Samacheer-06

History
Ancient Tamil Nadu

Exercise

General Instructions:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Questions 1-10 are very short answer questions. These are required to be
answered in one sentence each.
Questions 11-24 are short answer questions. Answers to them should
normally not exceed 40-45 words each.
Questions 25-28 are long answer questions. Answer to them should
normally not exceed 70 words each.
Answer should be brief and to the point.

Very short answer type

(1 mark)

Question 1.

Who was the author of Nannool?

Question 2.

Name a famous poet of Tamil Nadu of ancient period.

Question 3.

How Tamil we speak can be appreciated?

Question 4.

What was Kumari Kandam?

Question 5.

What was the capital of Pandyas?

Question 6.

What was Lemuria?

Question 7.

What is Senthamizh?

Question 8.

Name some of the sea ports of Tamil Nadu ancient period.

Question 9.

Into how many parts, was the land divided by the poets during the Sangam?

Question 10.

Name the three ancient Tamil Kingdoms.

Short answer type

(2 & 3 marks)

Question 11.

Explain the features of Kumari Kandam.

Question 12.

How were the regions of Madras Presidency divided after the independence?

Question 13.

Who were the different rulers of ancient Tamil Nadu? Mention the regions
ruled by them.

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Question 14.

How did the pets divide the land during Sangam?

Question 15.

What were the duties of the King, Chieftains and Patrons of ancient Tamil
Nadu?

Question 16.

Which part of India came under the Chera Kingdom.? Name a few famous
rulers of this kingdom.
Name two important kings of Chola Kingdom and mention their achievements.

Question 17.
Question 18.

Who were regarded as good sea traders during the Sangam Age? What were
their trading contacts?

Question 19.

Where was the second Sangam held? Who all participated in the second
Sangam?

Question 20.

Write the characteristic features of ancient Tamil?

Question 21.

Name some famous Chera and Pandyas kings.

Question 22.

Why did we call Madurai as Kudal? Name the Tamil words that are used to
denote the mode of sea trade.

Question 23.

Match the following:

Tolkappiam
Neithel
Kurinchi
Pandiyar
Neduncheziyan
Mullai
Heroic death

Question 24.

Yano Arrasan
Forest area
Book before Sangam
Mountainous region
Hero Stones
Coastal area

Write a short note on the regions located under the three ancient Tamil
kingdoms. Name their respective emblems.

Long answer type

(5 marks)

Question 25.

Write a note on the history of formation of Tamil Nadu.

Question 26.

Which language is used in Tamil Nadu? Describe a few famous literary works
of Tamil Nadu.

Question 27.

Which regions were covered in the Chola Kingdom? What was their capital>
Name the port and emblem of the Chola kingdom.

Question 28.

Throw light on the social life of The Pandya Kingdom.

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Answer Key

Very short answer type

(1 mark)

Answer 1.

Bavanandhi Munnivar was the author of Nannool.

Answer 2

Subramania Bharathiyar was a famous poet of Tamil Nadu of ancient period.

Answer 3.

Tamil we speak can be appreciated as Senthamizh, Paeynthamizh and

Muthamizh.

Answer 4.

The Indian Ocean on the south of Cape Comorin was the landmass before
pre-historic period and was called as Kumari Kandam.

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Answer 5.

Thenmadurai was the capital of Pandyas.

Answer 6.

Lemuria was a big landmass that connected Africa and Australia.

Answer 7.

Tamil language which is adoptive to grammatical norms is called Senthamizh.

Answer 8.

Puhar, Korkai, Musiri, Thondi qand Vanchi were some of the sea ports of the
ancient period of Tamil Nadu.

Answer 9.

Land was divided into five physical divisions by the poets during the Sangam.

Answer 10.

The Chera Kingdom, the Chola Kingdom and the Pandyan Kingdom are three
ancient Tamil Kingdoms.

Short answer type

(2 & 3 marks)

Answer 11.

Kumari Kandam was a land mass. It was eight to ten times bigger than the
South India. A river named Fahruli ran on this land mass. The region
comprised of wide ranges of mountains and deep forests. It was an efficient
kingdom having civilized population.

Answer 12.

After independence, the regions of Madras Presidency were divided into the
state of Tamil Nadu along with a few districts and Taluks of Andhra Pradesh,
Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa.

Answer 13.

The ancient Tamil Nadu was ruled by the Chera rulers such as
Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan, the Chola rulers such as Karikal Cholan
and the Pandya rulers such as. Mudhatirumaran. The Pandyas ruled over the
Southern part of South India, the Cheras over the West and the Cholas over
North-East.

Answer 14.

