Tag: society and culture in ancient tamizhagam: the sangam age

Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram, is a town on a strip of land between the Bay of Bengal and the Great Salt Lake, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s known for its temples and monuments built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. The seafront Shore Temple comprises 3 ornate granite shrines. Krishna’s Butter Ball is a massive boulder balanced on a small hill near the Ganesha Ratha stone temple.

 Aihole, also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in north Karnataka, India dated from the fourth century through the twelfth century CE.

Sangam literature refers to the ancient Tamil literature produced during the Sangam period, roughly between 300 BCE and 300 CE. It is distinct from Sanskrit Puranic or Pali Buddhist texts.

Kamban was a medieval Tamil poet who wrote Ramavataram which is the translation of Ramayana and hence called Kamba Ramayanam.

Uraiyur, the capital of the early Cholas, was a famous center for the production and trade of cotton textiles, often referred to as Argaru in classical Greek accounts.

India's overseas trade with Rome is mentioned in Ptolemy's geography and the Sangam literature. A large number of Roman coins have been found in many of the port cities of India indicating trade. India exported spices, precious stones, fine cloth, perfumes, ivory, iron, dyes rice, peacocks, parrots, monkeys, etc. India received gold and silver coins, wine, glass, and metals in return.

Archaeological excavations at Ishwal in Udaipur have revealed evidence of copper smelting furnaces dating back to the Mauryan period.

South India was important for gold and other precious stones. It was also known for its spice trade. It had trade contacts with the Roman Empire and silk and spices were exported to Roman empire in return for Wine and other luxury products.

The most important item of export from the country was cotton piece goods. India was known for centuries all over the world for the excellence of her products. There was a large consumption of Indian manufacturing in Rome and Greece. The muslin of Decca were known to the Greeks under the name of 'Gangetika.'

There were two domestic trade routes in India: the Northern Route and the Southern Route. The Northern route started from Tamralipty in Bengal to Hastinapur in present Uttar Pradesh. In ancient times the Southern area beyond the Vindhyachal ranges was known as the Southern route. The Southern Route passed in two directions. One direction went from Paithan on the banks of Godavari in Maharashtra to the places in Bihar. The other route followed the coastal route in South India.

The ancient Tamil songs are classified into Akampattukal and Parampattukal. The theme of Akampattukal is mainly personal and family affairs. The collection of these ancient songs is common as Sangam Literature.