Indian Literature: An Overview PDF

LITERATURE OF India GOING DOWN THE LINE HISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE Gadaza and Lim  INDIAN LITERATURE One of the world’s oldest and richest Oral traditions – storytellers present traditional Indian text Literature is influenced by: A religious doctri...

LITERATURE OF India GOING DOWN THE LINE HISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE Gadaza and Lim  INDIAN LITERATURE One of the world’s oldest and richest Oral traditions – storytellers present traditional Indian text Literature is influenced by: A religious doctrine karma– the chain of good and bad action and their inevitable consequences, which result to the repeated birth and death of the soul. Mythology of the dominant Hindu deities  SANSKRIT LITERATURE CLASSICAL LITERATURE MEDIEVAL LITERATURE : THE RISE OF THE REGIONAL LANGUAGES COLONIAL PERIOD TO INDEPENDENCE INDEPENDENCE ONWARDS SANSKRIT LITERATURE Literature is written in Sanskrit language Text were produced about 16th century BC by people known as Aryans (were cattle herders who were originally nomadic) who established kingdoms in north India  TYPES I. RELIGIOUS TEXT II. HEROIC TEXT  Studio Shodwe RELIGIOUS TEXT Composed in Old Sanskrit by Aryan poets Constitute the fundamental scripture of the Hindu religion and used as sacramental rites of Hinduism Compilation of two major literary forms: Hymns of praise to nature deities Ritual chants to accompany Aryan VEDAS religious rituals “Book of Knowledge”  THE FOUR VEDAS Rig-Veda – anthology of 1080 hymns to various gods ex. “Creation Hymn” Sama-Veda – “Book of Chants” consists of liturgies. Yajur-Veda – “Prayer Book” which consists of liturgies and repetition of Rig-Veda but contains many original prose formulas Atharva-Veda – “Book of Spells” which contains some hymns, spells, incantations, and notions about demonology and witchcraft.  prose text that discuss the solemn sacrificial rituals as BRAHMANAS well as the commitment on their meaning, composed by Hindu priest “wilderness texts” or “forest treaties”, composed by people who meditated in the ARANYAKAS woods Discussion and interpretation of the dangerous ritual  Major religious text of Buddhism TIPITAKA Written in the Pali “THE THREE BASKETS” language Includes the teachings of Buddha Tells 547 stories of Buddha’s JATAKAS former births “STORİES OF THE BİRTHS OF THE BUDDHA”  Composed by a group of sages who questioned the usefulness of ritual religion Consists of 108 dialogues between teachers UPANISHADS and their students about the individual soul’s unity India’s oldest philosophical treaties and form the foundation of major schools of Hindu philosophy  Studio Shodwe HEROIC TEXT Written by the poet Vyasal A tale of dispute between two branches of the Bharata clans over the right to rule the kingdom. MAHABHARATA “The Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty  Studio Shodwe HEROIC TEXT Written by the poet Valkimi Tells the story of the hero Rama, prince of Ayodhya and incarnation of the god Vishnu RAMAYANA “The Way of Rama”  CLASSICAL LITERATURE Started with the flowering of the Gupta dynasty. Great achievements in philosophy, sciences and arts. Reflected values of Hinduism. Literature was nurtured by the caste-system: Brahman- scholars and priest Kshatriya- the warriors Vaisya- merchants Sudra- laborers Kavya was the major form of classical literature in Sanskrit. KALIDASA India's preeminent classical poet Raghuvamsa (Dynasty of Raghu) -Epic poem Meghaduta (The Cloud Messenger) -Lyric poem about separated lovers SHAKUNTALA Shakuntala and the Right of Recollection poetic drama, tells the story of a love affair between a king and a woodland maiden Shakuntala. A universal drama of the passion, separation, suffering and reunion of lovers. SANSKRIT DRAMA A rich pageant of mime, dance, music, and lyrical texts set in the court of kings and aristocrats. SANSKRIT DRAMA Mrichchhakatika (The Little Clay Cart) by Shudraka Malati-Madhava (Malati and Madhava) by Bhavabhuti PANCHATANTRA (The Five Strategies) by Vishnusharman A collection of stories in prose and verse, which feature animals as the characters, teach lessons about human conduct. Use the technique of telling stories within the framework of the main story. PURANAS A genre of mythological narratives Five topics of Puranas: 1.The creation of the universe 2. The destruction and re-creation of the universe 3. The genealogy of the gods and holy sages 4. ThereignoftheManus)legendaryHindu figures) 5. The histories of the kings who trace their ancestry the sun and the moon  MEDIEVAL LITERATURE Different regions began to develop its own distinctive culture Islamic dynasties conquered many territories Indian languages were influenced by Islamic religion, Persian and Arabic languages >Unique version of local myths, legends, romances and epics emerged  Studio Shodwe BHAKTI: DEVOTIONAL LITERATURE Authors who belong to Hindu movement, who wrote lyric poetry Bhakti: was an aspect of religion that involved passionate, emotional devotion to a particular god. They addressed devotional poems to the major Hindu gods and goddesses; Shiva, Vishnu, Bhrama, Krishna, Rama, Lakhsmi, Ganesha, Some major Bhatik poets were women and men of the lower caste  COLONIAL