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Hello guys, hope you all are doing great. Today we will study about Sangam Age (300 BC - AD 600). So, let's learn. 

<h2 id="content-id-1840-0">Sangam Age (300 BC - AD 600)</h2>

The period roughly between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. in South India (the area lying to the south of river Krishna and Tungabhadra) is known as Sangam Period. It has been named after the Sangam academies held during that period that flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai. The age of the 3 Southern kingdoms Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas known as the Sangam Age. The word ‘Sangam’ means assem Dly. It was an assembly of Tamil poets and scholars. The First Sangam, is believed to be held at Madurai, attended by gods and legendary sages. No literary work of this Sangam is available. The Second Sangam was held at Kapadapuram, only Tolkappiyam (Tamil Literature) survived from this. The Third Sangam was also held at Madurai. A few of these Tamil literary works have survived and are a useful source to reconstruct the history of the Sangam period.

<h2 id="content-id-1840-1">The Pandyas</h2>

The Pandyas ruled from Madurai. Korkai was their main port, located near the confluence of Thampraparani with the Bay of Bengal. It was famous for pearl fishery and chank diving. Their emblem was the “Fish”. They patronized the Tamil Sangams and facilitated the compilation of the Sangam poems. Their power declined with the invasion of a tribe called the Kalabhras. After the Sangam Age, this dynasty lost its significance for more than a century, only to rise once again at the end of the 6th century. Their capital was Madurai. The important king was Nedunjeliyan.

<h2 id="content-id-1840-2">The Cholas</h2>

The Cholas controlled the central and northern parts of Tamil Nadu. Their core area of rule was the Kaveri delta, later known as Cholamandalam. Their capital was Uraiyur (near Tiruchirapalli town) and Puhar or Kveripattinam was an alternative royal residence and chief port town. Tiger was the emblem of Cholas. They also maintained an efficient navy. King Karikala was a famous king of the Sangam Cholas. Pattinappalai portrays his life and military conquests. Many Sangam poems mention the Battle of Venni where he defeated the confederacy of Cheras, Pandyas and eleven minor chieftains. Karikala’s military achievements made him the overlord of the whole Tamil region of that time. The trade and commerce flourished during his reign. He founded the port city of Puhar (identical with Kaveripattinam) and constructed 160 km of embankment along the Kaveri River. The kingdom was called Cholamandalam or Coromandel. The chief centre was Uraiyur, a place famous for the cotton trade. Capital was Kaveripattanam/Puhar. A Chola king named Elara conquered Sri Lanka and ruled it for over 50 years. Rajaraja Chola I, the Great, was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 to 1014 CE. He expanded the Chola Empire to its greatest extent, making it one of the most powerful empires in India. He was a great patron of the arts and sciences, and his reign is considered a golden age in Chola history.

<h2 id="content-id-1840-3">The Cheras</h2>

Their capital was Vanji (also called Kerala country). It owed its importance to trade with the Romans. The Romans set-up two regiments at Vanji to protect their interests. The greatest king was Senguttuvan, the Red Chera. He fought against the Cholas about AD 150.

<h2 id="content-id-1840-4">Other aspect of Sangam age</h2>

All the gathered information is based on Sangam literature. Sangam was a college or assembly of Tamil poets held probably under Royal patronage(especiallyPandyas). Silappadikaram by Ilango Adigal (story of a married couple) and Manimekalai by Sattar are the famous epics of this time. The Sangam period slowly witnessed its decline towards the end of the 3rd century A.D. The Kalabhras occupied the Tamil country post-sangam period between 300 AD to 600 AD, whose period was called an interregnum or ‘dark age’ by earlier historians.

This was all about this sangam age. In next blog, we will be talking about Gupta period, Stay tuned.

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