Colonial Authority and Tami; Scholarship: A Study of the First English Translations [Hardcover]

This book  an English translation of a key Tamil book of literary and cultural criticism  looks at the construction of Tamil scholarship through the colonial approach to Tamil literature as evidenced in the first translations into English.

The book, until now available only in Tami;, paints a picture of Orientalist scholarship as it crystallized in the late-eighteenth century, prior to the discovery by Ellis of the existence of the Dravidian family of languages. At the same time, Dr Govindarajan redeems the fate of Tami; works and the often anonymous Tami; authors who composed in colloquial Tami; and in a mostly oral literary and cultural milieu. One might say that Kindersley was a forerunner of the post-Orientalist, post-Colonial scholars of South Indian languages who have expanded the horizons of early modern South Indian cultures far beyond the prevalent grammatical and dialectal norms.

David Shulman, Professor Emeritus, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

This bookan English translation of a key Tami; book of literary and cultural criticismlooks at the construction of Tami; scholarship through the colonial approach to Tami; literature as evidenced in the first translations into English.

The Tami; original Atik
ramum tami;p pulamaiyum: Tami;iliruntu mutal
Ekila mo;ipeyarppuka7 by N Govindarajan is a critique of the early attempts at the translations of Tami; literary texts by East India Company officials, specifically by N E Kindersley. Kindersley, who was working as the Collector of South Arcot district in the late eighteenth century, was the first colonial officer to translate the Tami; classic Tirukku_a7 and the story of King Na7a into English and to bring to the reading public in English the vibrant oral narrative tradition in Tami;. F W Ellis in the nineteenth century brought in anothel³!