Culture
Literature, Art and Architecture
The Chola period was an
era of remarkable cultural activity. These were the centuries when major
literary works were written. The best known classical poet, Kamban, wrote
Ramayana in Tamil which was formally presented (Arangetram) in the temple at
Srirangam. Sekkilar’s Periyapuranam, similarly was presented at the temple in
Chidambaram. Among the other great works of the period is Kalingattup-parani
and Muvarula. It was also a period when great religio-philosophical treatises
like the Sankara-bhasyam and Sri-bhashyam were produced.
The monumental
architecture of the Cholas is visible in the great temple of Tanjavur,
Gangai-konda-cholapuram and Darasuram, to name only a few. Stone images were
sculpted on the temple walls and pillars. Bronze images of great beauty and
artistry were made by the ‘lost wax’ process. The best known of them is the
iconic representation of Siva as Nataraja, performing the cosmic dance.
A distinct Islamic
cultural tradition developed in India with the establishment of Muslim rule.
The sultans built forts, tombs, mosques and other monuments in Delhi as well as
in south India which came under their rule. The Mughal period particularly was
a brilliant epoch in the cultural history of India. The Mughals were well-known
for their aesthetic values, and were great patrons of the arts. They left
behind numerous monuments, in addition to constructing entire cities like
Shahjahanabad (Delhi) and Fatehpur Sikri, gardens, mosques and forts. Decorative
arts – especially jewellery set with precious and semi- precious gems for items
of personal use – flourished under the patronage of the royal household and
urban elites. The art of painting also flourished in the Mughal period.
Primarily known as Mughal miniatures, they were generally intended as book
illustrations or were single works to be kept in albums. A large volume of
literature was produced, especially in Persian, and also in Urdu, Hindi and
other regional languages. In the performing arts, like Hindustani the name of
Tansen is well- known indicating the patronage extended to classical music
under Akbar.
In south India, the
Vijayanagar rulers and their military chiefs actively supported temple
construction. Many new temples were built by them. Besides this, new structures
like pavilions and halls with many pillars were added extensively to existing
temples, with elaborately carved pillars. Art historians point to the
distinctive style of the temple sculptures of the Vijayanagar period. The
intricately carved lofty towers or gopurams at the entrance to temples were all
added during the Vijayanagar period. The walls of the temples were embellished
with paintings.
A large volume of
religious literature, especially in Sanskrit, was produced under the patronage
of the nayakas and the Vijayanagar rulers. Telugu literature flourished under
royal support. A new style of Tamil literature called Prabandham emerged during
this period. The great commentaries of the epic Silappadikaram and
Tirukkural were also written during this period. Venkatamakhi, son
of Govindha Dikshidar who codifying the ragas of Carnatic music had lived in
this period.
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