Sculptors of Modern Tamil Milieu

 

Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/211809/

Date: 7-Feb-2025

 

Dear J,

Whom would you profess as the sculptor of modern Tamil milieu?

Raj Adhiyamaan

 

Dear Raj,

I have taken just this sentence from your long question. I have answered this myriad times. But this must be repeated constantly. 

I function only within the domain of Tamil culture and so I shall attempt to identify the prime contributors to the renaissance of modern Tamil culture. Identifying a singular person will be a grave injustice to all those great pioneers. An intellectual will never commit such belittlement.

History is a torrent. It flows out of the numerous contributions by myriad personalities in their respective domains. It progresses through dialectics. Therefore, opponents in cultural perspectives too contribute to the progress of that culture. 

The renaissance and the evolution of a culture would always entail web of complex undercurrents. To comprehend it completely and in detail is the duty of truth seekers. This comprehension must happen without heed to any exaggerations. 

In the 18th century, a renaissance emerged altogether in world culture. Its inherent origin was in the cultural revolution, popular as European renaissance. Europe, liberating itself from the bounds of Christianity, gave way to nations based on language. The leash on knowledge held by religion was removed. This lead to a tremendous progress in art, philosophy and technology. The newly formed governments encouraged and nourished them.

The European nations that gained technological supremacy from that European renaissance colonized African, American and Asian lands. Their language, education and administrative systems reached these colonies. This resulted in the creation of European education system, modern communication and periodicals in countries like India. It was these that formed the basis of the cultural revolution here.

In every language milieu within India, almost similar cultural renaissance was created. The pioneers have advocated the same kind of ideas. Same kind of chain reactions have happened. Their continuous evolution and intensity are what differs. Bengal renaissance is known to us. I am abundantly familiar with Kerala renaissance and I have known Kannada's renaissance as well through literature. 

In the long history of Tamil culture, we call the period post the arrival of Europeans as the modern period. This modern period would form via the various pioneers - the scholars and foot soldiers on ground. The compilation of even the foremost members would itself be a huge list. 

First, the Europeans. Robert Caldwell, G.U.Pope are known by many. Colonel Olcott is more important than them. Dalit emancipation, revival of Buddhism, renaissance of traditional arts began in Tamil land through this founder of Brahma Gnana Sabha.

Missionaries like Miron Winslow, William Miller, Daniel Poor, A.W.Brough, Peter Percival, Johann Phillip Fabricius laid the foundations for modern education here. Tamil cultural history cannot be discussed, without referencing their contributions. Several of them aren't even being remembered. We identify personalities merely based on caste and politics.

The contributions of William Miller towards modern literature and Tamil movement is enormous. Personalities like Rajam Iyer, Madhaviah, K.S.Venkataramani, Parithimar Kalaignar, Maraimalai Adigal source their origin through him. The education renaissance created by Daniel Poor in Eelam and Madurai formed the foundation for Tamil renaissance.

Then, the Saivite renaissance of 19th century laid the foundation for Tamil cultural evolution. Subramania Desikar of Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam, Gnaniyar Adigal, J.M.Nallusamipillai, Choolai Somasundara Nayakar are important personalities. The concepts that we now identify as Tamil cultural identity, Tamil's uniqueness trace their origin with them.

Having originated from Saivite traditions, but moving beyond that, Vallalar has eminent contribution towards modern Tamil milieu. Not merely as a spiritualist, rather also as a social reformer. His' was the foremost movement on socio-spiritual reform in Tamil realm.

The Tamil movement contributed significantly towards the renaissance of Tamil culture. Its functions can be classified under three categories.

  • Tamil publishing Movement
  • Independent Tamil Movement
  • Tamil music Movement

Eminent pioneers are present in each of these. In the publishing Movement, at the least 30 personalities including personalities like U.V.Swaminatha Iyer, C.W.Thamotharampillai, Mazhavai Magalinga Iyer are important. In the Independent Tamil Movement many including Parithimar Kalaignar, Maraimalai Adigal, Thiru.V.Kalyanasundaram are important. In the Tamil music Movement, there are several like Tanjore Abraham Pandithar, Swami Vipulananda, Kudandhai Sundaresanar. 

The organizational works of people like Pandithurai Devar (of Madurai Tamil Congress), who coordinated their works and Umamaheswaranar (of Karanthai Tamil Congress) were also exemplary. The contributions of personalities like S.Vaiyapuri Pillai who pioneered work on Tamil lexicon, Periyasami Duran who created an encyclopaedia for Tamil and M.Arunachalam who wrote the literary history ought to be celebrated by Tamilians.

The foremost political Movement in TamilNadu was that of the Dalit emancipation, which started around 1880. It was started by leaders like Iyothee Thass, Rettaimalai Srinivasan, M.C.Rajah. These were the foremost personalities who clamored and strove for caste annihilation. It was them who were the pioneers of Tamil socio-political reform.

In the same period, early nationalist Movement began advocating a grand ideological movement on caste annihilation, Universal education and women emancipation. C.Subramania Bharathi was its shining light. The list contains several names like Narasimhalu Naidu, the Brahmo Samaj member. The initial thrust brought about by them was extraordinary.

Later Gandhian Movement played a significant role in abolition of untouchability and rural education all over TamilNadu. The fact that a vast majority of primary schools in TamilNadu was started by Gandhian Movement under its national education Movement beginning from 1923 onwards would be quite evident if one looks at the history. It was them who created the first generation education. Kamaraj took over the Movement later. 

Contributors towards emancipation of women, women education were many in TamilNadu. The contribution of N.D.Sundaravadivelu, an officer, is itself immense. His predecessors' list includes several people including Va.Ramasamy Iyengar. At the least, women must celebrate Vai.Mu.Kothainayaki Ammal for her lifelong championing of the causes of women emancipation and women education. In TamilNadu's education domain, the name of Chidbhavananda doesn't get referenced at all, but people with some sense of history ought not forgot him.

The list of writers and editors who pioneered modern tamil literature is quite long. At the very minimum, one has to mention the name of Pudhumaipithan.

It was on top of the dais created by the first generation that the next level evolution occurred. Only those who know about them deserve to speak anything about Tamil culture. 

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Caldwell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Uglow_Pope

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Steel_Olcott

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miron_Winslow

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Miller_(missionary)

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/A.W._Brough

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Percival

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Phillip_Fabricius

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Poor

 

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/B._R._Rajam_Iyer

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/A._Madhaviah

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/K._S._Venkataramani

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parithimar_Kalaignar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maraimalai_Adigal

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eelam

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiruvaduthurai_Adheenam

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/the-patronsaint-of-tamil-thatha/article7931577.ece

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/Choolai_Somasundara_Nayakar

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanittamil_Iyakkam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._V._Swaminatha_Iyer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._W._Thamotharampillai

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiru._V._Kalyanasundaram

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Pandithar

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/Swami_Vipulananda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandithurai_Thevar

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/Umamaheswaranar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Vaiyapuri_Pillai

https://tamil.wiki/wiki/Periyasamy_Thooran

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyothee_Thass

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rettamalai_Srinivasan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subramania_Bharati

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._P._Narasimhalu_Naidu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Kamaraj

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._D._Sundaravadivelu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai._Mu._Kothainayaki_Ammal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Chidbhavananda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudhumaipithan

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