Deccan and South India


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Deccan and South India

Deccan and South India: Tamil, Telugu and Kannada prospered under the Chola rule. The Alvar and Nayanar saints used Tamil in their teachings and translated many Sanskrit works into Tamil.

Literary Works: Kamban’s Ramayana is the translated Tamil version of the Ramayana which was originally written in Sanskrit. Several Telugu poets like Nannaya and Tikkana translated the Mahabharata. The writing of Pampa, Ponna and Ranna in Kannada enriched the literature of Kanataka. These three are referred to as the ‘three jewels of Kannada literature’. Sanskrit and Telugu were commonly used in Vijayanagar kingdom.

Deccan and South India: Tamil, Telugu and Kannada prospered under the Chola rule. The Alvar and Nayanar saints used Tamil in their teachings and translated many Sanskrit works into Tamil.

Literary Works: Kamban’s Ramayana is the translated Tamil version of the Ramayana which was originally written in Sanskrit. Several Telugu poets like Nannaya and Tikkana translated the Mahabharata.

Vista Fact: The writing of Pampa, Ponna and Ranna in Kannada enriched the literature of Kanataka. These three are referred to as the ‘three jewels of Kannada literature’. Sanskrit and Telugu were commonly used in Vijayanagar kingdom.

Other regional languages that developed between the 8th and 15th centuries CE included Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Gujrati, Telugu, Kannada and Punjabi.

  • Tamil is said to be one of the oldest Indian languages. Ancient Tamil is unique in that it has no trace of Sanskrit, unlike most other Indian languages. Through the Bhakti saints of Tamil Nadu, wrote songs in praise of Shiva and Vishnu.
  • Kamban wrote the Tamil version of the Ramayana around the 13th century CE, Kamban's Ramayan is richly poetic and original.
  • Telugu developed into its present form between the 10th and the 14th century CE. Beautiful poetic works were produced, like the Srivalsa by Srinadha. Several works of literature were written during the rule of the Vijayanagra kings. Krishnadeva Raya, the most famous king of the Vijayanagra Empire, was a scholar of Sanskrit and Telugu. He wrote the poem Amuktamalyada in Telugu. The Mahabharata was translated into Telugu by Tikkanna and Nannayya around the 12th century CE.
  • The variious sikh gurus taught and wrote in Punjabi, encouraging its growth during the medieval period. The Adi Granth, the religious book of the Sikhs, was compiled by the fifth sikh guru, Arjan Dev, in 1604 CE. Folk songs and stories composed in Punjabi helped the growth of the language.
  •          Marathi developed as a regional language during the rule of the Bahamani sultans in the Deccan. It was used as their court language. The language grew further as a result of the Bhakti Movement. The Bhakti saints Namdev and Tukaram, wrote devotional poems in Marathi, and Sant Jananeshwar translated the Bhagvad Gita into the language. In the medieval period, Gujrati poetry was used mainly to express religious feelins. A 7th century CE Jain monk, Shalibhadrasuri, composed the Bharateswara Bahubali Rasa. Narsinh Mehta wrote Bhakti songs in the 15th century CE that portrayed his deep love for Krishna. One of the best known Gujarati poets is Premananda Bhatta. He wrote poems based on puranic tales.

    In Bengal,  the regional language grew under the influence of the Bhakti saints. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu danced to devotional songs that were composed in Bengali. Krittibas Ojha was a medieval writer who translated the Ramayana into Bengali. Nasir Shah, a king of Gauda in the 14th century CE, is praised by the poet Vidyapati as a patron of vernacular literature. 

     
     


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