Tamil Computer Windows Learning Preface

http://ta.wikipedia.org/

Computer Parts and Assembling

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil

Reference & Study Aids !

http://jeanmarie.blog.free.fr

Tamil is an Oldest Classical Language

April 11, 2000

Statement on the Status of Tamil as a Classical Language

Professor Maraimalai has asked me to write regarding the position of Tamil as a classical language, and I am delighted to respond

to his request. I have been a Professor of Tamil at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1975 and am currently holder

of the Tamil Chair at that institution. My degree, which I received in 1970, is in Sanskrit, from Harvard, and my first

employment was as a Sanskrit professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1969. Besides Tamil and Sanskrit, I know the

classical languages of Latin and Greek and have read extensively in their literatures in the original. I am also well-acquainted

with comparative linguistics and the literatures of modern Europe (I know Russian, German, and French and have read extensively

in those languages) as well as the literatures of modern India, which, with the exception of Tamil and some Malayalam, I have

read in translation. I have spent much time discussing Telugu literature and its tradition with V. Narayanarao, one of the

greatest living Telugu scholars, and so I know that tradition especially well. As a long-standing member of a South Asian

Studies department, I have also been exposed to the richness of both Hindi literature, and I have read in detail about Mahadevi

Varma, Tulsi, and Kabir. I have spent many years -- most of my life (since 1963) -- studying Sanskrit. I have read in the

original all of Kalidasa, Magha, and parts of Bharavi and Sri Harsa. I have also read in the original the fifth book of the Rig

Veda as well as many other sections, many of the Upanisads, most of the Mahabharata, the Kathasaritsagara, Adi Sankara’s works,

and many other works in Sanskrit.

I say this not because I wish to show my erudition, but rather to establish my fitness for judging whether a literature is

classical. Let me state unequivocally that, by any criteria one may choose, Tamil is one of the great classical literatures and

traditions of the world.

The reasons for this are many; let me consider them one by one.

First, Tamil is of considerable antiquity. It predates the literatures of other modern Indian languages by more than a thousand

years. Its oldest work, the Tolkappiyam,, contains parts that, judging from the earliest Tamil inscriptions, date back to about

200 BCE. The greatest works of ancient Tamil, the Sangam anthologies and the Pattuppattu, date to the first two centuries of

the current era. They are the first great secular body of poetry written in India, predating Kalidasa's works by two hundred

years.

Second, Tamil constitutes the only literary tradition indigenous to India that is not derived from Sanskrit. Indeed, its

literature arose before the influence of Sanskrit in the South became strong and so is qualitatively different from anything we

have in Sanskrit or other Indian languages. It has its own poetic theory, its own grammatical tradition, its own esthetics, and,

above all, a large body of literature that is quite unique. It shows a sort of Indian sensibility that is quite different from

anything in Sanskrit or other Indian languages, and it contains its own extremely rich and vast intellectual tradition.

Third, the quality of classical Tamil literature is such that it is fit to stand beside the great literatures of Sanskrit, Greek,

Latin, Chinese, Persian and Arabic. The subtlety and profundity of its works, their varied scope (Tamil is the only premodern

Indian literature to treat the subaltern extensively), and their universality qualify Tamil to stand as one of the great

classical traditions and literatures of the world. Everyone knows the Tirukkural, one of the world's greatest works on ethics;

but this is merely one of a myriad of major and extremely varied works that comprise the Tamil classical tradition. There is not

a facet of human existence that is not explored and illuminated by this great literature.

Finally, Tamil is one of the primary independent sources of modern Indian culture and tradition. I have written extensively on

the influence of a Southern tradition on the Sanskrit poetic tradition. But equally important, the great sacred works of Tamil

Hinduism, beginning with the Sangam Anthologies, have undergirded the development of modern Hinduism. Their ideas were taken

into the Bhagavata Purana and other texts (in Telugu and Kannada as well as Sanskrit), whence they spread all over India. Tamil

has its own works that are considered to be as sacred as the Vedas and that are recited alongside Vedic mantras in the great

Vaisnava temples of South India (such as Tirupati). And just as Sanskrit is the source of the modern Indo-Aryan languages,

classical Tamil is the source language of modern Tamil and Malayalam. As Sanskrit is the most conservative and least changed of

the Indo-Aryan languages, Tamil is the most conservative of the Dravidian languages, the touchstone that linguists must consult

to understand the nature and development of Dravidian.

