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Commentaries in Tamil literary tradition (edit)
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Tamil is one of the most ancient and classical languages with a rich literary tradition in the world.{{sfn|Hart, 2000}} Along with [[Sanskrit]], it remains one of the languages of the Indian subcontinent that are richest in literature.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} [[Ancient India]] is known for its unique [[oral tradition]] wherein knowledge was chiefly passed on as [[word of mouth]] from parents to their children and from preceptors to their students from one generation to the next.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=11}} The gradual buildup of this oral transfer of ideas through several generations resulted in an extensive corpus of knowledge, which eventually had to be written down on manuscripts.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=11}} This process generated a vast scholarship in every domain of life in the Indian subcontinent, and both Sanskrit and Tamil, along with other languages, saw an exponential growth in their literature over the millennia. Unlike [[Western literature|Western tradition]], where only [[ | Tamil is one of the most ancient and classical languages with a rich literary tradition in the world.{{sfn|Hart, 2000}} Along with [[Sanskrit]], it remains one of the languages of the Indian subcontinent that are richest in literature.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} [[Ancient India]] is known for its unique [[oral tradition]] wherein knowledge was chiefly passed on as [[word of mouth]] from parents to their children and from preceptors to their students from one generation to the next.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=11}} The gradual buildup of this oral transfer of ideas through several generations resulted in an extensive corpus of knowledge, which eventually had to be written down on manuscripts.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=11}} This process generated a vast scholarship in every domain of life in the Indian subcontinent, and both Sanskrit and Tamil, along with other languages, saw an exponential growth in their literature over the millennia. Unlike [[Western literature|Western tradition]], where only [[critic]]s abound, [[Indian literature]] is rife with commentators who both analyze the works and write exegesis on them.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=9}} Tamil literary tradition is no exception to this pan-Indian phenomenon, with commentary writing having developed as a distinct domain in the scholarly world over the millennia.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=9}} V. Suba Manikkanar cites the ancientness of the language as a reason for such development.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=9}} | ||
The developing, patronizing, and guarding of the [[Tamil literature]] and the [[Tamil language|language]] was taken care of by different members of the society in different periods. In the [[Sangam period]], the rulers of the [[Tamilakam|Tamil land]] took the responsibility. During [[Pallava Dynasty|Pallava]]'s reign in the [[Bhakti era]], the [[Alwars]] and [[Nayanmars]] were responsible in developing the language. In the later [[Chola period]], the responsibility shifted to the literary commentators who wrote exegesis on several ancient and contemporary works. During the period of the [[Nayakar]]'s regin, minor dynastic kings and aristocratic chieftains furthered the Tamil language and literature. During the [[colonial era]] under the [[British Raj|British rule]], missionaries of both Indian and foreign religions and the Tamil groups established by the opulent section of the society contributed to the growth of the language. Post-[[Indian Independence Act 1947|Independence]], the language continues to grow by various political parties and enthusiasts among the public.{{sfn|Aravindan, 2018|p=52}} The commentators of the medieval era are considered instrumental in preserving the ancient works for the posterity.{{sfn|Aravindan, 2018|p=52}} This is widely acknowledged by scholars, including [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], Pandithamani M. Kathiresan Chettiyar, S. Venkatarama Chettiyar, and M. Arunachalam, among others.{{sfn|Aravindan, 2018|pp=53–56}} | The developing, patronizing, and guarding of the [[Tamil literature]] and the [[Tamil language|language]] was taken care of by different members of the society in different periods. In the [[Sangam period]], the rulers of the [[Tamilakam|Tamil land]] took the responsibility. During [[Pallava Dynasty|Pallava]]'s reign in the [[Bhakti era]], the [[Alwars]] and [[Nayanmars]] were responsible in developing the language. In the later [[Chola period]], the responsibility shifted to the literary commentators who wrote exegesis on several ancient and contemporary works. During the period of the [[Nayakar]]'s regin, minor dynastic kings and aristocratic chieftains furthered the Tamil language and literature. During the [[colonial era]] under the [[British Raj|British rule]], missionaries of both Indian and foreign religions and the Tamil groups established by the opulent section of the society contributed to the growth of the language. Post-[[Indian Independence Act 1947|Independence]], the language continues to grow by various political parties and enthusiasts among the public.{{sfn|Aravindan, 2018|p=52}} The commentators of the medieval era are considered instrumental in preserving the ancient works for the posterity.{{sfn|Aravindan, 2018|p=52}} This is widely acknowledged by scholars, including [[U. V. Swaminatha Iyer]], Pandithamani M. Kathiresan Chettiyar, S. Venkatarama Chettiyar, and M. Arunachalam, among others.{{sfn|Aravindan, 2018|pp=53–56}} | ||
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===Dialogic commentaries=== | ===Dialogic commentaries=== | ||
The process of writing prosaic commentaries to the [[ | The process of writing prosaic commentaries to the [[itihasa]]s, [[puranas]], and other Indian epics, which were originally written in verse, began in the early 19th century.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=18}} Exegeses to epics such as the [[Ramayana]], the [[Mahabaratha]], [[Periya Puranam]], and [[Kanda Puranam]], began to appear in Tamil, and these came to be known as ''vasanam'' or dialogic commentaries.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=18}} Soon, dialogic commentaries to the Sangam works, such as the [[Eight Anthologies]] and [[Ten Idylls]] series of texts, began to appear.{{sfn|Mohan and Sokkalingam, 2011|p=18}} | ||
===Compiled commentaries=== | ===Compiled commentaries=== | ||