History & Civics
With reference to Sangam Age, answer the following questions:
(a) State why the Sangam Age is so called.
(b) Name the three kingdoms along with their capitals that existed during the Sangam Age.
(c) Describe the achievements of Chera ruler, Senguttuvan; and Chola ruler, Karikalan.
Answer
(a) The word Sangam is the Tamil form of the Sanskrit 'Sangha' which means confluence or an assembly or an association. The Sangam Age refers to a period when bulk of Tamil literature was composed by a body of Tamil scholars and poets in three successive literary gatherings called Sangam. Hence, Sangam refers to Gatherings of poets and bards.
(b) The three kingdoms along with their capitals that existed during the Sangam Age are:
| Sl. no. | Kingdom | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chera | Vanji |
| 2 | Chola | Uraiyur |
| 3 | Pandyan | Madurai |
(c) Achievements of Senguttuvan — He was the most popular king of the Sangam Cheras. The sangam works, Padirruppattu and Ahananuru provide a lot of information about him. His brother Illango Vadigal composed the Tamil Epic, Silappadikaram, which tells about his military achievements. Senguttuvan led an expedition up to the Himalayas. He crossed the river Ganges and defeated his enemies. He reached the Himalayas and hoisted the chera flag. Pattini cult, that is the worship of kannagi as the ideal wife, was started by him.
Achievements of Karikalan — He was the most popular king of Sangam cholas. At a very young age he proved his extraordinary ability of settling the disputes in his kingdom. He was a great warrior. He defeated the Chera and Pandaya kings at Venni. In another battle, Karikalan defeated a confederacy of nine princes. He extended his kingdom beyond Kanchipuram. Karikalan had become popular for the development activities in his kingdom. He built dam called Kallanai across river Kaveri. He fortified the port-city Kaveripoompattinam or Puhar and made it his capital. Karikalan also patronised Tamil poets.
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