In trying to discern why Tamil has not been recognized as a classical language, I can see only a political reason: there is a

fear that if Tamil is selected as a classical language, other Indian languages may claim similar status. This is an unnecessary

worry. I am well aware of the richness of the modern Indian languages -- I know that they are among the most fecund and

productive languages on earth, each having begotten a modern (and often medieval) literature that can stand with any of the

major literatures of the world. Yet none of them is a classical language. Like English and the other modern languages of

Europe (with the exception of Greek), they rose on preexisting traditions rather late and developed in the second millennium.

The fact that Greek is universally recognized as a classical language in Europe does not lead the French or the English to claim

classical status for their languages.

To qualify as a classical tradition, a language must fit several criteria: it should be ancient, it should be an independent

tradition that arose mostly on its own not as an offshoot of another tradition, and it must have a large and extremely rich body

of ancient literature. Unlike the other modern languages of India, Tamil meets each of these requirements. It is extremely old

(as old as Latin and older than Arabic); it arose as an entirely independent tradition, with almost no influence from Sanskrit or

other languages; and its ancient literature is indescribably vast and rich.

It seems strange to me that I should have to write an essay such as this claiming that Tamil is a classical literature --

it is akin to claiming that India is a great country or Hinduism is one of the world's great religions. The status of Tamil as

one of the great classical languages of the world is something that is patently obvious to anyone who knows the subject.

To deny that Tamil is a classical language is to deny a vital and central part of the greatness and richness of Indian culture.

(Signed:)

George L. Hart

Professor of Tamil

Chair in Tamil Studieshttp://www.ancientscripts.com/tamil.html

Tamil - Language and Culture - A brief introduction!

