Tamil literature (Tamil: தமிழ் இலக்கியம்) refers to the literature in the Tamil language.

Tamil
literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest
extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the
Tamil literature are mainly from Tamil people from South India, including the land now
comprising Tamil Nadu, and the Sri Lankan Tamils from Sri Lanka, as well as the Tamil diaspora.
The history of Tamil literature follows the history of Tamil Nadu, closely following the social, political
and cultural trends of various periods. The early Sangam literature, dated before 300 BCE, contain
anthologies of various poets dealing with many aspects of life, including love, war, social values and
religion.[1] This was followed by the early epics and moral literature, authored
by Hindu, Jain and Buddhist authors, lasting up to the 5th century CE. From the 6th to 12th century
CE, the Tamil devotional poems written by Nayanmars (sages of Shaivism) and Alvars (sages
of Vaishnavism), heralded the great Bhakti movement which later engulfed the entire Indian
subcontinent. It is during this era that some of the grandest of Tamil literary classics
like Kambaramayanam and Periya Puranam were authored and many poets were patronized by the
imperial Chola and Pandya empires. The later medieval period saw many assorted minor literary
works and also contributions by a few Muslim and European authors.
A revival of Tamil literature took place from the late 19th century when works of religious and
philosophical nature were written in a style that made it easier for the common people to enjoy. The
modern Tamil literary movement started with Subramania Bharathi, the multifaceted Indian
Nationalist poet and author, and was quickly followed up by many who began to utilize the power of
literature in influencing the masses. With growth of literacy, Tamil prose began to blossom and
mature. Short stories and novels began to appear. Modern Tamil literary criticism also evolved. The
popularity of Tamil cinema has also interacted with Tamil literature in some mutually enriching ways.

Sangam age

Thiruvalluvar wrote Thirukkural 

Sangam literature comprises some of the oldest extant Tamil literature, and deals with love,
traditions, war, governance, trade and bereavement. Unfortunately much of the Tamil literature
belonging to the Sangam period has been lost. The literature currently available from this period is
perhaps just a fraction of the wealth of material produced during this golden age of Tamil civilization.
The available literature from this period has been broadly divided in antiquity into three categories
based roughly on chronology. These are: the Eighteen Greater Text Series (Pathinenmaelkanakku)
comprising the Eight Anthologies (Ettuthokai) and the Ten Idylls (Pattupattu) and the Five Great
Epics. Tolkaappiyam, a commentary on grammar, phonetics, rhetoric and poetics is dated from this
period.
 குறிஞ்சி – தலைவன் கூற்று Red earth and pouring rain
யாயும் ஞாயும் யாரா கியரோ What could my mother be to yours?
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம்முறைக் கேளிர் What kin is my father to yours anyway?
யானும் நீயும் எவ்வழி யறிதும் And how
செம்புலப் பெயனீர் போல Did you and I meet ever?
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலந் தனவே. But in love our hearts have mingled
-செம்புலப் பெயனீரார். like red earth and pouring rain.

—(Kuruntokai  – 40), a poem from the Eight Anthologies —Translated by A. K. Ramanujan

