Notes on History
A The medieval period saw the emergence of several regional languages and the
associated literature. It is quite common for us to identify a region with its language.
Every region is identified with a certain distinct type of food, clothing, poetry, dance,
painting and music.
The Cheras and the development of Malayalam
The Chera empire of Mahodayapuram, which was established in 9th century in the
southwestern part of Kerala introduced the Malayalam language.
The Chera also drew upon Sanskrit traditions.
o Proven by the temple theatre of Kerala borrowed stories from the Sanskrit epics
Rulers and Religious Traditions: The Jagannatha Cult
In several regions, regional cultures developed around religious traditions.
The local people made a wooden image of the deity which, originally a local God, came
to be identified with Vishnu.
Temple became the centre of pilgrimage (तीर्थ यात्रा).
The Rajputs and Traditions of Heroism
In the 19th century, the Rajasthan of today was called Rajputana by the British.
There are many groups who call themselves Rajputs in Northern and Central India.
Prithviraj Chauhan was one such ruler.
Women had been given a heroic image since they committed sati or self-immolation.
Beyond Regional Frontiers: The Story of Kathak
The heroic traditions of various regions also helped in the evolution of dance in
several regions.
One such dance was Kathak, which was evolved in Northern India.
o The Kathaks initially were a caste of story-tellers in North Indian temples.
The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted in folk plays known as Rasalila.
It integrated folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.
Music also developed into various forms like qawwali and khayal and new instruments
like Sitar were invented.
Paintings for Patrons: The Traditions of Miniatures
During this period, one more tradition which deserves our attention is the miniature
painting. Miniatures are small sized paintings done in watercolour on cloth or paper.
Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan hired highly skilled painters to illustrate their
manuscripts in the Kitab Khana (containing their accounts and poetry).
When the Mughal empire started declining, new artistic tastes developed in the
regional court of Deccan and Rajput rulers.
One bold style of miniature painting was called Basohli.
One of the most popular paintings of the Himalayas region was Bhanudatta’s
Rasamanjari.
The Kangra artists by mid-18th century infused a new life into miniature painting.
Soft colours including cool blues and greens, and a lyrical treatment of themes
distinguished Kangra painting.
A Closer Look: Bengal
The Growth of a Regional Language: Bengal
Regional language is the language which a person speaks in a region.
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Notes on History
It is generally assumed that the Bengali language is spoken by people of Bengal.
Bengali originated from Sanskrit but later on developed its own identity and
literature.
Early Bengali literature may be divided into two categories
o The first includes translations from Sanskrit epics. The Mangalakavyas and
bhakti literature such as the biographies of Chaitanyadeva, the leader of the
Vaishnava bhakti movement.
o The second includes Nath literature. Such as the songs of Maynamati and
Gopichandra, stories concerning the worship of Dharma Thakur, and fairy
tales, folk tales and ballads.
Pirs and Temples
From the 16th century, people migrated in large numbers from less fertile western
Bengal to the forested and marshy of south-eastern Bengal.
With Mughal control over Bengal
o The capital shifted to Dhaka.
o Officials received land grants.
o Mosques were set up.
The early settlers got help from teachers called Pirs.
o They included saints or Sufis and prominent religious personalities.
Fish as Food
Bengal is a riverine plain which produces plenty of rice and fish.
Brahmanas were not allowed to eat non-vegetarian food.
o But the popularity of fish in the local diet made the Brahmanical authorities
relax this prohibition for the Bengal Brahmanas
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