“LINGUISTIC IDENTITY”: FROM SOCIAL REFORMS TO “NATIONAL QUESTION” (SOUTH INDIAN CONTEXT, 1860–1930S)

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##

  M. Usoltseva

Abstract

Social reform process in South India which began in 1860’s occurred in parallel with “Dravidian cultural renaissance”. This renaissance took place largely because of the research of several colonial orientalists during the XIX century, who substantiated the independence of Dravidian languages from Sanskrit. During the literary renaissance, which was the part of Dravidian cultural regeneration, the democratization of the literary language took its place because from the second half of the ХІХ century it became an effective way of promoting the social reforms. At the same time language was a special factor of political and cultural identity of the local intelligentsia. On the basis of this factor such specific phenomena of South Indian nationalism as “linguistic nationalism” and “Dravidian cultural nationalism” were born. This article analyzes the importance of the “language factor” for several generations of intellectuals of South India, which allows us to consider the process of social reform in a broader perspective.

How to Cite

Usoltseva, M. (2015). “LINGUISTIC IDENTITY”: FROM SOCIAL REFORMS TO “NATIONAL QUESTION” (SOUTH INDIAN CONTEXT, 1860–1930S). The World of the Orient, (4 (89), 57-65. https://doi.org/10.15407/orientw2015.04.057
Article views: 35 | PDF Downloads: 13

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##

Keywords

Linguistic identity, national question, Social Reforms, South Indian context

References

Anandhi S. Middle class women in colonial Tamilnadu, 1920–1947: Gender relation and the problem of consciousness: unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. New Delhi, 1992.

Caldwell R. The Tinnevelly Shannars: A Sketch of Their Religion and Their Moral Condition and Characteristics, as a Caste. Madras, 1849.

Desai R. Nation against democracy: the rise of cultural nationalism in Asia // Democracy and Civil Society in Asia. Vol. 1. 2004.

Farquhar, John Nicol. The crown of Hinduism. Vol. 9. Oxford University Press, 1913.

Felton M. A child widow’s story. New-Delhi, 2003.

Forbes G. & Forbes G. H. Women in modern India. Cambridge, 2008.

Ganesan U. Gender and Caste: Self-Respect Movement in the Madras Presidency, 1925–1950: PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: History. 2011.

Hatcher B. Contemporary Hindu Thought // Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice. New York, 2004.

Hudson D. The Responses of Tamils to Their Study by Westerners 1608–1908 // Comparative Civilizations Review, 1985, № 13–14.

Kailasapathy K. The Tamil purist movement: a re-evaluation // Social scientist. Vol. 7, № 10. 1979.

Kailasapathy K. The Relation of Tamil and Western Literature // The Indian Review of World Literature in English. Vol. 2, No. II. 2006.

Leonard J. Politics and social change in South India: A study of the Andhra movement // Journal of Commonwealth & Comparative Politics. Vol. 5. Issue 1. 1967.

Mantena R. Vernacular Publics and Political Modernity: Language and Progress in Colonial South India // Modern Asian Studies. Vol. 47, Issue 05. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X12000212

Michael S. Culture and Nationalism: Politics of Identity in India. – http://sedosmission.org/old/eng/michael.htm https://doi.org/10.2307/3516775

Morris H. A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Godavery District in the Presidency of Madras. New Delhi, 2005.

Natarajan N., Nelson E. Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India. Westport, Connecticut, 1996.

Phiroze V. The Classics and Colonial India. Oxford, 2013.

Rajagopal V. Fashioning Modernity in Telugu Viresalingam and His Interventionist Strategy // Studies in History. Vol. 21, № 1, 2005.

Ram N. Dravidian movement in its pre-independence phases // Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. 14, No. 7/8, Annual Number: Class and Caste in India. 1979.

Ramakrishna V. Women’s Journals in Andhra during the Nineteenth Century // Social Scientist. Vol. 19, No. 5/6. 1991. https://doi.org/10.2307/3517874

Raman S., Surya V. A. Madhaviah: a biography [and] Muthumeenakshi: a novella. Oxford, 2005.

Reddy I. Social Reform Movements in Andhra (1920–1947): Ph.D. diss., University of Hyderabad. 1998.