Tamil legends hold that these were composed in three successive poetic assemblies (Sangam) that
were held in ancient times on a now vanished continent far to the south of India.[4] A significant
amount of literature could have preceded Tolkappiyam as grammar books are usually written after
the existence of literature over long periods. Tamil tradition holds the earliest Sangam poetry to be
over twelve millennia old. Modern linguistic scholarship places the poems between the 3rd century
BC and the 2nd century AD.
Sangam age is considered by the Tamil people as the golden era of Tamil language. This was the
period when the Tamil country was ruled by the three 'crowned kings' the Cheras, Pandyas and
the Cholas. The land was at peace with no major external threats. Asoka's conquests did not impact
on the Tamil land and the people were able to indulge in literary pursuits. The poets had a much
more casual relationship with their rulers than can be imagined in later times. They could chide them
when they are perceived to wander from the straight and narrow. The greatness of the Sangam age
poetry may be ascribed not so much to its antiquity, but due to the fact that their ancestors were
indulging in literary pursuits and logical classification of the habitats and society in a systematic
manner with little to draw from precedents domestically or elsewhere. The fact that these
classifications were documented at a very early date in the grammatical treatise Tolkappiyam,
demonstrates the organized manner in which the Tamil language has evolved. Tolkappiyam is not
merely a textbook on Tamil grammar giving the inflection and syntax of words and sentences but
also includes classification of habitats, animals, plants and human beings. The discussion on human
emotions and interactions is particularly significant. Tolkappiyam divided into three
chapters: orthography, etymology and subject matter (Porul). While the first two chapters of
Tolkappiyam help codify the language, the last part, Porul refers to the people and their behavior.
The grammar helps to convey the literary message on human behavior and conduct, and uniquely
merges the language with its people.
The literature was classified into the broad categories of 'subjective' (akam) and 'objective' (puram)
topics to enable the poetic minds to discuss any topic under the sun, from grammar to love, within
the framework of well prescribed, socially accepted conventions. Subjective topics refer to the
personal or human aspect of emotions that cannot be verbalized adequately or explained fully. It can
only be experienced by the individuals and includes love and sexual relationship.
Recognizing that human activities cannot take place in vacuum and are constantly influenced by
environmental factors, human experiences, in general, and subjective topics in particular, are
assigned to specific habitats. Accordingly, land was classified into five genres
(thinai): kurinji (mountainous regions), mullai (forests), marutham (agricultural
lands), neithal (seashore), paalai (wasteland). The images associated with these landscapes – birds,
beasts, flowers, gods, music, people, weather, seasons – were used to subtly convey a mood,
associated with an aspect of life. Kuruntokai, a collection of poems belonging to
the Ettuthokai anthology demonstrates an early treatment of the Sangam landscape. Such
treatments are found to be much refined in the later works
of Akananuru and Paripaatal. Paripaatal takes its name from the musical Paripaatal meter utilised in
these poems. This is the first instance of a work set to music. Akaval and kalippa were the other
popular meters used by poets during the Sangam age.
Post-Sangam period
Didactic age
The three centuries after the Sangam age . The invaders[who?] replaced number of words and
concepts relating to ethics, philosophy and religion of Tamil.Around 300 CE, the Tamil land was
under the influence of a group of people known as the Kalabhras. The Kalabhras were Buddhist and
a number of Buddhist authors flourished during this period. Jainism and Buddhism saw rapid growth.
These authors, perhaps reflecting the austere nature of their faiths, created works mainly on morality
and ethics. A number of Jain and Buddhist poets contributed to the creation of these didactic works
as well as grammar and lexicography. The collection the Eighteen Lesser Text
series (Pathinenkilkanakku) was of this period.

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள்

மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு.
"The mark of wisdom is to discern the truth
From whatever source it is heard."
– (Tirukkural – 423)

The best known of these works on ethics is the Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar. The book is a
comprehensive manual of ethics, polity and love, containing 1,330 distichs or kural divided into
chapters of ten distichs each: the first thirty-eight on ethics, the next seventy on polity and the
remainder on love.
Other famous works of this period are Kaḷavaḻi Nāṟpatu, Nalatiyar, Inna Narpathu and Iniyavai
Narpathu. The Jain texts Nalatiyar and Pazhamozhi Nanuru each consist of four hundred poems,
each of which cites a proverb and then illustrates it with a story.

Devotional period
The fall of the Kalabhras around 500 CE saw a reaction from the thus far suppressed Hindus. The
Kalabhras were replaced by the Pandyas in the south and by the Pallavas in the north. Even with the
exit of the Kalabhras, the Jain and Buddhist influence still remained in Tamil Nadu. The early
Pandya and the Pallava kings were followers of these faiths. The Hindu reaction to this apparent
decline of their religion was growing and reached its peak during the later part of the 7th century.
There was a widespread Hindu revival during which a huge body of Saiva and Vaishnava literature
was created. Many Saiva Nayanmars and Vaishnava Alvars provided a great stimulus to the growth
of popular devotional literature. Karaikkal Ammaiyar who lived in the 6th century CE was the earliest
of these Nayanmars. The celebrated Saiva hymnists Sundaramoorthy, Thirugnana
Sambanthar and Thirunavukkarasar (also known as Appar) were of this period. Of Appar's verses
3066 have survived. Sambandar sang 4,169 verses. Together these form the first six books of the
Saiva canon, collected by Nambi Andar Nambi in the 10th century. Sundarar
wrote Tiruttondartokai which gives the list of sixty-two Nayanmars. This was later elaborated by
Sekkilar in his Periyapuranam(4,272 verses). Manikkavasagar, who lived around the 8th century CE
was a minister in the Pandya court. His Tiruvasakam consisting of over 600 verses is noted for its
passionate devotion.. These Saivite Hymns collectively called Thirumurai (திருமுறை) is described as
SIXTH VEDA next to Bhagavath Geetha in Hindu Tradition.
Along with the Saiva Nayanmars, Vaishnava Alvars were also producing devotional hymns and their
songs were collected later into the Four Thousand Sacred Hymns (Naalayira Divyap Prabhandham).
The three earliest Alvars were Poygai, Pudam and Pey. Each of these wrote one
hundred Venpas. Tirumalisai Alwar who was a contemporary of the Pallava Mahendravarman
I wrote such works as Naanmugantiruvadiandadi. Tirumangai Alvar who lived in the 8th century CE
was a more prolific writer and his works constitute about a third of the
Diyaprabhandam. Periyalvar and his adopted daughter Andal contributed nearly 650 hymns to the
Vaishnava canon. Andal symbolised purity and love for the God and wrote her hymns
addressing Vishnu as a lover. The hymn of Andal which starts with Vaaranam Aayiram (One
Thousand Elephants) tells of her dream wedding to Vishnu and is sung even today at Tamil
Vaishnava weddings. Nammalvar, who lived in the 9th century, wrote Tiruvaimoli. It comprises 1,101
stanzas and is held in great esteem for its elucidation of the Upanishads. This corpus was collected
by Nathamuni, around 950 CE and formed the classical and vernacular basis for Sri Vaishnavism.
These Hymns 'Naalayira Divya-p-Prabhandham' is respected at par with Vedas by Sri Vaishnavites
in sanctity and holiness and hence referred to as 'Dravida Vedam' (திராவிட வேதம்).

