RAS question
The Sangam Age is associated with which three Tamil dynasties?
Correct answer: (A) Chera, Chola, and Pandya.
The Sangam Age is associated with the Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties, the three Tamil ruling houses of ancient Tamilakam.
Explanation
The Sangam Age, broadly placed around 300 BCE to 300 CE, is tied to the Tamil country and its three leading dynasties: the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas. National Geographic Education describes these as the three ruling houses of Tamil India, together called the muvendar, who ruled and fought for dominance in southern India and Sri Lanka. In this political geography, Chera power is linked with Kerala, Chola with the Thanjavur region, and Pandya with the Madurai region. National Geographic Education also connects this political setting with early Tamil literature, noting that Sangam writings were among the oldest records of Tamil literature and were associated with centres of learning in Madurai.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Satavahana, Vakataka and Kadamba are not the three Tamil ruling houses identified with Tamilakam; the relevant dynasties are Chera, Chola and Pandya.
- (C) Pallava, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta do not form the Sangam Age triad; the relevant Tamil dynasties are Pandya, Chera and Chola.
- (D) Hoysala, Kakatiya and Yadava are outside the specific Sangam Age association asked here, because the Tamilakam triad is Chera, Chola and Pandya.
Concept
This tests the ancient-history link between Sangam literature and the political geography of early Tamilakam. It recurs in RAS because dynasty-region-literature pairings are a compact way to check chronology and cultural context together.