TAT-1/ TAT-2 & TET-2 Online Test-59
Gujarati literature
History
Such factors as the policies of the rulers, the living style of the people, and the worldwide influence on society are important for any literature to flourish. In Gujarat, due to the development of trade and commerce, the religious influence of Jainism as well as Hinduism, and also due to the safety and encouragement of rulers like Chaulukya (Solanki) and Vaghela Rajputs, literary activities were in full force from the 11th century.
Gujarati literature
Early literature (up to 1450 AD)
Prāg-Narsinh Yug (1000 AD to 1450 AD)
Rāsa Yug
Medieval literature (1450 AD – 1850 AD)
Narsinh Yug (1450 AD to 1850 AD)
Bhakti Yug
Saguṇ Bhakti Yug
Nirguṇ Bhakti Yug
Modern literature (1850 AD to date)
Sudhārak Yug or Narmad Yug (1850–1885 AD)
Paṇḍit Yug or Govardhan Yug (1885–1915 AD)
Gandhi Yug (1915–1945 AD)
Anu-Ghandhi Yug (1940–1955 AD)
Ādhunik Yug (1955–1985 AD)
Anu-Ādhunik Yug (1985 – to date)
Literature in Gujarati is sometimes also classified into two broad categories, namely poetry and prose, the former savouring and basking in its long lineage, dating back to the 6th century. Poetry as a perception was a medium for expressing religious beliefs and judgements, a stronghold of medieval Indian times. In this context of gradual evolution, the history of Gujarati literature is generally classed into three broad periods, consisting of the Early period (up to c. 1450 AD), the Middle period (1450 to 1850 AD) and the Modern period (1850 AD. onwards). However, Gujarati literature and its tremendous maturation and proficiency in contributing to culture is retraced back to Gujarat Sultanate days (referring to the Muzaffarid dynasty, which had provided the sultans of Gujarat in western India from 1391 to 1583).
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Gujarati literature is divided mainly into three eras or Yugas; the early, medieval and modern, with these eras being further subdivided.
The early era (up to 1450 AD) and medieval era (1450 AD – 1850 AD) are divided into 'before Narsinh' and 'after Narsinh' periods sometimes. Some scholars divide this period as 'Rāsa yug', 'Saguṇ Bhakti yug' and 'Nirguṇ Bhakti yug' also.
The modern era (1850 AD to date) is divided into 'Sudhārak Yug' or 'Narmad Yug', 'Paṇḍit Yug' or 'Govardhan Yug', 'Gandhi Yug', 'Anu-Gandhi Yug', 'Ādhunik Yug' and 'Anu-Ādhunik Yug'.
Early literature
Pre-Narsinh Era (1000 AD to 1450 AD)
Instruction by Monks, Folio from the manuscript of Siddhahaimashabdanushasana by Hemachandra (1089–1172)
The Jain monk and scholar Hemacandrācārya Suri was one of the earliest scholars of Prakrit and Apabhramsha grammars. He had penned a formal set of 'grammarian principles' as the harbinger of the Gujarati language during the reign of the Chaulukya king Jayasimha Siddharaja of Anhilwara. This treatise formed the cornerstone of Apabhramsa grammar in the Gujarati language, establishing a language from a combination of corrupted forms of languages like Sanskrit and Ardhamagadhi. He authored Kavyanushasana (Poetics), a handbook or manual of poetry, Siddha-haima-shabdanushasana on Prakrit and Apabhramsha grammars, and Desinamamala, a list of words of local origin.
It is generally accepted by historians and researchers in literary genres in Gujarati literature that the earliest writings in this very ancient language were by Jaina authors.[2] These were composed in the form of Rāsas, Phāgus and Vilāsas. Rāsas were long poems which were essentially heroic, romantic or narrative in nature.[2] Śālībhadra Sūri's Bharateśvara Bāhubalī rāsa (1185 AD), Vijayasena's Revantagiri-rāsa (1235 AD), Ambadeva's Samararasa (1315 AD) and Vinayaprabha's Gautama Svāmi rāsa (1356 AD) are the most illustrious examples of this form of literature in Gujarati. The chief subjects of Rasas were descriptions of nature, erotic depictions of seasons, Jain Acharyas and Tirthankaras, biographies of historic characters. The collections of these Rasas are currently preserved in Jain libraries of Patan, Ahmedabad, Jaisalmer and Khambhat.
The phāgus are poems that pictured the blissful and cheery nature of the spring festival (Vasanta). They were written by Jain monks but are not centred on religion. Rājasekhara's Neminatha-phagu (1344 AD) and unknown poet's Vasanta-vilāsa (1350 AD) are instances of such texts. Vasantavilasa had 84 stanzas and is similar to a phagu of the same name so it is possible that both are written by the same person.
Other notable prabandha or narrative poems of this period include Śrīdhara's Raṇamalla Chhanda (1398 AD), Merutunga's Prabandhachintamani, Padmanābha's Kānhaḍade Prabandha (1456 AD) and Bhīma's Sadayavatsa Kathā (1410 AD). Neminātha Chatuṣpadika (1140 AD) by Vinayacandra is the oldest of the barmasi genre of Gujarati poems.
Among non-Jain writers of the time, Asait Thakar is considered as a major contributor who wrote around 360 vesha (lit. dress) of Bhavai. He is credited with bringing theatre to the Gujarati literature.[4] Abdur Raheman, who wrote Sandeshkarash, is considered as the first Muslim writer of Gujarati literature.
There are some prose works in grammar, bhashya and religion. The earliest work in Gujarati prose was Taruṇaprabha's Balavabodha (1355 AD) which is religious work. Prithvichandra Charita (1422 AD) of Manikyasundara, which essentially served as a religious romance, is the most paramount illustration of old Gujarati prose and is reminiscent of Bāṇabhaṭṭa's Kadambari. Somasundara (1374) and Mugdhavbodha Auktika are other notable prose works.
Due to flourishing trade and commerce in Ahmedabad and Khambat (Cambay), entertainment activities started to develop, and the Jain saints, story-tellers, puppet shows, and Bhavai (dramas) also revived literature.
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