Sangam

Sangam refers to the ancient Tamil literary and cultural tradition and the period during which much of early Tamil literature was produced. Traditionally dated roughly to 300 BCE to 300 CE, it corresponds to the region known as Tamilakam, in what is now Tamil Nadu, with involvement from neighboring areas. The word sangam itself means an assembly or gathering, and the term is used for both the era and the body of literature produced during it.

Sangam literature is the core corpus of ancient Tamil works believed to have been commissioned by royal patrons of Tamil dynasties such as the Chera, Chola, and Pandya. The principal collections are Ettuthokai, the Eight Anthologies, and Pathupattu, the Ten Idylls. The poetry covers a range of themes, organized often around the dichotomy of akam (inner life, including love) and puram (public life, including valor and ethics). The poetry is distinguished by its use of imagery drawn from five landscapes, or tinai: kurinji (mountains), mullai (pastoral), marutham (farmland), neithal (coast), and palai (desert).

Historically, Sangam texts are among the earliest known Tamil writings and provide a view of ancient society, economy, trade, agriculture, warfare, and ritual life. They reference major urban centers such as Madurai and Kaveripattinam (Puhar) and reflect interactions with overseas traders, including Romans. The precise authorship of many poems remains uncertain, with a mix of attributed poets and anonymous compositions, but the corpus is regarded as foundational to Tamil literary and cultural history.

In modern usage, sangam also denotes cultural or scholarly assemblies and recurring gatherings in Tamil communities, both in India and among the diaspora, dedicated to language, literature, and culture.