UPSC Prelims 2022 · Question 93 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2022 question on Sangam Literature Varna
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2022
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectAncient History
- TopicAncient Art, Literature and Culture
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeDirect
Which one of the following statements about Sangam literature in ancient South India is correct?
Show answer
Answer: B. The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets.
Analysis
Hence Option (b) — The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets — is the correct answer.
Statement by statement
Option (a) – INCORRECT: Sangam poems are NOT devoid of reference to material culture. The Sangam literature is a major source of information about the social, economic and political life of the people living in deltaic Tamil Nadu in early Christian centuries, including details about trade, material culture, etc.
Option (b) – CORRECT: The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets. The class of warriors was an important element in society during the Sangam age. Captains of the army were invested with the title of enadi at a formal ceremony. Civil and military officers were held under both the Cholas and the Pandyas by vellalas or rich peasants.
Option (c) – INCORRECT: Sangam poems do have references to warrior ethic. The class of warriors was prominent in the Sangam age.
Option (d) – INCORRECT: Sangam literature refers to magical forces (ananku — a phenomenon of sacred power) as real, not irrational.