Megalithics and the Sangam Literature

THE MEGALITHIC CULTURE
This culture was one of earliest iron-using archaeological settlements in South India. Megaliths were the burial monuments for important tribal figures. In these monuments, we find different implements like stone and iron tools which were needed for daily existence.

These monuments are found around river valleys, important trade routes and strategic places. In the different districts of South India we have discovered megalithic monuments. Many inscriptions of the Mauryan king Asoka have been found in these regions where megalithic sites have been discovered.

The people followed a primitive kind of agriculture. They were used to move from place to place. Primitive form of exchange existed between the different tribal groups. These settlements indicate the beginning of use of iron for the purpose of production. It is said that they belonged to the period around 5th century B.C.

THE SANGAM LITERATURE
There are various Tamil texts like Silappadikaram, Manimekhalai, Pattupattu, Tolkappiyam, etc. which are grouped under the name called Sangam literature. The poets of this period used the grammar composed by scholars like Agastya and Tolkappiyar.

Sangam was an association of literary figures. It is said that they belong to the period from 2nd century B.C. to 2nd century A.D., approximately. The literature refers to the contact with Greco-Roman traders. We have discovered certain archaelogical sites in South India which indicate the existence of settlements of these foreign traders in South India. In these sites, Roman pottery with Roman wine has been discovered. These archeological sites belong to 1st century B.C. or 1st century A.D.

The statements found in Sangam literature are corroborated by those evidences found in Greek and Roman works. Sangam literature gives details regarding the nature of polity, economy and society. It mentions that there existed five ecozones which consisted of forests, hills, deserts, coastal regions and fertile plains. In these five regions there existed different pattern of economic and social life and there existed uneven development.

There are different kinds of poems like love poems and war poems. The love poems indicate the primitive marriage and family system in South India. There are many poems which describe cattle raids which meant that cattle was an important economic category and there was competition among tribes to capture as much cattle as possible. The cattleraiders where specialised in art of warfare.

There existed inter and intra tribal warfare which led to development of tribes skilled in art of warfare. Later it was these people who became the soldiers in the army of great kingdoms.

The Sangam literature gives the picture of a primitive society and the transformation of this primitve society into a developed one. There is reference to migration of brahmanas and Buddhists into South India. This infused certain changes in the South Indian society. There was the introduction of varna system (social stratification)in South India.

Reference:
1. Nilakantha Shastri, A History of South India, OUP, Madras, 1975.
  2. K.K. Pillai, A Social History of Tamils, Madras University, 1975.