Total History and Civics Class 9 ICSE Morning Star Solutions

Chapter 5 The Sangam Age.

These Solutions are part of Total History and Civics Class 9 ICSE Morning Star Solutions. Here we have
given. Total History and Civics Class 9 ICSE Morning Star Solutions Chapter 5 The Sangam Age.

EXERCISES

Question 1.
What is meant by the term ‘the Sangam Age’ ?
Answer:
The Sangam Age refers to the period when bulk of Tamil literature was composed by a body of Tamil
scholars and poets in three successive literary gatherings called Sangam.

Question 2.
Name the three kingdoms mentioned in the Sangam texts.
Answer:
The three kingdoms mentioned in the Sangam texts were Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas.

Question 3.
Name the author of Tirukkural.
Answer:
The author of Tirukkural was Tiruvalluvar.

Question 4.
Name the three sections into which the chapters of Tirukkhural are categorised.
Answer:

1. Aram (righteousness);
2. Porul (wealth); and
3. Inbam or Kamam (pleasure).
Aram and Inbam discuss about ethical living in private life while Porul deals with public affairs.

(b) Megaliths — These are huge stones found at most of burial sites. A box-like structure was
erected with the stone slabs, resting on each other without any mortar. Sometimes there was an
opening cut into one of the sides, also known as memorial stones.

Question 5.
Name the four castes mentioned in the Tolkappiyam.
Answer:
The Tolkappiyam has mentioned four castes, namely, Brahmanas, kings, traders and farmers.

Question 6.
Name the five divisions (tinais) mentioned in the Sangam literature.
Answer:
Tamil land consisted of five physiographic division viz., kurinji (hilly backwoods), palai (parched zones),
mullai (pastoral tract), marutam (wet land), and neital (littoral land).

Question 7.
Who were the Vellalas during the Sangam Age.
Answer:
Vellalas were traders assigned with the duties of learning other than the Vedas, making gifts, agriculture,
trade and worship.

Question 8.
Name the main crops grown during the Sangam Period.
Answer:
The main crop grown during the Sangam Period was rice, while other crops included cotton, ragi,
sugarcane, pepper, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon and different varieties of fruits etc.

Question 9.
Name one center of cotton trade and the products exported to foreign countries during the Sangam Age.
Answer:
Uraiyur was a great center of cotton trade.The products exported to foreign lands during the Sangam Age
were pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, ivory products, pearls and precious stones.

Question 10.
Name any two ports of the Sangam Age.
Answer:
Saliyur in the Pandya country and Bandar in Chera are among the most two important ports.

II. Structured Questions

1. With reference to the Sangam Age, answer the following questions :

Question 1(b).
Name the three kingdoms that existed during the Sangam Age.
Answer:
Three kingdoms that existed during the Sangam Age were Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas.

Question 1(c).
Describe the achievements of Chera ruler, Senguttuvan ; and Chola ruler, Karikalan.
Answer:
Achievements of Senguttuvan — Cheran Senguttuvan was the most popular king of the Sangam
Cheras. The Sangam works, Padirruppattu and Ahananuru provide a lot of information about him. The
Tamil Epic Silappadikaram also tells about his military achievements. Senguttuvan led an expedition up to
the Himalayas. He crossed the river Ganges and defeated his enemies. He reached the Himalayas and
hoisted the Chera flag. He brought stones from there and built a temple in memory of Kannagi.

Achievements of Karikalan — The most popular among the Sangam Cholas was Karikalan. Both the
Sangam works, Pattinappalai and Porunaruatruppadi give information about Karikalan. Even in his young
age, he proved his extraordinary ability of settling the disputes in his kingdom. He was a great warrior. He
defeated the Chera and Pandya kings at Venni. In another battle Karikalan defeated a confederacy of nine
princes. He extended his kingdom beyond Kanchipuram in the North.
Karikalan had also become popular for the development activities in his kingdom. He had encouraged the
growth of agriculture as well as commerce. He had built the dam called Kallanai across the river Kavery to
tame that river and the water was used for irrigation. Karikalan had also fortified the port-city
Kaveripoompattinam or Puhar and made it as his capital. It flourished as a great emporium of trade.
Merchants from foreign countries visited Puhar. Karikalan was generous towards Tamil poets and
patronised them.

