Sangam Age: Administration, Economy and Religion

The Tamils during the Sangam period were reigned by powerful kings. The kings were considered as Vendarand, and the local chieftains were called Mannar. The form of government was a hereditary monarchy. The eldest son usually succeeded the father. The throned king organized majestic courts to which the subjects were allowed.

There was a conspicuous absence of a Privy Council or a Council Chamber. The king was regarded as God. The idea of the divine right of kingship was accepted. But he was always assisted and guided by wise men whether a minister or a poet or a Purohita.

These wise men were divided into two categories — Aimperukku and Enperayam. Wars occurred on the pretext of cattle-lifting.

Aimperukku Officials

• Purohita/Anthanar: Priest
• Senapatiyar: Army Chief

• Amaichar: Minister

• Dutar/Thuthar: Ambassador/envoys

• Orrar: Spy

• Enadi: Captain of the army

• Umanchatha: Collector of merchandise from different regions

• Makamattor: Members of a guild

• Vellalar: Rich peasants

Enperayam Officials

• Karanattiyalavar: Accountant

• Karumakarar: Executive officials

• Kanasassurram: Treasury Officials

• Kadaikappalar: Palace guards

• Nagaramandar: Leading men among the king’s subjects

• Padaittalaivar: Chiefs of the infantry

• Yanai Virar: Chiefs of elephantry

• Ivul maravai: Chiefs of cavalry

Law and Justice

Any posts about the Judge is not being explained by the Sangam Literature. Learned men of high character sorted out the arguments, and the judgement was based on integrity and impartiality. The Cholas have earned great respect because of this. The king was the supreme magistrate.

Sangam Society

The Sangam society was built on binary fission: Vyarntoc (high born people) and Ilipirappalar (low born people). Tholkappiyan, however,  mentions about four categories of castes:

• Andanar (Brahmanas)

• Arasar (kings)

• Vaisiyar (Traders)

• Vellalar (Farmers).

Moreover, there were communities, called Parciyas, that experienced untouchability.

Position of Women

Women poets like Avvaiyar, Nachchellaiyar, and Kakkaipadiniyar survived in this period and contributed to Tamil literature. Karpu or chaste living was regarded as the highest female virtue. Love marriage was common. Women were given the option of choosing their life partners. Widows, on the other hand, had a miserable existence. Sati was also practiced in society’s upper echelons.

Economy

During the Sangam Era, both domestic and international trade was well-organized and swiftly conducted, and trade was primarily based on the barter system. Agriculture was the chief occupation. The Sangam period’s handicrafts were popular and in high demand.

Cotton and silk clothing spinning and weaving were of high quality. Cotton clothes woven at Uraiyur were in high demand in the western world. Puhar, a port city, became a hub for international trade. Other ports of commercial activity include Tondi, Muziris, Korkai, Arikamedu, and Marakkanam.

Numerous gold and silver coins issued by the Roman Emperors were found in many parts of Tamil Nadu, especially in Arikamedu.

Religion

Sangam religion is constructed on the synthesis of the non-Aryan Tamils and the Aryan Vedic Deities. The Sangam religious worship is categorized into three categories– (i) Worship of indigenous Gods, (ii) Worship of exotic Hindu Gods (iii) Worship or faith in the exotic non-Hindu rituals.

• The people worshiped Murugan, Tirumal, Balram, and Indra in the temples known as Nagar, Koil, Kottam, Purai or Devalayam.
• The worship of Vedic Deities was also common. The Vedic practise of Yagna (Velvi), Sraddha, and Panda were exercised by the Sangam people. The Varna system took roots even in the South. 
• The influence of Buddhism, Jainism, and Ajivikas was foremost.

End of the Sangam Age

The Sangam era saw a steady decline toward the end of the third century AD. The Tamil country was ruled by the Kalabhras for around two and a half centuries. The Pallavas in northern Tamil Nadu and the Pandyas in southern Tamil Nadu expelled the Kalabhras from Tamil Nadu and founded their rule.

Conclusion 

During the Sangam period, the governance was based on the hereditary monarchy. The king was the epitome of administration and served as its focal point. Despite the fact that the hereditary monarchy was the most common form of administration, contested successions and civil wars were not uncommon. The crowned monarch’s court was known as avai. Mandalam was the name given to the entire kingdom. The five-fold division of lands is referred to as Tolkappiyam. Tolkappiyam is also a term for four different castes. Women were respected and allowed to pursue academic interests. Murugan, the Tamil God, was the most important god during the Sangam period. Rice was the most frequent crop, and agriculture was the most popular vocation. Weaving, metalwork, and carpentry were among the handicrafts, as were shipbuilding and adornment making with beads, stones, and ivory. Cotton fabrics and spices were major exports throughout the Sangam period. Horses, gold, and sweet wine were major imports for the traders. Towards the close of the third century A.D., the Sangam period began to wane.