PrepMaticTamil Nadu GK · Culture, people & symbols
Famous Tamil scholars and poets, and what each is known for
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The Tamil scholars TNPSC asks about most are Tholkappiyar (the grammar Tholkappiyam), Thiruvalluvar (the Thirukkural), Kamban (the Tamil Ramayana), U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (who recovered and printed Sangam texts), the foreign scholars Robert Caldwell, G. U. Pope and Constanzo Beschi, and the modern poets Subramania Bharati and Bharathidasan. The table gives each with a period, key work and the line to remember.
Ancient and medieval authors
| Scholar or poet | Period | Key work and contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Tholkappiyar | Sangam age | Tholkappiyam, the oldest surviving Tamil grammar |
| Thiruvalluvar | Traditional date 31 BCE; period debated | Thirukkural, 1,330 couplets in three books: Aram, Porul and Inbam. See the Thirukkural section |
| Avvaiyar | Several poets share the name | Aathichudi, Konraivendhan, Mudhurai and Nalvazhi are works attributed to the later Avvaiyar |
| Ilango Adigal | Post-Sangam | Silappathikaram |
| Seethalai Sathanar | Post-Sangam | Manimekalai |
| Thirumular | Period debated | Thirumandiram, the tenth Thirumurai |
| Sekkizhar | 12th century | Periya Puranam, the twelfth Thirumurai, on the 63 Nayanmars |
| Kamban | 12th century | Ramavataram (Kamba Ramayanam); associated with Therazhundur and the patron Sadaiyappa Vallal |
| Karaikkal Ammaiyar and Andal | Bhakti era | Early women poets of the Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions |
The two epics, the Thirumurai and the Divya Prabandham are covered on Tamil epics and bhakti literature, and the Sangam poets on Sangam literature works.
Scholars of the 17th to early 20th centuries
| Scholar | Dates | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Constanzo Beschi (Veeramamunivar) | 1680 to 1747 | Italian Jesuit; wrote the epic Thembavani and compiled Chaturagarathi, regarded as the first Tamil dictionary (1732) |
| Robert Caldwell | 1814 to 1891 | Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages (1856); argued that the Dravidian languages form a separate family |
| G. U. Pope | 1820 to 1908 | English translations of the Thirukkural and Thiruvasagam |
| U. V. Swaminatha Iyer | 1855 to 1942 | "Tamil Thatha"; collected palm-leaf manuscripts and printed Seevaka Chintamani (1887), Silappathikaram (1892), Manimekalai and Sangam anthologies |
| Maraimalai Adigal | 1876 to 1950 | Leader of the pure-Tamil (Thanith Tamil) movement |
| Subramania Bharati | 1882 to 1921 | Mahakavi; Kannan Pattu, Panchali Sapatham and Kuyil Pattu; patriotic and reformist songs |
| Bharathidasan | 1891 to 1964 | Poet of the Dravidian movement; Pandiyan Parisu and Kudumba Vilakku |
| Devaneya Pavanar | 1902 to 1981 | Tamil etymologist who traced the roots of Tamil words |
Facts to keep straight
- Thirukkural. The Kural in numbers: 133 chapters (athikaram) of 10 couplets each. The Valluvar statue at Kanniyakumari, unveiled on 1 January 2000, is 133 feet high to match.
- Beschi's dictionary. Chaturagarathi is the first Tamil dictionary. Tonnul Vilakkam is his Tamil grammar.
- Pope's tombstone wish. G. U. Pope wished to be remembered as "a student of Tamil".
- UVS. His editions saved many ancient texts from being lost. His autobiography En Sarithiram is the standard reference.
- Bharati and Bharathidasan. Bharathidasan, whose real name was Subburathinam, took his pen name in honour of Bharati. Bharati also appears in freedom fighters of Tamil Nadu.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Tholkappiyam?
Tholkappiyar. It is the oldest surviving Tamil grammar, with three books on letters, words and subject matter.
Who compiled the first Tamil dictionary?
Constanzo Beschi (Veeramamunivar), who compiled the Chaturagarathi in 1732.
Who is called "Tamil Thatha"?
U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, for recovering and publishing ancient Tamil texts from palm leaves.
Who wrote the Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian languages?
Robert Caldwell, in 1856.
How is this topic tested in Group 4?
Tamil scholars and their works come under General Tamil's literature unit. The TNPSC General Tamil guide explains how the Tamil paper is structured, and the table above is a quick revision sheet.
Official sources
- Tamil Virtual Academy: texts, biographies and dictionary.
- Tamil Nadu Government portal: official biographies of Tamil scholars.
- TNPSC syllabus pages: the Tamil unit list for your exam.
Dates for early authors are traditional or approximate, so use the Samacheer Kalvi Tamil textbooks as the base for exam answers.
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- Sangam literature worksAll Sangam literature works in one list: the eight anthologies, ten idylls and 18 minor works, with authors, themes and the poets TNPSC asks about.
- Tamil epics and bhakti literatureThe five great and five minor Tamil epics with authors and religions, plus the Thirumurai, Thevaram, Divya Prabandham, Kamba Ramayanam and Periya Puranam.
- Tamil literary awards and JnanpithTamil writers who won the Jnanpith (Akilan 1975, Jayakanthan 2002), early Sahitya Akademi winners, Tamil Nadu's own awards and the 2004 classical status.
- Social reformers of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu's social reformers in one table: Periyar, Vallalar, Iyothee Thass, Muthulakshmi Reddy and others, with movements, dates and the journals they ran.
- General TamilTNPSC General Tamil (பொதுத்தமிழ்): Group 4 Part A's 100 questions, the official topic list, the 40% gate, and how to study grammar, literature and scholars.
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