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Inbakavi
Inbakavi (baptised Xavier Henric Leam) was a Tamil poet and dramatist
Personal life[edit]
Inbakavi was born Xavier Henric Leam at Manapparai in Tirunelveli district.[1] His parents belonged to the Parava caste.[1] At a young age, Inbakavi obtained the patronage of Don Gabriel Vaz Gomez, the Parava chieftain of Tuticorin and approached the king of Ettaiyapuram.[1] Initially, he found himself unwelcome, but he soon impressed the king by penning a poem in praise of the Raja. The king bestowed many gifts upon him.[1]
After staying for a short period at the court of the Raja, Inbakavi set out for the court of Serfoji II of Thanjavur.[2] At Thanjavur, he impressed the minister Tatooji who developed a special liking for him.[2] However, poor health forced Inbakavi to leave for Tuticorin after a short stay.[2]
In his later life, Inbakavi also toured Jaffna and Colombo.[2] However, respect for the poet had greatly diminished due to his habit of drinking, which also destroyed his health.[2] Before he quit Jaffna, however, Inbakavi penned a drama Kuruvanji in praise of his benefactor Philip Rodrigo Muttukrishna.[3]
Inbakavi died in 1835.
Works[edit]
Inbakavi penned a number of dramas and Tamil poems. He wrote Christian as well as Saivite and Vaishnavite hymns.[citation needed]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Tamil Plutarch, Pg 26
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Tamil Plutarch, Pg 27
- ↑ The Tamil Plutarch, Pg 28
References[edit]
- Chitty, Simon Casie (1859). The Tamil Plutarch, containing a summary account of the lives of poets and poetesses of Southern India and Ceylon. Jaffna: Ripley & Strong.