Literature of India~
Introduction:
The Indian literary tradition is mainly one of verse and is also basically oral. The earliest works ware composed to be sung or recited and were so transmitted for many generations before being written down. Further more, maybe because so many Indian literature is either religious or a reworking of familiar stories from the Sanskrit epics, the authors often remained anonymous.
The Indian literary tradition is mainly one of verse and is also basically oral. The earliest works ware composed to be sung or recited and were so transmitted for many generations before being written down. Further more, maybe because so many Indian literature is either religious or a reworking of familiar stories from the Sanskrit epics, the authors often remained anonymous.
Linguistic and Cultural Influences
Many traditional Indian literature is originated in theme and form not only from Sanskrit Literature but also from Buddhist and Jain texts written in the Pali language and other Prakrits. This applies to the literature in Dravidian languages of the south as well as the literature of the north, in Indo-Iranian language. Invasion of Turks and Persians, begins in the 14th century, resulted in the influence of Persian and Islamic culture in Urdu. Although although important Islamic strands can be found in other literatures as well, especially those written in Bengali, Gujarati, and Kashmiri. After 1817, entirely new literary values were established that remain dominant today.
The Urdu poets almost always wrote in Persian forms, using the ghazal for love poetry in addition to an Islamic form of bhakti. Urdu then gained use as a literary language in Delhi and Lucknow. The ghazals of Mir and Ghalib mark the highest achievement of Urdu lyric verse. The Urdu poets were mostly refined, urban artists, but some adopted the idiom of folk poetry, as is typical of the verses in Punjabi, Pushtu, Sindhi or other regional languages.
Many traditional Indian literature is originated in theme and form not only from Sanskrit Literature but also from Buddhist and Jain texts written in the Pali language and other Prakrits. This applies to the literature in Dravidian languages of the south as well as the literature of the north, in Indo-Iranian language. Invasion of Turks and Persians, begins in the 14th century, resulted in the influence of Persian and Islamic culture in Urdu. Although although important Islamic strands can be found in other literatures as well, especially those written in Bengali, Gujarati, and Kashmiri. After 1817, entirely new literary values were established that remain dominant today.
The Urdu poets almost always wrote in Persian forms, using the ghazal for love poetry in addition to an Islamic form of bhakti. Urdu then gained use as a literary language in Delhi and Lucknow. The ghazals of Mir and Ghalib mark the highest achievement of Urdu lyric verse. The Urdu poets were mostly refined, urban artists, but some adopted the idiom of folk poetry, as is typical of the verses in Punjabi, Pushtu, Sindhi or other regional languages.
Bhakti Tradition
The full flowering of the Rad ha-Krishna cult involved bhakti. Although these traces of these attitude are found in the Tamil Al-vars, a large surge of bhakti covered every channel of Indian intellectual and religious life beginning in the late 15th century. Bhakti is also addressed to Rama, and most notably to Avadhi, also known as eastern Hindi, works of Tulsi Das. The founders of Sikh religion, the Nanah and Arjun, composed bhakti hymns to their concepts of deity. These are the first written documents in Punjabi. In the 16th century, the princess of Rahaasthani and poet Mira Bai changed her lyrics verse to Krishna, as did the Gujarati poet Narsimh Mehta.
Tamil Tradition
The only Indian writing incontestably antedate the influence of classical Sanskritare those in the Tamil language. These are lyrics on the themes of love and war. Later, between the 6th and 9th century, the Tamil sectarian devotional poems were composed, often claimed as the first example of bhakti tradition. At some date around 2nd and 5th centuries, two long Tamil verse romances were written: Cilappatikaram by Ilanko Atikal, which has been translated to English, and its sequel Manimekalai, a Buddhist work by Cattanar.
Ancient Literature with Modern Views: Bhagavad
The literary heritage of India date back to nearly 4000
Ancient Indian Literature
Although not wholly established, but pedantics consist that Indian literature is the oldest form of literature in the world. The earliest form of Indian literature was created in the oral form and later written in a verse form in Sanskrit. Vedas are the most sacred form of knowledge and apart from that epics such as the “Ramayana” and the “Mahabharata” are the most important works in the Indian literature. Apart from Arthashstra and Vaastu Shastra, all the literary works such as drama, poetry and songs were religious in nature. During the Mughal dynasty Muslim literature dominated the scene of Indian literature. In different regions Indian literature has a distinct flavor. Several Indian writers have distinguished themselves in the arena of modern Indian literature. If you are an avid reader and want to surmise the rosy picture of Indian literature, don’t hesitate to visit these 10 power houses of knowledge.
Some of the best works in India:
References/ Citations:
- http://www.diehardindian.com/demogrph/moredemo/literatr.htm
- http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A2KJkCHUk6JPyUEAQG.JzbkF?ei=UTF-8&n=30&y=Search&fr=sfp&p=indian+literature&fr2=sp-qrw-corr-top&norw=1
- http://www.bestindiansites.com/literature/indian-literature.html