Crime And Justice In Ancient South India (Sangam Age) Gleanings From Tamil Literature

This chapter presents the contributions of traditional Tamil society to the fields of criminology, criminal jurisprudence and criminal justice. It deals with the history, literature and justice administration of the Sangam Age and the portrayal of crime and justice in the Sangam Tamil literature. The megaliths are found in every single upland region of the peninsula, yet their focus is by all accounts in eastern Andhra and in Tamil Nadu of south India. The Sangam Age in South India is a milestone in her history. The Tamil Sangam was an academy of writers and poets who prospered in three distinct periods and in different places under the support of the Pandya kings. Silappadikaram provided a stronghold of forensic knowledge of ancient Tamils. All these references in the ancient Tamil literature point to an established and efficient policing system with able-bodied men. The knowledge the ancient Tamil scholars rendered to the field of criminology and criminal justice is immense.