Indian Literature Overview
Indian literature is generally believed to be the oldest in the world. All the work in field of literature produced in India before 1947, and Republic of India thereafter is considered as Indian Literature.
There are 22 official languages in India.
Sanskrit literature begin around 1500-1200 BCE with Rig Veda, followed by epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
| Literature | Period of Development |
| Classical Sanskrit,TamilSangam ,Pāli Canon | Early BCE |
| Kannada, Telugu,Marathi, Odia, Bengali and various dialects of Hindi, Persian and Urdu | Medieval Period |
Early in the 20th century, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore became India’s first Nobel laureate.
Literature can be divided into-
Ancient and Modern
The earlier forms of Indian literature was religious. They include the Vedas, the Brahmanas, the Aryankas, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit Epics- Ramayana and Mahabharatha, the Brahmashastras, the mythological writings known as Puranas. The literature of this period are in Sanskrit Pali Prakrit.
The era of Indian modern literature began in the late nineteenth century. With the establishment of vernacular schools and the importation of the printing press.
Awards
- Sahitya Akademi Award- Started in 1954, the award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.The award’s purpose is to recognize and promote excellence in Indian writing and also acknowledge new trends.
- Jnanpith Award- The award originated n 1961. Any Indian citizen who writes in one of the 22 languages listed in Schedule Eight of the Indian constitution is eligible for award.It carries a cheque for ₹11 lakh, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati, the Indian goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts.Eight awards in Hindi and Kannada, Five in Bengali and Malyalam, four in Odia, three in Gujarati,Marathi, Telugu and Urdu, two each in Assamese and Tamil, and one in Sanskrit.
