Hoysala literature

Hoysala literature is the large body of literature in the Kannada and Sanskrit languages produced by the Hoysala Empire (1025–1343) in what is now southern India.[1] The empire was established by Nripa Kama II, came into political prominence during the rule of King Vishnuvardhana (1108–1152),[2] and declined gradually after its defeat by the Khalji dynasty invaders in 1311.[3]

Kannada literature during this period consisted of writings relating to the socio-religious developments of the Jain and Veerashaiva faiths, and to a lesser extent that of the Vaishnava faith. The earliest well-known brahmin writers in Kannada were from the Hoysala court.[4] While most of the courtly textual production was in Kannada,[5] an important corpus of monastic Vaishnava literature relating to Dvaita (dualistic) philosophy was written by the renowned philosopher Madhvacharya in Sanskrit.[6]

Writing Kannada literature in native metres was first popularised by the court poets. These metres were the sangatya, compositions sung to the accompaniment of a musical instrument; shatpadi, six-line verses; ragale, lyrical compositions in blank verse; and tripadi, three-line verses.[7] However, Jain writers continued to use the traditional champu, composed of prose and verse.[8] Important literary contributions in Kannada were made not only by court poets but also by noblemen, commanders, ministers, ascetics and saints associated with monasteries.[9]

  1. ^ Kamath (2001), p. 132
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ruling was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Kamath (2001), p. 129
  4. ^ Kamath (2001), pp. 133–134
  5. ^ Pollock (2006), pp. 288–289
  6. ^ Kamath (2001), p. 155
  7. ^ Shiva Prakash in Ayyappapanicker (1997), pp. 164, 203; Rice E. P. (1921), p. 59
  8. ^ Sastri (1955), p. 358
  9. ^ Narasimhacharya (1988), pp. 20–21; E.P.Rice (1921), pp. 43–45; Sastri (1955) p. 364
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