The Sangam age in the south
The Chera, Chola and Pandya kingdoms of Tamilakam, their remarkable poetry, and busy ports trading with Rome and South-East Asia.
How it was ruled
Three crowned dynasties ruled Tamilakam: the Cheras on the west coast, the Cholas in the Kaveri delta and the Pandyas at Madurai, along with many chieftains.
How people lived
Sangam poems describe five landscapes (tinai) — hills, forests, farmland, coast and dry land — each with its own way of life, love and war.
What people did
Rice farming with irrigation in the Kaveri delta, pearl-fishing, weaving, and work in ports.
What people ate
Rice, millets, pepper, fish, meat, honey and toddy feature in Sangam poems.
Trade
Muziris (Kerala) and Arikamedu (Puducherry) traded pepper, pearls and textiles for Roman gold, wine and pottery.
Region by region
- Tamil Nadu: Madurai (Pandyas) and Uraiyur and Puhar (Cholas); excavations at Keeladi show an urban settlement of this period.
- Kerala: The Chera port of Muziris was one of the busiest on the Indian Ocean.
- Puducherry: Arikamedu, an Indo-Roman trading station.
Key events
- c. 300 BCE – 300 CE: Sangam poetry composed
- 1st century CE: Roman trade at its height
- 2nd century CE: The Chola king Karikala is traditionally credited with the Kallanai dam on the Kaveri
Legacy
Tamil was declared a classical language in 2004; the Thirukkural is still read and quoted every day.