Sangam period
The Sangam period or age (Tamil: சங்ககாலம், caṅkakālam, Malayalam: സംഘകാലം, saṅkakālam), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu and Kerala (then known as Tamilakam), and parts of Sri Lanka dating back to c.6th century BCE. It was named after the legendary Sangam academies of poets and scholars centered in the city of Madurai which are believed to be mythical.
Tamilakam, located in the tip of South India during the Sangam Period, ruled by Chera dynasty, Chola dynasty and the Pandyan dynasty | |
| Alternative names | Sangam Age, Third Sangam period, Last Sangam period |
|---|---|
| Geographical range | Indian subcontinent |
| Period | Iron Age India |
| Dates | c. 600 BCE – c. 300 CE |
| Major sites | Keezhadi excavation site, Kodumanal, Arikamedu, Murugan Temple, Saluvankuppam, Adichanallur |
In Old Tamil language, the term Tamilakam (Tamiḻakam, Purananuru 168. 18) referred to the whole of the ancient Tamil-speaking area, corresponding roughly to the area known as southern India today, consisting of the territories of the present-day Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Whereas Sri Lanka is distinguished from it and is known as Ilam or Eelam, although also influenced by the Sangam Period.