Tamilakam was the name of the ancient Tamil country that included
- A.present-day Tamil Nadu as well as parts of Sri Lanka
- B.land between present day Tirupati hills and the southernmost tip of peninsula
- C.present-day Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
- D.present day Kerala, Telangana and Karnataka
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, land between present day Tirupati hills and the southernmost tip of peninsula. Sangam literature describes Tamilakam as the land stretching from the Venkatam hills, around Tirupati, in the north to Kumari, the southern tip of the peninsula.
Tamilakam covered present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala, along with parts of southern Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In the Sangam age, roughly the third century BCE to the third century CE, it was shared by three ruling families, the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas, called the muvendar or three crowned kings. The early grammar Tolkappiyam also marks Venkatam and Kumari as the limits of the Tamil land.
A is wrong because Sri Lanka was a separate island kingdom, even though it had close links with the Tamil rulers. C is wrong because Maharashtra lay far to the north and was never part of the Tamil country. D is wrong because Telangana and most of Karnataka were outside Tamilakam, and the option leaves out the Tamil heartland itself.
Exam tip: Tamilakam = Venkatam (Tirupati) to Kumari, ruled by Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas.
Practice Questions
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