IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century - Literature in the Indian Languages

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century

Literature in the Indian Languages

Structure

20.0 Objectives
20.1 fntroduction
20.2 fhe Poetical Heritage of Old lndia
20.3 $he End of Old Poetry
10.3.1 Urdu Poetry
$20.3.2 Other Languagec
20.4 'The New Poetry
20.5 Peuelopments on the Stage
20.5.1 Western Influence
h0.5.2 Maturity
20.6 'The Rise of the Novel
20.6 1 New Narratives
20.6 2 Bankim's Age
20.7 Let Us Sum Up

20.8  Key Words
20.9 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

20.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit you will get to know:

• abbut the nature of lndian literature at the turn of the 18th century,
• asto how this literature was losing its freshness and vigour,
• about the ways in which this nterature got fresh impetus, a'nd
• how new forms of Indian literature developed under this impetus.

20.1 INTRODUCTION

Unit; 19 has described the growth of the language of modern India. Here the growth
of literature in the modern lndian languages will be discussed. The development of a
stanflardized language in each of the major vernaculars of India, together with the
emergence of a well-developed language of prose in the vernaculars, had a critical
impact on the evolution of Indian literature. To put it simply, literature in the
vernlacular languages of lndia evolved from the old to the new.
Thelvernacular languages of India had not developed prose literature in the
eighiteenth century. There was a huge literature, but it was almost entirely in verse.
Thiq old poetical literature bore the stamp of the mentality of a traditional age. The
impact of English literature on Indian literature began to be felt in the nineteenth
century. Two main consequences flowed from this. One was the development of a
newi kind of poetry, with several new forms borrowed from English poetry. The
other was the emergence of a prolific prose literature that bore the stamp of the new
ageland the modern mentality. Since it is not possible to depict the changes in
melbtality and literary creativity with the limits of a strictly defined.period, in this
unit we also look beyond, to the decades preceding and succeeding this period. 

Click here to download full Chapter

Courtesy: eGyanKosh