Which of the following present day southern states is/are included in ancient area of Tamilakam?

All of the above.

New kingdoms emerged in the Deccan and southern regions, including the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas in Tamilakam (ancient Tamil country comprising parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu). These kingdoms displayed stability and prosperity. Knowledge about these states is gathered from various sources, such as early Tamil Sangam texts that feature poems detailing the activities of chiefs and their resource management.

Several chiefs and kings, like the Satavahanas ruling over parts of western and central India (c. second century BCE to second century CE) and the Shakas, of Central Asian origin, who established kingdoms in northwestern and western regions of the subcontinent, derived revenues from long-distance trade. Their social backgrounds often remained obscure, but they endeavored to assert social status through diverse means, as observed in the case of the Satavahanas.