Sangam literature deviated from the majority of early literary traditions, which were mostly composed of religious texts in one way or another. Discuss. (250 words)
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Sangam literature deviated from the majority of early literary traditions, which were mostly composed of religious texts in one way or another. Discuss. (250 words)
Indian Literature is a vast area, comprising numerous and diverse traditions, which resulted in a vast and complex literature in the last 3500 years. Every part of India has produced literature in various Indian languages. The development of early literature, like other art forms, was deeply influenced by the religion:
Though the early literature in India was mainly influenced by religion in some other form, there was also the development of secular texts, for example, the Sangam literature. Sangam literature is the earliest literature of South India. It is believed to be produced between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. in ancient Tamil. The poems were modeled on the bardic songs of older times and were orally transmitted for an indefinite period before they were written down:
Sangam’s writings are possibly unique in early Indian literature, which is almost entirely religious. It played a vital role in bringing to light the feelings of human beings. Sangam literature is dotted with a large number of references codifying self-discipline and the way of life to be adopted in everyone’s life.
The Sangam period lasted from 300 BCE to 300 CE and saw a flourishing of Tamil literature, which reflected the Tamilians’ rich cultural legacy. It presents a lively depiction of the social, cultural and political atmosphere of the time which eventually succeeded in shedding light on the values and way of life of the ancient Tamils. The term Sangam itself refers to assemblies or gatherings of poets and scholars that took place in ancient India. These poets and scholars were employed by patrons, kings, or chieftains who acted as the target audience for Sangam literature because they were likely to be more interested in celebrating their lineages, victories, or love stories rather than religious themes. It would be wrong to assume that Sangam literature is completely devoid of religious themes since it contains poetry about the gods in Paripatal, but the major focus of this age and literature has been on themes of love, family life, and marriage; as well as on themes like war, politics, and kingship. The poetry of this age is divided into two main categories namely, akam poems (which deal with the former themes), and puram poems (that deal with the latter). Two of the most important works of this particular age are Purananuru and Tirukkural. Hence, Sangam literature followed a unique path as opposed to other ancient literary traditions because its aim was to promote universal human experiences instead of religious dogma. This points to the fact that the Sangam period might have been a time of tolerance and religious pluralism.