Sangam Age: Social Development | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Social Life During the Sangam Age

Sangam Society: Castes and Tribes:

• The Sangam literature mentions various tribes and traditional castes, indicating that caste divisions and tribal arrangements coexisted.
• Tolkappiar, an ancient Tamil grammarian, recognizes the four castes: Andanar (Brahmins), Arasar (warriors), Vaisiyar (traders), and Velalar (agriculturists).

Priests and Social Life:

• Although priests were gradually gaining influence in Sangam society, it was not dominated by them.
• Social life during this period was characterized by heroic deeds and valor.
• Despite their small numbers, Brahmins in Tamilaham played a crucial role in shaping Tamil culture.

Brahmins in Sangam Society

• Tamil Brahmins were respected for their cleanliness, hygiene, and orderly domestic life. They lived in separate streets and adhered strictly to their caste duties.
• Brahmins sometimes served the king as judicial officers, purohits (priests), and astrologers. They also acted as ambassadors and exchanged patronage with the kings.

Slavery and Servitude:

• There is no concrete evidence of slavery as an institution in Tamilaham during the Sangam age. There are no records of the sale and purchase of human beings.
• However, it is likely that there were laborers or low-status servants whose living conditions were poor.

Status of Women

• Married women who fulfilled traditional roles as housewives, taking care of their husbands, children, and households. Some of these women practiced Sati (self-immolation on their husband’s funeral pyre) or faced difficult lives as widows.
• Female ascetics associated with Buddhism or Jainism, such as Kaundi Adigal and Manimekalai.
• A significant number of courtesans, who sometimes acted as bodyguards.
• Women were generally not involved in roles such as soldiers, ministers, ambassadors, or advisors to the king. They also did not own property.

Marriage Customs:
There were various types of marriages in Sangam society:

• Idealistic marriages performed by mutual consent of the couple without parental consent.
• Marriages involving elaborate rituals.
• Marriages with differing rituals for Brahmins, kings, Vaisyas, and Velalars.
• Women’s lives varied significantly based on their marital status. Widows often led lives of penance and degradation, as not all women committed Sati.

Beliefs and Education:

• Sangam people held various beliefs and superstitions, such as the significance of dreams, omens, ghosts, and spirits.
• Education was highly valued and widespread. It involved not just reading but also listening to learned individuals.
• Subjects like grammar, poetics, mathematics, astronomy, and fine arts were taught, often through oral tradition. Writing was less common, and memorization was emphasized.

Religion

• The religion of the Sangam Tamils was diverse, encompassing ritualistic and supplicatory aspects. Various forms of worship, such as tree, stone, water, animal, and celestial body worship, were practiced.
• Three strands of religion coexisted during this period: indigenous gods, exotic Hindu gods, and non-Hindu religious faiths.
• Worship of deities like Murugan, Indra, Varuna, and Sivan was common, but there was no significant conflict among different religious practices.

Temples and Worship:

• Temples, referred to as Nagar, were prominent in Sangam literature. Although the name Siva is rarely mentioned, many of his attributes are noted.
• Temples dedicated to gods like Indra were also recognized, reflecting the religious diversity and practices of the Sangam people.