Characteristics of Indian Literature

Sanskrit literature originated with an oral tradition that produced the Vedic
holy texts, sometime after 1500 B.C. The Aryans, who came from Central Asia bringing
their own Gods with them, memorized these sacred literatures, the Vedas, which means
knowledge. The oldest of these holy works is the Rig Veda-the Veda of praise-a
collection of 1017 hymns addressed to the various Gods of the Aryans. After the Rig
Veda, came the Brahmanas, which codified the rituals and prayers of the Brahmins, the
priests of the Aryans. The Brahmanas were followed by the Upanishads, which were
discourses between teachers and pupils. Then came the Puranas, which were
essentially the history of the Aryan race and its relationship with the gods.
The two most famous Puranic epics are the Mahabhrata and the Ramayana,
which have since been used as the sources of countless literary works. The
Mahabharata interwove ideas about cosmology, statecraft, philosophy and the science
of war into its stories of the deeds of Gods and men. It was considered to be the longest
poem in any language. The Ramayana simply recounted a sequence of heroic
adventures, many of them with moral undertones.
When Sanskrit grammar was evolved beginning about 400 B.C., the literary works
aimed to put in order all learning in the form of laws for the arts and sciences, called
shastras, as well as poetry and stylized drama. Prior to this, the Indian constitution
recognized several official languages. This resulted in the production of regional
literature. Major writers such as Bhartrihari, and Mayura emerged when classical poetry
reached its peak in the 7th century A.D. Kalidasa, one of the notable poets, is better
known for his play Sakuntala.
Modern Indian literature started with establishment of civil service training schools
and printing presses early in the 19th century. Western literary and philosophical writings
produced a cultural revival, while vernacular language and culture was taught to British
colonial officials.
Twentieth-century writing has managed to keep alive the sentimental romanticism
of the 19th century, while nationalist leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi influenced the
development of social realism in the earlier works.
Writing in English was viewed with mixed feelings in post-Independence India but
was well-established nevertheless. Pioneers in this field included Michael Dutt (1824-73)
and Sudhindranath (1901-60), Tagore, and Sri Aurobindo. Sarojini Naidu achieved fame
both as a poet in English and as a patriot.
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ENGLISH 8
3rd Quarter
SY 2013-2014
Name: ____________________________________

Activity 1: PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Describe briefly the development of Indian Literature.
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2. Explain the role played by religion in Indian literature.
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3. Differentiate Ramayana from Mahabharata as to the theme.
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4. How do several languages affect the development of Indian literature?
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5. How was English accepted as literary medium?
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ENGLISH 8
3rd Quarter
SY 2013-2014
Activity 2: READ QUICKLY
Browse again the article about the characteristics of Indian Literature and identify the
topic sentence for each paragraph.
What is being discussed in each paragraph?
Paragraph 1:
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Paragraph 2:
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Paragraph 3:
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Paragraph 4:
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Paragraph 5:
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Paragraph 6:
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