PERIOD TO INDEPENDENCE British became a colonial power The colonial government introduced English education for upper-class Indians so that they can serve the colony Introduction of the printing press, which made possible the establishment of newspapers and journals Bengal Renaissance  Studio Shodwe RABINDRANATH TAGORE An innovative poet of the Bengali language Drew on traditional forms of poetry and performance The first non-European winner of the Nobel Prize award for literature GITANJALI (Song Offerings, 1910) His best known work, which is acollection of poems  INDEPENDENCE ONWARD Indian independence from Britain in 1947 marked the start of modern Indian literature  GENRE Abarquez and Guillermo Genres of Indian Literature Indian literature encompasses a wide range of genres that have evolved over millennia, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic landscape of the subcontinent.  The Epics The Epics or Mahakavyas, namely Mahabharata and Ramayana, are originally in Sanskrit. Many great works have been created by many great saints and poets on these two great epics of Hinduism. Some scholars classify the Bhagwad-Gita, and the Bhagavata also as epics in their own merit. Ancient Indian Literature Piety, or a strong religious mindset, is the cornerstone of ancient Indian writing. The Vedas, the earliest known literary work in India, are anthologies of devotional songs and prayers. Ancient Indian Literature Ancient Indian literature encompasses a vast array of writings from the Indian subcontinent, produced in numerous languages such as Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Tamil, and others. The earliest form of Indian literature is the Veda, sacred Hindu texts written in Sanskrit, dating back to around 1500 BCE. These include the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, which are primarily religious and philosophical in nature. The Vedic texts were followed by prose commentaries like the Brahmanas and Upanishads, which further explored philosophical ideas. Ancient Indian Literature Ancient Indian literature can broadly be characterized into two types: Shruti. Shruti literature—The Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads are among the holy works described by the word "Shruti," which signifies "to hear." Smriti. Smiriti" is a term that signifies "to be remembered." All post-Vedic classical Sanskrit literature written after the Vedas is referred to as Smriti literature. Ancient Indian Literature Sanskrit literature flourished from about 1500 BCE to 1000 CE, reaching its peak between the 1st and 7th centuries CE. Some notable works of Ancient Indian Literature are: Kadambari of Saint Tulasidas Swapnavasavadatta of Bhasa Panini MEDIEVAL INDIAN LITERATURE  The advent of Islam in India began in the 8th century with the conquest of Sind. However, ISLAMIC it was during the 11th and 12th LITERATURE centuries that Islamic literary and cultural traditions truly began to flourish in the Indian heartland  A form of Kannada poetry that emerged during the Hoysala period (1025–1343) in RAGALE southern India. It is LITERATURE characterized by its lyrical and rhythmic qualities, often composed in blank verse.  Also known as “Promise VACHANA Literature,” is a significant body of LITERATURE work in Kannada literature, primarily composed by the OF Veerashaiva saints during the 12th VEERASHAIVA century. This literature is known SAİNTS for its devotional and philosophical themes, written in simple, accessible language to reach the common people. MODERN INDIAN LITERATURE (INDIAN RENAISSANCE)  SONNETS The sonnet was introduced to India during the British colonial period through English literature and education systems. Indian poets, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, embraced and adapted this form to express their thoughts and emotions  Sanskrit Drama: The earliest form of Indian THEATER theater, dating back to the first century, SCREENPLAY includes works like Kalidasa’s “Shakuntala” and Bhasa’s plays. These dramas were LITERATURE based on stories from the Vedas and Upanishads and followed the principles of OR PLAYS the Natyasastra, an ancient treatise on dramaturgy  THEATER Traditional Theater Forms: Various regional forms such as Kuttiyattam in SCREENPLAY Kerala, Yakshagana in Karnataka, and Jatra in Bengal have kept traditional LITERATURE theater alive. These forms often OR PLAYS incorporate music, dance, and elaborate costumes  NOVELS Notable Novellas by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay Devdas: Perhaps his most famous work, “Devdas” tells the tragic love story of Devdas and Paro, exploring themes of unfulfilled love and societal constraints  NOVELS Notable Novellas by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay Parineeta: This novella revolves around the love story of Lalita and Shekhar, set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Bengal. It delves into issues of class and social norms  NOVELS Notable Novellas by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay Pather Dabi: A politically charged novella, “Pather Dabi” deals with the Indian independence movement and the struggles of its characters against colonial rule SHORT STORIES HARATE OR GOSSIP LITERATURE  Thank you for listening!