Tamil is a classical language of the world. Probably it is one of the oldest spoken languages on planet earth. It has a large corpus of literature that dates back to pre-Christian era. Ancient Tamils speak of several academies that existed before. Prof. Asko Parpola and Dr.Iravadam Mahadevan believe that the language spoken by Indus Civilization (2500-1900 BC) was a form of old Tamil. Research by Dr.K.Loganathan of Malaysia suggests that the first Sangam (academy) was held by Sumerians (3500 BC) who spoke an archaic Tamil. Thus modern linguistic studies consider that Tamil is a proto-Indo-European language originated from Middle East. Modern genetic studies by Dr Spencer Wells, an American scientist who runs a laboratory at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University, United Kingdom, indicate that coastal migration of early man from Africa occurred in Tamilnadu and in Sri Lanka. Though it is very hard to trace the history of oral Tamil, the written Tamil has a history and its evolution is well documented. The two classical languages of India, namely Tamil and Sanskrit evolved from a common script called Brahmi. Modern Tamil which is remotely related to Indus Valley script claims an antiquity that was never heard before. According to Dr Richard Meadow of Harvard University, the director of the Harappa Archaeological Research Project, primitive inscriptions found on pottery from Indus Valley archeological sites, may pre-date all other known writing. The earliest known writing was etched onto jars before and after firing. Experts believe they may have indicated the contents of the jar or be signs associated with a deity.Similar script on pottery was unearthed recently from Tamilnadu, India. Though these artifacts according to archeologists belong to a later period, a striking similarity is certainly observable. Dr.Kodumudi Shanmugam of Tamilnadu has constructed a Table showing the modification that occurred to Tamil script from a very early period. When the Literary work in Tamil increased in volume Tamils invented a writing system on processed palm leaves that continued till early 20th century. Every time a palm leaf manuscript weathers, new palm leaves were prepared and the text was sincerely copied. An average life of a palm leaf in a tropical environment with proper maintenance is about 100 to 150 years. In this way centuries old Sangam literature has been brought to modern light. Thanks to the pioneering works of Sri.Arumuga Navalar, Damodaram Pillai of Sri Lanka and Prof.U.Ve.Swaminatha Iyer of Tamilnadu, India that a large corpus of ancient Tamil literature has been transcribed from palm leaves to printed books. Even then there are millions of palm leaf manuscripts need to be published in modern media.Some recent findings in Karur (Tamilnadu) show the intricate jewelry of early Christian era. Tamils used a special embossing technique in creating human figures on golden rings. These delicate depictions indicate not only their intricate designing ability but also the existence of sophisticated art forms in those days. Prof.George Hart of University of California, Berkeley believes that this could be the fore runner of the later more sophisticated philosophical rendering of Siva Nataraja in bronze. He points out the flow, dynamism and the delicate carving in this ring as important features to note. Ancient India had considerable trade links with the Middle East, Europe (Greece and Rome) as well as with China. This trade was carried out over land partly along what came to be alluded to as the silk route and partly through maritime trade. By the time of Pliny, the Roman historian, Roman trade with India was thriving, and indeed creating a balance of payments problem for the Roman Empire. In South India, which had a thriving maritime trade, Roman coins even circulated in their original form, albeit slashed at times as a gesture disclaiming intrusions of foreign sovereignty.14th to the 18th century, saw the dawn of modern European trading to India. Traders from Venice brought Venetian gold coins known as ducats and sequins to India.Old Tamil poems were collected in anthologies compiled about two millennia ago. Today we have access to over two thousand of these poems composed by nearly 500 poets. These poems are "classical," i.e., early, ancient; they are also "classics," i.e., works that have stood the test of time, the founding works of a whole tradition. According to A.K.Ramanujan, Author and Translator not to know them is not to know a unique and major poetic achievement of Indian civilization. In the anthology called Purananuru Kaniyan Pungundran composed a poem reflecting the universal brotherhood that existed two thousand years ago in Tamil country. The poem thus reads all towns are one, all men our kin, lifes good comes not from others gift, nor ill; man's pains and pains relief are from within, deaths no new thing. This is one example of a two millennia of a poetical tradition of Tamils that exists even today. The cosmological knowledge of ancient Tamil was in high order. The navigational skill in maritime trade is a product of that knowledge. The Tamils knew that Planet Earth was a globe. The word ulagu that denotes Earth in Tamil is derived from the root word uLavu which means wander in the heaven! Sculptures of early Pallava show Thirumal salvaging earth which was carved in globular form. A book published in 1883 from Sri Rangam, Tamilnadu gives a clear picture of the cosmos as perceived by the ancient Indians. The planetary orbits were in elliptical path.Tamils have an indigenous medical system called Siddha vaidhya which is based on herbal medicine and oxides of metals. This system was taught mostly by private schools called Gurukula. Surgery and tooth extractions are depicted in temple statues indicating the medical practice of the past.Tamilnadu, India is the home of majestic and spacious Temple complexes. Every town and village has at least one temple for worship. There is a proverb in Tamil that says, if you don't find temple do not live in that place. Tamils have mastered the art of Temple architecture which is seen from a myriad of temple complexes ranging from cave temples, single stone temple, pyramid-like temples and that with tall towers. There are equal number of dilapidated or close to collapse type of temples that need proper maintenance as well.Baratha Natyam is the original art form of Tamils. This is an elegant dance style giving importance to speed, steps, hand gestures and facial expression. Having passed the test of time this is a thriving dance style wherever Tamils live! Similarly there is a long thriving tradition of vocal and instrumental music in Tamilnadu called carnatic music which is practiced even today. Art forms exist in a myriad variety in India. Folk music, folk drama, puppet show, street plays are a few to name. Dance and music belong to people and they exist to a very satisfactory level at all levels of the society.India, especially Tamilnadu is well known for its bronze statues. The casting has an international acclaim. These statues decorate Temples and museums through out the world. Tamil stone sculptures are equally well known. Art exists in a subtle way in every one's home. Woman folk of Tamil Diaspora draw kolam in front of the house and in temples as a sign of auspiciousness. Tamil folks have several festivals that are traditional. Pongal is the most famous non-religious festival in Tamilnadu.Tamil culture has over the centuries evolved several customs and traditions that encompass the life of a Tamil from birth to death. It is really very hard to list them all in an introductory book like this. Tamils have assimilated several customs from immigrants to Tamil lands and they picked up several others from countries they immigrated to such as Malaysia, Burma, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa and Europe. Thus a modern Tamil is multi-lingual and multi-national. His/her identity is fast changing and as a result there is a danger of loosing his/her roots, his/her culture and language. It is essential that the age old culture of Tamils need to be retold in a modern way that reaches the ever changing Tamil Diaspora. Tamil language is highly adaptable and survived the onslaught of other dominant Indian languages so far. However, it is facing a real threat in front of English like several thousand other global languages. Since language is the key to culture an International Tamil Language consortium has to be established to teach this language using modern teaching methods. Colonial past and intense global wandering (immigration etc.) are factors that created an apathy and alienation. Cultural revivalism is possible if we evolve a scheme of participatory cultural activism among the Tamilshttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=ta

Welcome

http://www.projectmadurai.orgALL FOR ALWAYS GOOD-IF YOU BE GOOD & DO GOOD ! Education-Informal-Non-formal-It makes Human to fetch food for living. We earn a living by what we do,but we make a life by what we give. Educate. Education is a preparation for life.