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Q87 (CDS-II/2013) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Tamil Sangam literature Answer Verified

Sangam literature formed a very important source for the reconstruction of the history of South India. It was written in :

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

Sangam literature is the earliest known body of classical Tamil literature, serving as a vital source for reconstructing the history of South India [1]. The term 'Sangam' refers to an academy or assembly of poets, traditionally believed to have flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings in Madurai [2]. The corpus is written in the Tamil language and includes the earliest extant grammar, Tholkappiyam, along with the eight anthologies (Ettuthogai) and the Ten Idylls (Paththuppattu) [1]. While other Dravidian languages like Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam developed significant literary traditions later, Tamil is the oldest among them, with Sangam works dating roughly between 300 BCE and 300 CE [5]. This literature provides deep insights into the socio-cultural, political, and economic life of the ancient Tamil region, known as Tamilakam [3].

Sources

  1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Classical Tamil Literature > p. 64
  2. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 6: The Age of Reorganisation > THINK ABOUT IT > p. 130
  3. [4] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > 5.3 The Sangam Age > p. 66
  4. [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangam_literature
  5. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 11: Later Cholas and Pandyas > Sources > p. 165
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2022 · Q3 Relevance score: 0.89

Which one of the following statements about Sangam literature in ancient South India is correct ?

CDS-II · 2023 · Q2 Relevance score: -1.46

Which of the following dynasties of South India issued their documents first in Prakrit and later in Sanskrit?

CDS-II · 2018 · Q57 Relevance score: -3.32

According to the Tamil Sangam texts, who among the following were the large landowners?

IAS · 2000 · Q85 Relevance score: -3.91

Assertion (A) : The Aham and Puram poems of the Padinen Kilukanakku group formed a continuation of the Sangam composition. Reason (R) : They were included under the Post-Sangam works as against the Sangam works proper.

IAS · 2020 · Q61 Relevance score: -4.67

With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term 'paramitas' ?