>BhaVekad at 07:49, 21 February 2021

2021-02-21T07:49:38Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
The '''First Sangam period''' ({{indic|lang=ta|indic=முதற்சங்க பருவம்|trans=Muthaṟchanga paruvam}}) or the First Academy, also known as the '''Head Sangam period''' ({{indic|lang=ta|indic=தலைச்சங்க பருவம்|trans=Thalaichanga paruvam}}), was a legendary period in the history of Ancient [[Tamilakam]] said to be the foremost of [[Tamil Sangams]], known in the [[Tamil language]] as '''கூடல் (koodal)''' or ''''gathering''''. It is the first of three [[Tamil Sangams]] of [[Classical Tamil]] literature. While most historians accept the historicity of this literature, they also understand that some literary academies would have held [[Pandiyan Kingdom|Pandyan patronage]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Harman|first=William|title=The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess|year=1992|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass}}</ref> This is not to be confused with the historical [[Third Sangam]] period which lasted roughly from 600 BCE to 300 CE.

==Formation==
It was said to be located in ''Then Madurai'' under the patronage of 89 [[Pandya]] kings,<ref>{{cite book|last=Kenneth Hurry|first=Alain Daniélou|title=A brief history of India|year=2003|publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear & Co}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Sen|first=Sailendra Nath|title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization|year=1992|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|pages=204}}</ref><ref>"Tamil Geographies: Cultural Constructions of Space and Place in South India", page 62, Martha Ann Selby, [[Indira Viswanathan Peterson]], ''Suny Press''</ref> during this period. It is said to have lasted for 4,440 years, and this would put the First Sangam between 9600 BCE to 5200 BCE.<ref>{{cite book|last=S. Kunjithapatham|first=M. Arunachalam|title=Musical tradition of Tamilnadu|year=1989|publisher=International Society for the Investigation of Ancient Civilizations|pages=11}}</ref><ref>"Proceedings - Volume 1 of Proceedings: Edited by R. E. Asher, Vadasery Iyemperumal Subramoniam" page 184, R. E. Asher, Vadasery I. Subramoniam, Pennsylvania State University</ref>

Some are of the opinion that [[Agathiyar]] was the head of the Thalaichangam. However, this is unlikely as the first mention of him is from [[Ptolemy]] and no [[Sangam period|Sangam]] work refers to him.<ref>{{cite book|last=Saletore|first=Rajaram Narayan|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian culture: Volume 4|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofi00raja|url-access=registration|year=1984|publisher=Sterling Publishers}}</ref> A more likely proposition is [[Murugan|Lord Muruga (Kartikeya)]] being the head of the First Sangam as believed by others.<ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of Indian history, Volume 38|year=1960|publisher=Dept. of History, University of Kerala}}</ref> சிவன் (sivan) in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] means 'the red one'.<ref>{{cite book|last=Carpenter|first=Joseph Estlin|title=Theism in medieval India: lectures delivered in Essex Hall, London|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.8894|year=1921|publisher=Williams & Norgate}}</ref>

==Activity==

Its function was to judge literary works and credit their worth. Later literary works like Iraiyanar Akaporul mention that 549 poets were members of it including [[Shiva]], [[Murugan]], [[Kubera|Kuperan]] and seven [[Pandya]] kings.<ref>{{cite book|last=Harman|first=William|title=The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess|year=1992|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass}}</ref> And 16,149 authors attended the convocation. Its chief works were Perumparipadal, Mudukuruku, Mudunarai and Kalariyavirai. It used [[Agattiyam]] as its grammar.<ref>{{cite book|last=Iyengar|first=Sesha|title=Dravidian India|year=1982|publisher=Asian Educational Services}}</ref> There are no surviving works from this period.

Muranjiyur Mudinagar, a member of the first Tamil Sangam, is believed to have been a king of the Nagas in Jaffna.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pillay|first=Kolappa Pillay Kanakasabhapathi|title=South India and Ceylon|year=1963|publisher=University of Madras}}</ref> [[Siddha medicine]] is said to have been practiced during the First Sangam,<ref>{{cite book|last=Ca. Vē Cuppiramaṇiyan̲|first=Vē. Irā Mātavan̲|title=Heritage of the Tamils: Siddha medicine|year=1983|publisher=International Institute of Tamil Studies}}</ref> and people "enjoyed mental and bodily health, respecting nature and living hygienically."<ref>{{cite book|last=Weiss|first=Richard|title=Recipes for immortality: medicine, religion, and community in South India|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

==Destruction==

Iraiyanar Kalaviyal mentions a King Kadungon was the last ruler during the Talaiccankam. He is not to be confused with [[Kadungon]] who defeated the [[Kalabhras]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Piḷḷai|first=Es Vaiyāpurip|title=Vaiyapuripillai's history of Tamil language and literature: from the beginning to 1000 A.D.|year=1988|publisher=New Century Book House}}</ref> It was washed away in a sea-deluge. This led to the [[Second Sangam|Middle Sangam]] period.{{fact|date=July 2020}}

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|title=First Sangam|before=–|after=[[Second Sangam]] |years=4440 years<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlwoDwAAQBAJ&q=sangam|title=A Brief History of India|last=Daniélou|first=Alain|date=2003-02-11|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781594777943|language=en}}</ref>}}
{{s-end}}

== See also ==
* [[Tamil Sangams]]
* [[Madurai Tamil Sangam]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Tamil language}}

[[Category:Tamil-language literature]]
[[Category:Cultural history of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Ancient Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil history]]

First Sangam - Revision history

>BhaVekad at 07:49, 21 February 2021