A Primer of TAMIL LITERATURE

By M S Purnalingam Pillai

Book Overview

First published in 1904, A Primer of Tamil Literature remains a seminal historical narrative of the Tamil language and its vast literary evolution (Purnalingam Pillai, 1904). Written by M. S. Purnalingam Pillai, a distinguished lecturer and Dravidologist, the work was the first comprehensive attempt to organize twenty centuries of Tamil literary history into distinct chronological "Ages"-spanning from the ancient Sangam period to the modern era of Western-influenced prose (Purnalingam Pillai, 1904). The text explores the "essentially religious" and "vast" nature of Tamil literature, detailing its independence from early Sanskrit influence and the significant contributions of Jain and Buddhist scholars to didactic and epic poetry (Purnalingam Pillai, 1904). This primer serves as both a critical academic study and a cultural preservation effort, designed to introduce students and foreign readers to the "buried treasures" of Tamil ethics, philosophy, and history that were often overlooked in broader Indian historical surveys (Purnalingam Pillai, 1904).

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9370717633
• ISBN13: 9789370717633
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Tamilnadu Book House
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"