Abstract
This paper examines the institutionalisation of law, penal networks, and societal ethics in the ancient Tamil country during the Sangam era. Moving beyond traditional interpretations of Sangam poetry as purely romantic or heroic verses, this study analyses text-historical documents to show how early Tamil society established a uniform rule of law. It evaluates the structure of Siraikkottam (prison complexes), the severity of corporal punishment, and concepts of individual honour (Tanmanam) and political accountability. By triangulating classical Tamil literature—including the Purananuru, Akananuru, Kuruntokai, Naladiyar, and the epic Manimegalai—with external historical chronicles such as the Sinhalese text Rajavaliya, this research illustrates how early Tamil polity balanced absolute monarchical power with legal codification, human rights, and diplomatic peace-building mediated by the scholarly elite.
Keywords: Sangam Literature, Carceral Systems, Penal Law, Ancient Tamil Polity, Sovereignty, Warfare.
How to cite: sivakumar. “The Jurisprudence of Sovereignty, Warfare, and Carceral Systems in Ancient Tamil Polity: A Historical and Literary Analysis”. Perunthanmai Multidisciplinary Tamil Studies Book Series (PMTSB) : Ancient Tamil World, 1st ed., vol. 2, Poet Publication and Printers, 2026, pp. 7–4, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24135599