Savarkar V. Essentials of Hindutva, 1923. – http://www.savarkar.org/content/pdfs/en/essentials_of_hindutva.v001.pdf

Sivathamby K. The Politics of a Literary Style // Social Scientist. Vol. 6, № 8. 1978. https://doi.org/10.2307/3520131

Srinivas M. Social change in modern India. New Delhi, 1995.

Subrahmanian N. Psychobiography of C. Subramania Bharati. Madurai, 2000.

Trautmann T. Languages and nations: the Dravidian proof in colonial Madras. California, 2006.

Xavier M. Sociological Analysis of Telugu Poetry since Andhra Renaissance // International Journal of Social Sciences Tomorrow. Vol. 1, No. 9. 2012.

REFERENCES

Anandhi S. (1992), Middle class women in colonial Tamilnadu, 1920–1947: Gender relation and the problem of consciousness, Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, New Delhi.

Caldwell R. (1849), The Tinnevelly Shannars: A Sketch of Their Religion and Their Moral Condition and Characteristics, as a Caste. Madras.

Desai R. (2004), “Nation against democracy: the rise of cultural nationalism in Asia”, in Democracy and Civil Society in Asia, Vol. 1.

Farquhar, John Nicol (1913), The crown of Hinduism, Vol. 9, Oxford University Press.

Felton M. (2003), A child widow’s story, New-Delhi.

Forbes G. and Forbes G. H. (2008), Women in modern India, Cambridge.

Ganesan U. (2011), Gender and Caste: Self-Respect Movement in the Madras Presidency, 1925–1950, PhD, University of Cincinnati.

Hatcher B. (2004), “Contemporary Hindu Thought”, in Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice, New York.

Hudson D. (1985), “The Responses of Tamils to Their Study by Westerners 1608–1908”, Comparative Civilizations Review, No. 13–14.

Kailasapathy K. (1979), “The Tamil purist movement: a re-evaluation”, Social scientist, Vol. 7, No. 10. https://doi.org/10.2307/3516775

Kailasapathy K. (2006), “The Relation of Tamil and Western Literature”, The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol. 2, No. II.

Leonard J. (1967), “Politics and social change in South India: A study of the Andhra movement”, Journal of Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, Vol. 5. Issue 1.

Mantena R. (2013), “Vernacular Publics and Political Modernity: Language and Progress in Colonial South India”, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 47, Issue 05. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X12000212

Michael S., Culture and Nationalism: Politics of Identity in India, available at: http://sedosmission.org/old/eng/michael.htm

Morris H. (2005), A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Godavery District in the Presidency of Madras, New Delhi.

Natarajan N. and Nelson E. (1996), Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India, Westport, Connecticut.

Phiroze V. (2013), The Classics and Colonial India, Oxford.

Rajagopal V. (2005), “Fashioning Modernity in Telugu Viresalingam and His Interventionist Strategy”, Studies in History, Vol. 21, No. 1.

Ram N. (1979), “Dravidian movement in its pre-independence phases”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 14, No. 7/8, Annual Number: Class and Caste in India.

Ramakrishna V. (1991), “Women’s Journals in Andhra during the Nineteenth Century”, Social Scientist, Vol. 19, No. 5/6. https://doi.org/10.2307/3517874

Raman S. and Surya V. A. (2005), Madhaviah: a biography [and] Muthumeenakshi: a novella, Oxford.

Reddy I. (1998), Social Reform Movements in Andhra (1920–1947), Ph.D. diss., University of Hyderabad.

Savarkar V. (1923), Essentials of Hindutva, available at: http://www.savarkar.org/content/pdfs/en/essentials_of_hindutva.v001.pdf

Sivathamby K. (1978), “The Politics of a Literary Style”, Social Scientist, Vol. 6, No. 8. https://doi.org/10.2307/3520131

Srinivas M. (1995), Social change in modern India, New Delhi.

Subrahmanian N. (2000), Psychobiography of C. Subramania Bharati, Madurai.

Trautmann T. (2006), Languages and nations: the Dravidian proof in colonial Madras, California.

Xavier M. (2012), “Sociological Analysis of Telugu Poetry since Andhra Renaissance”, International Journal of Social Sciences Tomorrow, Vol. 1, No. 9.