Literary Genres in Tamil- A Supplement to A Descriptive Catalogue of Palm-Leaf Manuscripts in Tamil (An Old and Rare Book)

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Foreword The Institute of Asian Studies envisages to prepare over the years an exhaustive Catalogue of all the Palm-leaf manuscripts in Tamil, lying scattered in various parts of the world, in 30 Volumes. Obviously, the Tamil palm-leaf manuscripts would deal with a variety of literary topics belonging to various genres. The Catalogue's aim, being limited and confined to mere documentation, a supplement is necessary to elaborate on the subjects. This will help the prospective user to locate easily the manuscript of his interest. The supplement cannot claim the thoroughness of an encyclopedia, but will be a pointer in the location of information, reducing the tedium of a haphazard and aimless, search.

The supplement has been prepared by Mr. A.V. Subramanian. The Institute records with gratitude the services of Dr. A. Thasarathan and Mr. S. Shanmuga Velayudham who have done the laborious work of seeing the manuscripts through the press.

Our thanks are due to the National Archives of India for extending financial assistance to bring out this monograph.

Preface The Institute of Asian studies under the able and imaginative direction of Dr. John Samuel has conceived and designed a grand plan to publish 30 volumes of a Descriptive Catalogue of Palm-leaf Manuscripts in Tamil presenting details of all the available Tamil manuscripts anywhere in the world; it has already published three volumes and another is under preparation. It is a very ambitious scheme but a very necessary one to bring to the notice of intending editors and publishers the existence of classical works, many of them yet unpublished, whose publication will go to enrich Tamil literature.

During the course of discussions with the present writer, Dr. Samuel first conceived the idea of publishing a volume as a supplement to this series tracing the origin and development of the various literary genres in Tamil. The Descriptive Catalogue would refer to different Tamil genres during the course of its listing the features of manuscripts; and he thought that a volume specially devoted to a description of the forms used by Tamil poets and writers from the early beginnings of Tamil literature would be a valuable publication that can be consulted by intending editors of manuscripts. Apart from this use, such a work will prove of interest to the general student of Tamil as a study in itself; no such work has come out in English till now to fill these specific needs.

With characteristic expedition, Dr. Samuel drew the plans and estimate for the project and entrusted the writing to the present writer. He very kindly provided assistance to him in the shape of a qualified research assistant and a part-time typist.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages