Sangam period is the period in the
history of ancient southern India (known as the
Tamilakam) spanning from c. 30th century BC
to c. 4th century CE. It is named after the famous
Sangam academies of poets and scholars
centered in the city of Madurai. In old Tamil
language, the term Tamilakam referred to the
whole of the ancient Tamil-speaking area,
corresponding roughly to the present-day Indian
states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Andhra
Pradesh, parts of Karnataka and northern Sri
Lanka.