Discuss the Salient features of cultural tradition of south India as reflected in Sangam leterature?15M

Introduction :

 The Sangam Age in Indian history witnessed the rapid development of literary works in the southern regions. The literature that was created during this time came to be known as Sangam literature Mostly literary sources help us to understand the society and culture of the Sangam age, which provides information regarding the classification of the people, caste system, various occupations, practice of slavery, dress and food habit, status of women, religious practices, education and other fine art.

Sources to understand Cultural Tradition of south India 

The literatures are the primary sources for understanding the socio-cultural life of the people of Sangam age. The literatures of the Sangam age consists of the earliest Tamil literary works such as Tolkappiyam, the Ettutogai (Eight Anthologies), the Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls), the Pandinenkilkanakku (Eight Minor works) and the Five Epics Silappathikaram, Manimegalai, Sivaga Sindamani, Valaiyapathy and Kundalakesi. The excavated artifacts have provided evidence for existence of different socio-cultural activities mentioned in Sangam literatures.

The early Tamil texts conveys a vivid idea about five types of ecological cultural regions namely kurunchi, mullai, marudam, neytal and palai (which is referred to as Aintinai, the five tinais) and each with its own distinct occupational pattern and corresponding forms of worship, customs and manners, and even performance for moods and forms in literature. 

Caste System:

• The Varna based organization of society is not clearly discernible in the Tamil regions. 
• The ancient text of Tamils the Tolkappiyam in a section refers to four-fold division of society.
• The Tolkappiyam, oldest Tamil grammar work of Sangam age in a section speaks of a four- fold division of society namely antanar, arasar, vanikar and velalar. 
• Tolkappiyar considers the first three antanar (Brahmins), arasar (king), vanikar (Vaisyas) as irupirappalar (dvijas or twice born) and they were alone entitle to wear the sacred thread (punul)
• The vanikar (merchants) is mentioned as the third in the four-fold order. 
• The velalar (peasants) is mentioned as the fourth one

Slavery 

• Practice of slavery did exist in India and so Tamilakam of the Sangam times and the prePallava period cannot be exceptions. As a matter of fact the available literary sources, though scanty, clearly point to the existence of slavery
•  Tolkappiyam and Thirukkural where the term ‘adimai’ meaning slaves occurs, probably, as distinguished from independent labourers ‘adiyor’, who were engaged for specific services. 
• Kanakasabai Pillai are of the view that there was no slavery in ancient Tamilakam. 
• V, Kanakasabai says, “slavery was even unknown amongst the Tamils and this is strong evidence of their superior civilization in this early period” 

Position of Women

• Women in early Tamilakam seem to have performed diverse roles such as involved in production process, as housewives and as poetess, singers and dancers. 
• There was no statement of legal and social equality between the sexes in the Sangam age
• Tolkappiyar says that while it is desirable that in an ideal marriage, man and woman shall be equal to each other in beauty and attainments, wealth, manners, etc. 
• Tolkappiyar further states that a woman is guarded by the three great feminine virtues, accam, nanam and madam. 
• Women were expert in various fine arts, equally challengeable with men folk. The women of the Sangam age were given training in literature (iyal), music (isai) and drama (nadagam). 
• The women of the warrior community were mentioned in Purananuru as ‘mudinmahalir’ who did not belong to this normal category of woman
• Women have been glorified in Tamil literature as the lamp of home,Women are always referred to as ‘mangala mahalir’, maniayal, illal, vasaiyil mahalir, melliyal mahalir, and seyilai mahalir.

Marriage

• The Sangam text discusses the three patterns of marriage of early Tamils. 
• The first was secret love and courtship which led to marriage. 
• The second was winning a girl’s through a bull-fight. 
• The third method was the arranged marriage or settlement by the relatives of the respective bride and bridegroom, often through the payment of the bride prince
• The Widow The life of widow was very miserable,There are several references in the Purananuru which advent to the practice of widows shaving off their locks of hair as a sign of mourning.
• e Sangam literature noticed the unholy practice of concubinage

Customs and Practices 

Family was the basic unity of any society,. Family thus made became the unit of society. Several families constituted a village (ur)

• Certain customs and notions prevailed during the Sangam age:

1.  The cawing of crow was considered a signal of arrival of guests.
2.  The cry of lizard was considered an ill omen. 
3. Dreams they believed, were advance readings of future events. They believed astrology. They were eager to read future events in advance. 
4. Burial Practice:During the Sangam Age no single method was adopted for the disposal of the dead; both cremation and inhumation with or without urns are freely mentioned in the literary texts
5. Common Beliefs: People of the Sangam age believed in spirits, ghosts, and demons. They believed that good and bad spirits moved about invisible. They considered battle field a haunt of spirits. Beliefs in animism were common among the village folks. 
6. Food Habits:Rice was then as even afterwards, the stable food of the Tamils. The early Tamils seem to have used boiled rice. There are several references to the use of other grains like maize and millet.
7. Dress and Ornaments:Tamils of the Sangam age showed a great desire for ornaments like all Indian societies. They used various kinds of ornaments. The ornaments were made of gold, silver, precious stones and shells. Girls and women had a craze for ornaments. Thoyyakam, Pullakam, Kulai, Punkuli, rings, chain, thodi and anklet were their important ornaments.There are many references in the Sangam classics to the Kalingam cloth. Rich ladies wore Kalingam which was a famous variety of fine cotton. Silk, too is found mentioned in several places. 

. Education:

• the Sangam age indicates that education must have had a fairly wide popularity. Upper strata of the society like the king, priests and merchants but even peasants, Kuravars, Maravars and shepherds had the facility of learning.
• There were many women literary personality in early Tamil society. Avvaiyar, Nachchellaiyar and Kakkaippadiniar were the popular women poetess contributed much for the Tamil literature

Religion

• The practice of worshipping the dead by offerings was bestowed by the Sangam people. These practice came from the belief that the spirit lives even after death. They had also practice of erecting hero stone (veerakkal) and memorial stone (nadukal) in early days. These stones were worshipped by the villagers as well as wayfarers.
• The chief god of the Sangam age was Murugan.According to Tolkappiyam lord Murugan was the chief god of the Vettuvar, the people of hilly region.
• Other gods such as Siva, Indra, Varuna, Kubera, Yama, Tirumala, Balaram, etc. were also known to the people of Sangam age. They performed different rituals and sacrifices to the gods and goddesses

Fine Arts:ious fine arts were very popular in the Sangam age. Poetry, music and dancing were quite popular among the Sangam people. The poets were men and women drawn from all classes of society; and were often rewarded generously.

summary :The literatures of the age give vivid picture of the social and cultural life of the people. For the Tamils, this Sangam age was the period of evolution from total chieftainship to kingdoms. Hence, during this age, a more complex politico-economic structure had developed