The poets divided the land into five physical divisions during Sangams. They
were the mountainous region which was called Kurinchi, the forested region
called Mullai, the coastal area called Neidel, the sandy regions called Palai and
plains called Marudam.

Answer 15.

The main duty of king, chieftains and patrons of ancient Tamil Nadu was to
protect their subjects. They provided favorable conditions for the poets,
traders, idayars, koothar, viraliyar, pannar, uzhavars and maravars to lead a
comfortable life.

Answer 16.

The Chera Kingdom included Kerala and North-West of Tamil Nadu. Vanchi
was their capital. Thondi and Musiri were their ports and their emblem was
Bow and Arrow.

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Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan and Sillambu Pugazh Cheran Senguttuvan

were the famous Chera kings.
Answer 17.

Karikal Cholan and Rajaraja Chola were the two important kings of the Chola
Kingdom. Karikal Cholan conquered Eelam and built Kallanai on the banks of
the river Cauvery. Rajaraja Chola conquered North, Java and Kadaram.

Answer 18.

People living in the South of Tamil were good sea traders. They had trade
links with Egypt, China, Yavanam, Rome and other Eastern countries. Navai,
Kappal, Kalam, Thoni, Odam, Padaggu, Theppam and Katamaram were the
Tamil words used to denote the mode of sea trade.

Answer 19.

The second Sangam was held in Kapadapuram by the poets. It was formed
because the first Sangam was washed away in the tsunami.
59 Pandiyas and 5700 poets participated in it. Later, this was also submerged in tsunami.

Answer 20.

Ancient Tamil was a classical language as it was developed without the help of
other languages. It was characterized by the number of changes in grammar
which is called Senthamizh.

Answer 21.

Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan and Sillambu Pugazh Cheran Senguttuvan

were some famous Chera kings.
Mudhatirumaran and Thalaiyalanganathu Cheruvendra Neduncheziyan were
some famous Pandyas kings.

Answer 22.

As the Pandya kings patronized the poets and held research on Tamil, we call
Madurai as Kudal.
Navai, Kappal, Kalam, Thoni, Odam, Padaggu, Theppam and Katamaram were
the Tamil words used to denote the mode of sea trade.

Answer 23.
Tolkappiam
Neithel
Kurinchi
Pandiyar
Neduncheziyan
Mullai
Heroic death
Answer 24.

Book before sangam

Coastal area
Mountainous region
Yano Arrasan
Forest area
Hero Stones

The regions located under the three ancient Tamil kingdoms were:

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The Chera kingdom included Kerala and the North-West of Tamil Nadu.
Their emblem was bow and arrow.

The Chola kingdom included Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam,

Pudukottai and some parts of the South Arcot. Their emblem was tiger.

The Pandya kingdom included the places from Kanyakumari to

Madurai. Their emblem was fish.

Long answer type

Answer 25.

(5 marks)

During the Sangam Age, Tamil Nadu was ruled by the Cholas in the east, the
pandyas in the Central area and the Cheras in the west. In the 13th century,
the southern Hindu dynasties combined with the threats of Muslim invasions
and the empire of Vijayanagar was established. By the middle of 18th
century, there were conflicts between the French, British, Danes and Dutch
due to their interest in their areas.
The British were victorious and most of the South India was integrated into
the region called Madras Presidency under the British Rule. In1956 , the
Madras Presidency was divided and Tamil Nadu was established.

Answer 26.

Tamil is the language of Tamil Nadu which was a classical language as it was
developed without the help of other languages. It was characterized by the
number of changes in grammar which is called Senthamizh.
The famous literatures of Tamil Nadu were Ettuthogai and Pathupattu. Kapilar,
Avvayyar, Nakkeerar, Paranar and hundreds of poets wrote poem in these
literature. These help us to understand the cultures, civilizations, customs and
political life of Tamilians. Tolkappium was also a famous literature which was
originated before the third Sangam.

Answer 27.

The Chola kingdom included Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and

some parts of the South Arcot. Karikal Cholan and Killivalavan were the
famous Chola kings. Karikalan conquered Eelam and built Kallanai on the
banks of the river Cauvery.
Their capital was Uraiyur.
Kaviripoompattinam was their port and tiger was their emblem.

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Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola were the famous Chola kings of the
medieval period who conquered North, Java and Kadaram.
Answer 28.

In Pandya kingdom, there was discrimination according to their occupations

and untouchability was not practiced. However later, caste discrimination and
untouchability came into effect. Women had the right to choose their
partners. The rituals of rising of holy fire and chanting of mantras were not in
vogue.
Women were not treated according to Vedas. Temples were not built and
people used to worship the stones erected in memory of the dead soldiers
which were known as hero stones. They celebrated harvest festival, Pongal
festival and the festival of spring season.

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