Sangam Literature, which flourished in
Tamil Nadu during the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD, is the most ancient and unmatched collective body of Indian Literature. The word Sangam refers to an academy. The Sangam age is regarded as the Golden Age of Tamil Literature. The Sangam Literature consists of two thousand three hundred and seventy one poems varying from small stanzas of three lines to stanzas of forty lines. The literature of the Third Sangam comprises the Ten Idylls (Pattuppattu) and the Eight Anthologies (Ettuttohai). Akananaru, Purananaru, Silapadhigaaram, and Thirukkural are the notable works of this period. These literary works provide very valuable information on the social, economic and political life of the people living in Tamil Nadu in the early centuries.
