	Iron, bronze, gold articles
  Dubereuil & Martimer Wheeler @ Arikkamedu (near pondy)	Roman pottery, Glass bowls. gems and coins
  Kilayur near kaveripumpattinam	Buddhist vihara – post sangam period

• COINS – Study of coins: “NUMISMATIC”
  Roman coins made of gold and sever in the country,

Foreign Accounts:

• Megasthenes – Book Indica – refers tp 3 tamil kingdom
• Strabo, Pliny, Ptolemy – sangam age
• Ceylonese books : Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa – to fix date of sangam age.

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