Abstract

The five-fold classification of landscapes in Sangam literature is not merely a poetic tradition; it is an ancient Tamil ecological classification that views land, season, living organisms, occupations, food and water as an interconnected whole. This paper proposes a research framework for identifying and assessing the traditional ecological knowledge embedded in this classification by comparing it with the local knowledge systems of farmers, pastoralists, hill communities and water-dependent livelihood groups in present-day Erode District. Ecological references from 40–60 selected poems of four Sangam anthologies – Kuruntokai, Natrinai, Akananuru and Ainkurunuru – are classified by landscape. The Sathyamangalam–Thalavadi–Bargur hills, the pastoral villages of Anthiyur–Bargur, the Cauvery–Bhavani and Lower Bhavani irrigation regions and rainfall-deficient areas are proposed as comparative field sites, where semi-structured interviews, direct observation, seasonal calendars and participatory mapping will be conducted with 30–40 knowledgeable informants in 6–8 villages and integrated with GIS layers of elevation, slope, soil, land use, water resources and rainfall. The central argument is that Sangam-period geography cannot be "verified" from present-day landscapes, but similarities and differences can be "assessed" from available evidence; each comparison is therefore classified as "corresponds", "partially corresponds", "differs" or "insufficient evidence". Because Erode is landlocked, Neithal is treated only as a comparative component, not as a field site. The distinctive feature of the study is the integration of four forms of evidence – literary evidence, local knowledge, field observation and GIS data – around the same ecological component.

Keywords

References

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How to Cite

Kavitha, N. M., Hemalatha, T., & Ayyammal, M. (2026). சங்க இலக்கியத்தின் ஐந்திணை மரபுசார் சூழலியல் அறிவும் ஈரோடு மாவட்டத்தின் உள்ளூர் அறிவு மரபுகளும்: களஆய்வு மற்றும் புவியியல் தகவல் அமைப்பு (GIS) அடிப்படையிலான ஒப்பிட்டு மதிப்பீடு: Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Five Landscapes in Sangam Literature and Local Knowledge Traditions of Erode District: A Field-Based and GIS-Assisted Comparative Assessment. KALANJIYAM - International Journal of Tamil Studies, 10(05), 45-70. https://ngmtamil.in/kalanjiyam-tamil/index.php/kalanjiyam/article/view/994
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