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Tamil literature ((タミル語:தமிழ் இலக்கியம்)) refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from Tamil people from South India, including the land now comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lankan Tamils from Sri Lanka, and from Tamil diaspora. The history of Tamil literature follows the history of Tamil Nadu, closely following the social, political and cultural trends of various periods. The early Sangam literature, starting from the period of 2nd century BCE, contain anthologies of various poets dealing with many aspects of life, including love, war, social values and religion. This was followed by the early epics and moral literature, authored by Hindu, Jain and Buddhist authors, lasting up to the 5th century CE. From the 6th to 12th century CE, the Tamil devotional poems written by Nayanmars (sages of Shaivism) and (Alvars, sages of Vaishnavism) heralded the great Bhakti movement which later engulfed the entire Indian subcontinent. It is during this era that some of the grandest of Tamil literary classics like Kambaramayanam and Periya Puranam were authored and many poets were patronized by the imperial Chola and Pandya empires. The later medieval period saw many assorted minor literary works and also contributions by a few Muslim and European authors. By having the most ancient non-Sanskritized Indian literature, Tamil literature is unique and thus has become the subject of study by scholars who wish to delineate the non-Aryan and pre-Aryan strands in Indian culture.〔Sivathamby, K (December 1974) (Early South Indian Society and Economy: The Tinai Concept ), Social Scientist, Vol.3 No.5 Dec. 1974〕 A revival of Tamil literature took place from the late 19th century when works of religious and philosophical nature were written in a style that made it easier for the common people to enjoy. The modern Tamil literary movement started with Subramania Bharathi, the mutlifaceted Indian Nationalist poet and author, and was quickly followed up by many who began to utilize the power of literature in influencing the masses. With growth of literacy, Tamil prose began to blossom and mature. Short stories and novels began to appear. Modern Tamil Literary criticism also evolved. The popularity of Tamil Cinema has also interacted with Tamil literature in some mutually enriching ways. ==Sangam age== (詳細はMajor Eighteen Anthology Series comprising the Eight Anthologies and the Ten Idylls and the Five Great Epics. ''Tolkaappiyam'', a commentary on grammar, phonetics, rhetoric and poetics is dated from this period.〔 Tamil legends hold that these were composed in three successive poetic assemblies (''Sangam'') that were held in ancient times on a now vanished continent far to the south of India.〔See Zvelebil, pp. 45–47〕 A significant amount of literature could have preceded ''Tolkappiyam'' as grammar books are usually written after the existence of literature over long periods. Tamil tradition holds the earliest ''Sangam'' poetry to be over twelve millennia old. Modern linguistic scholarship places the poems between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD.〔The age of Sangam is established through the correlation between the evidence on foreign trade found in the poems and the writings by ancient Greek and Romans such as ''Periplus''. See Nilakanta Sastri, K.A., History of South India, p. 106〕 Sangam age is considered by the Tamil people as the golden era of Tamil language. This was the period when the Tamil country was ruled by the three 'crowned kings' the Cheras, Pandyas and the Cholas. The land was at peace with no major external threats. Asoka's conquests did not impact on the Tamil land and the people were able to indulge in literary pursuits. The poets had a much more casual relationship with their rulers than can be imagined in later times. They could chide them when they are perceived to wander from the straight and narrow. The greatness of the Sangam age poetry may be ascribed not so much to its antiquity, but due to the fact that their ancestors were indulging in literary pursuits and logical classification of the habitats and society in a systematic manner with little to draw from precedents domestically or elsewhere. The fact that these classifications were documented at a very early date in the grammatical treatise ''Tolkappiyam'', demonstrates the organized manner in which the Tamil language has evolved. ''Tolkappiyam'' is not merely a textbook on Tamil grammar giving the inflection and syntax of words and sentences but also includes classification of habitats, animals, plants and human beings. The discussion on human emotions and interactions is particularly significant. Tolkappiyam divided into three chapters: orthography, etymology and subject matter (''Porul''). While the first two chapters of Tolkappiyam help codify the language, the last part, ''Porul'' refers to the people and their behavior. The grammar helps to convey the literary message on human behavior and conduct, and uniquely merges the language with its people. The literature was classified into the broad categories of 'subjective' (''akam'') and 'objective' (''puram'') topics to enable the poetic minds to discuss any topic under the sun, from grammar to love, within the framework of well prescribed, socially accepted conventions. Subjective topics refer to the personal or human aspect of emotions that cannot be verbalized adequately or explained fully. It can only be experienced by the individuals and includes love and sexual relationship. Recognizing that human activities cannot take place in vacuum and are constantly influenced by environmental factors, human experiences, in general, and subjective topics in particular, are assigned to specific habitats. Accordingly, land was classified into five genres (''thinai''): ''kurinji'' (mountainous regions), ''mullai'' (forests), ''marutham'' (agricultural lands), ''neithal'' (seashore), ''paalai'' (wasteland). The images associated with these landscapes – birds, beasts, flowers, gods, music, people, weather, seasons – were used to subtly convey a mood, associated with an aspect of life. ''Kuruntokai'', a collection of poems belonging to the ''Ettuthokai'' anthology demonstrates an early treatment of the Sangam landscape. Such treatments are found to be much refined in the later works of ''Akananuru'' and ''Paripaatal''. ''Paripaatal'' takes its name from the musical ''Paripaatal meter'' meter utilised in these poems. This is the first instance of a work set to music. ''Akaval'' and ''kalippa'' were the other popular meters used by poets during the Sangam age. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tamil literature」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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