LITERATURE AND SCIENCE
Under the Cholas
Education based on the epics and the
Puranas was imparted during this time through
discourses in temples. There colleges and other
institutions for higher education. The period was
marked by the growth of Tamil classics such as
Sibakasindamani, Kamban’s Ramayana, and
others. Very few books were composed in
Sanskrit, Rajaraja I was the subject of two worksadrama
(Rajarajesvara Natakam) and a kavya
(Rajaraja Vijayam).
Under the Chalukyas of Kalyani
The Chaludya period withnessed a
phenomenal growth in literature, both in
Sanskrit and Kannada. Among the sanskrit
writers of the period, the foremost in Bihana, the
court poet of Vidramaditya VI. Vidramankacharita
of Bihana is a mahakavaya. Bihana wrote
many other works. The great jurist Vijramaditya,
wrote the famous Mitaksara, a commentary on
the Yanjavalkya Smriti, Somesvara III was the
author of encyclopadedic work, Manasollasa or
Abhilashitarha-chintamani.
Under the western Chalukyas, kannada
Literature reached great heights. The three
Literary gems, Pampa, Ponna and Ranna,
contributed to the development of Kannada
literature in the 10th century. Of the three,
Ranna was the court poet of Satyasraya, while
the other two belonged to earlier decades.
Nagavarma I was another poet of fame. He was
the author of Chandombudhi, the ocean of
prosody, the earliest work on the subject in
Kannada. He also wrote karnataka-kandambari
which is based on Bana’s celebrated romance in
Sanskrit. The next writer of note was Dugasimha,
a minister under Jayasimha II, who wrote
Anchatantra. The Veer Saina mystics, especially
Basava, contributed to the development of
Kannada language and literature, particular
prose literature. They brought into existence the
Vachana Literature to convey high philosophical
ideas to the common man in simple language.
Under the Yadavas
The Senas gave a great impetus to the
development of Sanskrit Literature. The family
of the famous astronomer and mathematician
Bhasdaracharya belonged to this period.
Bhaskaracharya’s father, Mahesvari (known as
kavisvara), wrote two works on astrology,
Sekhara and Laghutika. Of the numerous works
of Bhaskaracharya, the most famous are
Siddhanta Siromani (composed in 1150) and
Karanakuthuhala, the first being the best treatise
on algebra to be found in Sanskrit Literature. His
son Lakshmidhara and his grandson
Changadeva were the court astrologers of jaitugi
and Simhana respectively. Bhaskaracharya’s
grand-nephew Anantadeva, a protege of
Simhana, was a master of the three branches of
astronomy and wrote a commentary on the
Brihat Jataka of Varahaminira and also on one
chapter of Brahmasphuta Siddhana of
Brahmagrupta.
Under the kakatiyas
The kakatiya rules extended liberal
patronage to Sanskrit. Several eminent Sanskrit
writers and poets authored inscriptions which
must be regarded as kavyas in miniature. Of
these writers, Achinterdra was commissioned by
Rudradeva to compose the Prasati embodies in
the Anumakonda inscription.
Telugu literature also flourished in the
Kakatiya Kingdom. Several inscriptions were
composed party or wholly in Telugu verse, like
the inscriptions at Gudur of (Beta II), karimnagar
(Gangakhara), Upparapalle (Kata) and
Konnidena (Opilisiddhi). The new religious
movement led Vaishnavism and Virasaivism
gave a great impetus to Telugu literature. Several
works on the two great national epics, the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
begun by Nannayuabnhatta in the 11th
century AD, was completed by Tikkana
Somayaji, the minister and poet Laureate of the
Telugu Chola King Manuma siddhi II of Nellre
in the middle of the 13th century AD.
