Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The patronization of bards and poets and entertaining them in their courts (avaiyam) was probably a step undertaken by the kings to glorify their name and fame, as well as their territories and towns. For example, the Chola king Karikalan is said to have offered a huge amount of gold coins to Uruttirankannanar, who composed Pattinappalai. 

Statement 2 is correct:  Cheras issued copper and lead coins with Tamil-Brahmi legends, imitating Roman coins. There are many other Chera coins with their bow and arrow emblem but without any writing on them.

Statement 3 is correct: The Pandyas ruled from Madurai. Korkai was their main port, located near the confluence of Thampraparani with the Bay of Bengal. It was famous for the pearl fishery and chank diving. Korkai is referred to in the Periplus as Kolkoi. Fish was the emblem of the Pandyas. Their coins have an elephant on one side and a stylized image of a fish on the other. 

Ans: D

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The “Tolkappiyam” is one of the most important classical Tamil texts, and it primarily deals with the subjects of grammar and poetics. It is considered the earliest extant work on Tamil grammar and is an essential text for the study of the Tamil language and literature. 

Statements 2 and 3 are correct: The Classical Sangam corpus consists of Tholkappiyam, the eight anthologies (Ettuththokai), and Paththuppattu. According to Nadarajah Devapoopathy, the earliest layer of the Tolkappiyam was composed between the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE, and the extant manuscript versions were fixed by about the 5th century CE.

Statement 4 is correct: Tholkappiyam, attributed to Tholkappiyar, is the earliest extant Tamil grammatical text dealing not only with poetry but also the society and culture of the times

The other epic, Manimekalai, was written by a grain merchant from Madurai. It deals with the adventures of the daughter born of the union of Kovalan and Madhavi. However, this epic is of greater religious than literary interest.

Ans: C

Exp:

The Sangam texts suggest that war booty was an important source of livelihood. They also state that when a hero dies, he is reduced to a piece of stone. This reminds us of the circles of stone that were raised over the graves of the megalithic people. This may have led to the later practise of raising hero stones called virarkal in honour of the heroes who had died fighting for kine and other things.

Ans: D

Exp:

The terms vanikan, chattan, and nigama that appear in Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions during the Sangam Age refer to trade activities. Salt merchants, called umanar, travelled in bullock carts along with their families for trade activities. Chattu referred to the itinerary or mobile merchants. These inscriptions often mention various social and economic aspects of that period, and these terms are associated with trade and commerce, indicating the importance of merchants in Sangam society.

Ans: B

Exp:

Pattinappalai, composed by the poet Katiyalur Uruttirankannanar, offers elaborate descriptions of the bustling trading activity during the rule of Karikalan. It is the Sangam Age text that elaborates on trading activities and provides insights into the commerce and trade of that time. It describes the bustling port city of Puhar (Kaveripattinam) and the maritime trade that was an essential part of the Sangam culture.