A history of Telugu literature; - Cristo Raul

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14 A HISTORY OF TELUGU LITERATURE are concerned, is purely of antiquarian interest. The Telugus may have been in the remote past a Dravidian people possessing a non-Aryan culture, but they seem to have lost their Dravidian identity very early in their history. In historical times they were so completely Aryanised in religion, language and literature, that for all practical purposes they may be treated as Aryans ; although the indigenous Dravidian influence continued to make itself felt. AndHra Desa the land ot the Andhras. The classic and historic name for the people now known as Telugus is Andhras, a word which is variously derived, but almost all the derivations contain the idea of darkness. It is generally believed that the territory originally inhabited by the Andhras was a part of Dandakaranya of the Rdmdyana, a dark and inaccessible region in the wild forests of South India. In the Aitreya Brdhmana, Rdrndyana^ Mahdbhdrata and Skanda Purdna, the term is used as referring to a race. In one place in the Rdmdyana it has a territorial significance. The Bhdgavata states that the country was named after King Andhrudu. The early references on the whole make ' Andhra ' to be the appellation of a race, and we may take it that the name was first applied to a people, who in turn im- pressed it on the country they lived in, and on the language they spoke. Andhra Desa was also known as Vengi Desa. It is, however, probable that Vengi was a part of the Telugu country Krishna. the part which lay between the Godavari and the The name ' Trilinga ' was often applied to the Telugu country. This may have been used to signify either the country which contains the three shrines (lingas), namely, those at Kalesvaram, Sri Sailam and Draksha Ratnam, or the country between these shrines. The suggestion that * Trilinga ' is a contraction for Trikalinga does not appear to be sound. For administrative and other purposes the country was differently divided at different times. The earliest division was into Vishayds ; a later one was into Nadus, the modern one being into ' Districts.' As references to Nadus are of frequent occurrence in literature, it may be useful to notice the prominent Nadus : 1. Vengi Nadu, the territory between the Godavari and
INTRODUCTORY 15 the Krishna,which was the original homeland of the Telugus, with its capital at Rajahmundry. 2. Muliki Nadu, beginning with the Cuddappah District and extending to Mysore. 3. Pottipi Nadu, from Cuddappah to Pennar. 4. Renadu and Manadu, Kurnool District. 5. Palnadu, West of Guntur. 6. Pdkanadu, the coastal tract from Nellore to Krishna. 7. Kammanadu, in Guntur District, from Konidena to Kammamettu. 8. Velinadu, in Guntur District, with Chandavolu as capital. Andhras. Like the Aryans, the Andhras are divided into ' Chatur Varna ' Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas four castes : and Sudras. The Brahmins fall under two main heads: Vaidikis, those who once followed the priestly profession ; and Niyogis, the laity. The Kshatriyas among Telugus are represented by the Rachavaru. The Sudras are subdivided into Velamas, Reddis, Balijas and Kapus. Beneath these there is a large submerged population of Panchamas. It is interesting to note that while literary writers are not restricted to one class or section of the society, the honour of making by far the largest contribution belongs to the Niyogis. The Kshatriyas and the Reddis have been patrons of art. The Dvijas or Twice-born among Telugus follow the Vedic ceremonies and Aryan Samskaras. In religion, the Telugus have been, on the whole, staunch adherents of Hinduism in its three later variations Advaitism ; Sankara's Saivism, including Lingayatism ; and Vaishnavism. Jainism and Buddhism, though they have gained temporary successes, did not leave any abiding mark on the people or their literature. The same may be said of Muhammadanism and, in some measure, of Christianity. Andtira Bhasha the language of the Andhras. This is known as Telugu, or Tenugu (tene = honey, agu = is), meaning, sweet as honey. Telugu is numbered among the Dravidian languages, of which four are of importance in South India, namely, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kanarese. Dr. Caldwell, in his Comparative Grammar, has given currency to the theory that they are unrelated to Sans-
Page 5 and 6: THE HERITAGE OF INDIA SERIES Planne
Page 7: EDITORIAL PREFACE Finally, brethren
Page 10 and 11: ftS& m I'
Page 13 and 14: FOREWORD I HAVE cursorily glanced t
Page 15 and 16: FOREWORD 7 with Telugu literature.
Page 17: PREFACE THIS volume is the first at
Page 21: I INTRODUCTORY TELUGU is one of the
Page 25 and 26: INTRODUCTORY 17 ruled practically t
Page 27 and 28: INTRODUCTORY 19 been recovered from
Page 29 and 30: HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND
Page 37 and 38: Ill THE LIFE OF A POET THE poet in
Page 39 and 40: THE LIFE OF A POET 31 life that the
Page 41 and 42: IV LITERARY MODES AND FORMS The Sub
Page 43 and 44: LITERARY MODES AND FORMS 35 is the
Page 45 and 46: AT the outset of Telugu literature,
Page 47 and 48: EARLY BEGINNINGS, THE DEI AND MARGI
Page 49 and 50: VI PURANA YUGA, OR THE AGE OF TRANS
Page 51 and 52: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 43 labour of
Page 53 and 54: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 45 forward t
Page 55 and 56: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 47 Many inte
Page 57 and 58: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 49 Errapraga
Page 59 and 60: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 51 and the t
Page 61 and 62: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 53 has insta
Page 63 and 64: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 55 Though as
Page 65 and 66: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 57 Sataka, s
Page 67 and 68: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 59* Bhima Ka
Page 69 and 70: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 61 light run
Page 71 and 72: lopment of Telugu literature in the
Page 73 and 74:
THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 65 Potana is
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THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 67 whose fav
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VII THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS (A
Page 79 and 80:
THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 71 enc
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hava. A pious Brahmin of Arunaspada
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THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 75 wro
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THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 77 emp
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THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 79 rea
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THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 81 bey
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THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 83 Ram
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THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 85 The
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THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 87 2. The
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THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 89 This ty
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THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 91 2. Shis
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THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 93 Purdna
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THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 95 social
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IX POPULAR LITERATURE THE impulse f
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POPULAR LITERATURE 99 or two sataka
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POPULAR LITERATURE 101 the prayers
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WOMEN POETS 103 not get the right l
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XI CHRISTIAN AND MUHAMMADAN POETS C
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CHRISTIAN AND MUHAMMADAN POETS 107
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THE MODERN PERIOD 109 CRITICAL ACTI
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THE MODERN PERIOD 111 Folklore is b
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THE MODERN PERIOD 113 unchanged thr
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THE MODERN PERIOD 115 Social Satire
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the * high prose ' THE MODERN PERIO
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THE MODERN PERIOD 119 Magazines and
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RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT 121 poets a
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RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT 123 life, t
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A BBANAMATYA, Kanuparti, f* 90 Abhi
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Fifteenth Century Poets, 62 ff. Fol
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Nalacharitra, 89 Nallanna (= Atharv
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Satya Vadhu Prenanamu, 71 Sdvitrl C
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to CO H o 4 01 *_: ^^ M* rt tj i cd
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A history of Telugu literature; - Cristo Raul

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