Developments from 16th century Mysore literature in Kannada

1 developments 16th century

1.1 court , monastic literature
1.2 folk , didactic literature
1.3 modern literature

developments 16th century

court , monastic literature

after decline of vijayanagara empire, centres of kannada literary production shifted courts of emerging independent states, @ mysore , keladi. kingdom of keladi centred @ keladi , nearby ikkeri in modern shivamogga district. @ peak, domains included coastal, hill , interior regions of modern karnataka. writers in keladi court authored important works on veerashaiva doctrine. keladi territories , of smaller chiefs (palegars) absorbed kingdom of mysore 1763. unique aspect of mysore court presence of numerous multi-lingual writers, of whom veerashaivas. adept in telugu , sanskrit, in addition kannada. veerashaiva monasteries had sprung in various regions including mysore, tumkur, chitradurga , bangalore sought spread influence beyond kannada speaking borders. sadakshara deva, veerashaiva writer, tried rejuvenate classical champu style of writing. srivaishnava (a sect of vaishnavism) writers, dominant in mysore court, maintained literary style conventional , conservative while proliferating lore , legend. spurt in vaishnava writings resulted in new renderings of epics, mahabharata, bhagavata , no fewer 3 versions of ramayana. prior 17th century, information royal genealogy , achievements had been recorded on versified inscriptions. beginning 17th century, consolidation of feudatory of mysore independent kingdom, historical , biographical writings became popular. number of such works penned court poets in 17th , 18th century, notably, tirumalarya ii , chikkupdhyaya. of these writings later serve valuable research , source material modern day historians.

folk , didactic literature

yakshagana artists applying makeup prepare play

yakshagana (lit. songs of demi-gods ) composite folk-dance-drama or folk theatre of southern india combines literature, music, dance , painting into. best-known forms of art dakshina kannada, udupi district, uttara kannada , extent shimoga district of modern karnataka. there variety of dance-dramas collectively termed yakshagana. yakshagana tenkutittu (lit. yakshagana of southern style ) popular in mangalore region , yakshagana badagatittu bayalaata (lit. yakshagana of northern style performed outdoors ) popular in udupi , surrounding regions. other art forms grouped under yakshagana nagamandalam, dance meant appease deity naga, , variety of bhuta (spirit) dances. yakshagana tenkutittu more akin classical kathakali of kerala.

according modern kannada writer shivarama karanth, region between udupi , ikkeri yakshagana of northern style originated. however, noted earliest forms of dance-drama, called gandharagrama, mentioned in writing narada siska dated 600–200 bce. primitive form developed ekkalagana , term appears in 12th century kannada writings mallinathapurana (c. 1105, nagachandra) , chandraprabha purana (c. 1189, aggala). according scholar m.m. bhat, chattana, native composition adaptable singing , mentioned in kavirajamarga (c. 850) considered earliest known forerunner of kannada yakshaganas. epigraph of c. 1565 bellary describes grant troupe of tala-maddale performers. earliest available manuscript containing yakshagana plays virata parva (c. 1565) vishnu of brahmavara in south kanara, , sugriva vijaya (mid-16th century) kandukuru rudrakavi. earliest available edition of yakshagana plays, sabhaparva, dated c. 1621.

haridasa sahitya, devotional literature of vaishnava saints of karnataka, flourished in 15th , 16th centuries under guidance of such saint-poets vyasatirtha, purandara dasa ( father of carnatic music ) , kanaka dasa. period, according scholars m.v. kamath , v.b. kher, may called classical period . literature revived in 18th , 19th centuries. according musicologist selina tielemann, vaishnava bhakti (devotion) movement, started 6th century alvars of modern tamil nadu , spread northwards, reached peak influence on south indian devotionalism advent of haridasas of karnataka. haridasa poetry, bears structural similarities devotional songs of northern , eastern india, preserved in written textual form musical compositions in rendered have been passed down orally. these songs have remained popular members of madhva religious order in modern age. vijaya dasa, gopala dasa , jagannatha dasa prominent among saint-poets belonging of didactic period . scholar mutalik classifies haridasa devotional songs following categories: biographical, socio-religious, ethical , ritualistic, didactic , philosophical, meditative, narrative , eulogistic , miscellaneous . contribution hindu mysticism , bhakti literature similar contributions of alvars , nayanmars of modern tamil nadu , of devotional saint-poets of maharashtra , gujarat. according scholar h.s. shiva prakash, 300 saint-poets cadre enriched kannada literature during 18th–19th century

basavanna, protagonist of many veerashaiva writing

after break of more 3 centuries, writing of vachana poems revived. though poets such tontada siddhalingayati (1540), swatantra siddhalingeswara (1565), ganalingideva (1560), shanmukha swamy (1700), kadasiddheswara (1725) , kadakolu madivallappa (1780) attempted re-popularise tradition noteworthy pieces, lacked mastery of 12th century social reformers. notable of later day vachanakaras (lit. vachana poets ) undoubtedly sarvajna , sisunala sherif (late 18th century). sarvajna known have lived sometime between mid-16th century , late 17th century. though vachana poetic tradition had come temporary halt, creation of anthologies , commentaries based on earlier vachana canon, depicting 12th century veerashaiva saints protagonists, became popular around c. 1400. among well-known 16th century anthologists channaveeracharya (16th century) , singalada siddhabasava (c. 1600) interpreted vachanas purely philosophical , meta-physical context. in keladi court, notable works on doctrine, such virasaivadharma siromani ( crest jewel of moral order of veerashaivas ) , virasaivananda chandrike ( moonlight delight veerashaivas ) written. new genre of mystic kaivalya literature, synthesis of veerashaiva , advaitha (monistic) philosophy, consolidated 16th century onwards. while famous writings ascribed nijaguna shivayogi (c. 1500), later day writers such mahalingaranga (anubhavamrita in shatpadi metre, c. 1675) , chidanandavadhuta (jnana sindhu) notable.

modern literature

the birth of modern expression in kannada language can traced 19th century, transition in later decades included influence of english literature on local traditions. earliest examples of modern literature came in form of prose, either inspired or renderings of sanskrit classics, in court of king krishnaraja wodeyar iii. king himself accomplished kannada writer whom ascribed prose romance saugandhika parinaya. under patronage of king, kempu narayana wrote mudramanjusha ( seal casket , 1823), historical novel , innovative version of sanskrit original, mudrarakshasa vishaka datta. work considered trailblazer in modern kannada prose.

english-language education, role of missionaries, translation of bible kannada in 1820, arrival of printing press, publication of newspapers , periodicals , earliest kannada-english , english-kannada dictionaries helped modernise kannada prose. development of prose narrative came way of translations of christian classics, such yatrikana sanchara (the pilgrim s progress, 1847). dramatic literature got impetus translations of sanskrit , english classics (shakuntala in 1869; macbeth, king lear , romeo , juliet). modern novel, reformist outlook, born in 1892. milestone followed earliest social plays similar themes, trend had set roots in modern literature of marathi , bengali languages. muddanna (or nandalike lakshminarayana) stands out unique writer, language old-kannada sensibilities modern. 2 important works adbhuta ramayana (1895) , ramaswamedham (1898). latter work historically important prose development – ancient epic handled modern viewpoint. narrator author , listener wife. muddanna s declaration padyam vadhyam, gadyam hridyam (lit. poetry deserves killing whereas prose reaches heart ) summarises trends in kannada literature in late 19th century.