தலகபபயம வழநனற சஙககல மகளர கடடபபடகள ஓர ஆயவ / An Analysis of the Social Constraints of Sangam Era Women based on Tolkappiyam

The Sangam period is regarded as the golden era of Tamil civilization. It is characterized by literature, culture and social structure under the patronage of the Three Sangams. It spans over a history of more than 2,500 years. This research article is planned to examine the feminine gender oriented boundaries and social expectations that governed the lives of women during that period. Although, Sangam age is often celebrated for its poetic works and heroic ideals, women are very important in domestic and social life and endured complex restrictions. This study traces an in depth study and helps to understand how these constraints functioned within the ancient Tamil society. To derive the findings, the research takes up Tolkappiyam as its major theoretical framework. In particular, the Porulatikaram section has been utilized to decode the socio-cultural rules of the Sangam time. Moreover, the study takes up sources from the Sangam anthologies such as Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies) and Pathuppattu (Ten Idyls) for justification of the hypothesis. These texts provide vivid examples regarding the marital conduct (Karpu), the public-private division (Aham and Puram) and the moral expectations placed upon women across different landscapes (Thinai) of Sangam Tamil Nadu. Hence, the article provides a thematic knowledge about the restrictions practiced over Sangam age women and gives a comprehensive summary and conclusion. To ensure the academic quality, specific textual references from the original works are provided for verifiable historical analysis.