3. With reference to the society that existed during the Sangam Age, answer the following
questions : 

Question 3(a).
Explain briefly the functions of the four castes mentioned in the Tolkappiyam.
Answer:
The Tolkappiyam has mentioned four castes, namely, Brahmanas, kings, traders and farmers.
The Brahmanas during the Sangam Age were a respectable and learned community. They performed their
caste duties scrupulously. They served the king occasionally as judicial officers and always as priests and
astrologers. They were attached to the land and were proud of their country and their mother tongue.
Trade was common to both the Vaishyas and Vellalas. The Vaishyas were assigned the duties of learning,
performing sacrifice, making gifts agriculture, protection of cows and trade. Vellalas were assigned the
duties of learning other than the Vedas, making gifts, agriculture, trade and worship. So the two
communities were known by the profession in which they were engaged for the time being.

Question 3(b).
Name the divisions of the Tamil land and the occupations associated with each one of them.
Answer:
Tamil land consisted of five tinais or physiographical divisions viz., kurinji (hilly backwoods), palai (parched
zones), mullai (pastoral tract), marutam (wet land), and neital (littoral Jand).
The occupations associated with each one of them were:

1. The inhabitants of the hilly areas (kurinji) were hunters and gatherers..
2. In the parched zone, (palai) the inhabitants lived by plunder and cattle lifting.
3. In the pastoral tract (mullai), the inhabitants subsisted on shifting agriculture and animal
husbandry.
4. Wet land (marutam) was inhabited by people subsisting on plough agriculture.
5.  And finally, the littoral land (neital) was inhabited by those dependent on fishing and salt
extraction.
Question 3(c).
Explain the position of women.
Answer:
The status of women in Sangam society was not equal to that of men. The Sangam society consisted of
different kinds of women. There were married women who had settled down as dutiful housewives. There
were female ascetics belonging to Buddhist or Jain tradition like Kaundi Adigal and Manimegalai and also
a large number of courtesans.

4. With reference to the economy during the Sangam Age, answer the following questions 

Question 4(a).
What was the main occupation of the people and the activities associated with it ? What were the other
occupations of the people ?
Answer:
Agriculture was the main occupation. Next to agriculture, spinning and weaving were the most important
and widely practiced crafts. Spinning and weaving of cotton, and of silk, had attained a high degree of
perfection. Spinning was the part¬time occupation of women. The weaving of complex patterns on cloth
and silk is often mentioned in literature and according to the Periplus. Uraiyur was a great center of
cotton trade.Ship-building, metal working, carpentry, rope-making, ornament¬making, tanning and
making of ivory products were widely practiced.

Question 4(b).
Explain the organisation of internal trade.
Answer:
Internal trade was brisk, caravans of merchants with carts aid pack-animals carried their merchandise from
place to place. Most of the trade was carried on by barter. Paddy constituted the most commonly
accepted medium of exchange, specially in the rural areas. Salt was sold for paddy. Paddy was sold by
mentioning its price in terms of salt. Honey and roots were exchanged for fish oil. Toddy, sugarcane and
rice-flakes were exchanged for attack. There were established marked, called angadi in the bigger towns.
Elsewhere, hawkers carried goods to the houses of the people.

Question 4(c).
Explain the extent and significance of external trade.
Answer:
There was an extensive trade with foreign countries. According to the Sangam literature, the Tamil land
had certain commodities which were in great demand in foreign markets. Those were pepper, ginger,
cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, ivory products, pearls, precious stones. The main imports included horses,
gold and glass.
The great port cities were the emporia of foreign trade. Big ships, entered the port of Puhar and poured
out on the beach precious merchandise brought from overseas. The family life of the rich merchants of
this city was carried on in the upper floors, while the lower ones were set apart for business. Saliyur in the
Pandya country and Bandar in Chera are the most important ports.