
Sangam literature comprises some of the oldest extant Tamil literature, and deals with love, war, governance, trade and bereavement. 100 CE) wrote Silappathikaaram of Five great epics. Sangam period, Tolkaappiyam, Kumari Kandam, and Sangam landscape The popularity of Tamil cinema has also interacted with Tamil literature in some mutually enriching ways. Modern Tamil Literary criticism also evolved. Short stories and novels began to appear.


With growth of literacy, Tamil prose began to blossom and mature. The modern Tamil literary movement started with Subramania Bharathi, the mutlifaceted Indian Nationalist poet and author, and was quickly followed up by many who began to utilize the power of literature in influencing the masses. By having the most ancient non-Sanskritized Indian literature, Tamil literature is unique and thus has become the subject of study by scholars who wish to delineate the non-Aryan and pre-Aryan strands in Indian culture.Ī revival of Tamil literature took place from the late 19th century when works of religious and philosophical nature were written in a style that made it easier for the common people to enjoy. The later medieval period saw many assorted minor literary works and also contributions by a few Muslim and European authors. It is during this era that some of the grandest of Tamil literary classics like Kambaramayanam and Periya Puranam were authored and many poets were patronized by the imperial Chola and Pandya empires. From the 6th to 12th century CE, the Tamil devotional poems written by Nayanmars (sages of Shaivism) and Azhvars (sages of Vaishnavism), heralded the great Bhakti movement which later engulfed the entire Indian subcontinent. This was followed by the early epics and moral literature, authored by Hindu, Jain and Buddhist authors, lasting up to the 5th century CE. The early Sangam literature, starting from the period of 2nd century BCE, contain anthologies of various poets dealing with many aspects of life, including love, war, social values and religion. The history of Tamil literature follows the history of Tamil Nadu, closely following the social, political and cultural trends of various periods.

Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from Tamil people from South India, including the land now comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lankan Tamils from Sri Lanka, and from Tamil diaspora. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language.