Narrative epics[edit]
Cilappatikaram is one of the outstanding works of general literature of this period. The authorship
and exact date of the classic Cilappatikaram are not definitely known. Ilango Adigal, who is credited
with this work was reputed to be the brother of the Sangam age Chera king Senguttuvan. However
we have no information of such a brother in the numerous poems sung on the Chera king.
The Cilappatikaram is unique in its vivid portrayal of the ancient Tamil land. This is unknown in other
works of this period. Cilappatikaram and its companion epic Manimekalai are Jain in
philosophy. Manimekalai was written by Sattanar who was a contemporary of Ilango Adigal.
Manimekalai contains a long exposition of fallacies of logic. Kongu Velir, a Jain author
wrote Perunkathai. Valayapathi and Kundalakesi are the names of two other narrative poems of this
period written by a Jain and a Buddhist author respectively. These works have been lost and only a
few poems of Valayapathi have been found so far.

Medieval literature
The medieval period was the period of the Imperial Cholas when the entire south India was under a
single administration. The period between the 11th and the 13th centuries, during which the Chola
power was at its peak, there were relatively few foreign incursions and the life for the Tamil people
was one of peace and prosperity. It also provided the opportunity for the people to interact with
cultures beyond their own, as the Cholas ruled over most of the South India, Sri Lanka and traded
with the kingdoms in southeast Asia. The Cholas built numerous temples, mainly for their favourite
god Siva, and these were celebrated in numerous hymns. The Prabhanda became the dominant
form of poetry. The religious canons of Saiva and Vaishnava sects were beginning to be
systematically collected and categorised. Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a contemporary of Rajaraja
Chola I, collected and arranged the books on Saivism into eleven books called Tirumurais. The
hagiology of Saivism was standardised in Periyapuranam (also known as Tiruttondar Puranam) by
Sekkilar, who lived during the reign of Kulothunga Chola II (1133–1150 CE). Religious books on
the Vaishnava sect were mostly composed in Sanskrit during this period. The great Vaishnava
leader Ramanuja lived during the reigns of Athirajendra Chola and Kulothunga Chola I, and had to
face religious persecution from the Cholas who belonged to the Saiva sect. One of the best known
Tamil works of this period is the Ramavatharam by Kamban who flourished during the reign of
Kulottunga III. Ramavatharam is the greatest epic in Tamil Literature, and although the author states
that he followed Valmiki, his work is not a mere translation or even an adaptation of the Sanskrit
epic. Kamban imports into his narration the colour and landscape of his own time. A contemporary of
Kamban was the famous poet Auvaiyar who found great happiness in writing for young children. Her
works, Athichoodi and Konraiventhan are even now generally read and taught in schools in Tamil
Nadu. Her two other works, Mooturai and Nalvali were written for slightly older children. All the four
works are didactic in character. They explain the basic wisdom that should govern mundane life.
Of the books on the Buddhist and the Jain faiths, the most noteworthy is the Jivaka-chintamani by
the Jain ascetic Thirutakkadevar composed in the 10th century. Viruttam style of poetry was used for
the first time for the verses in this book. The five Tamil epics Jivaka-
chintamani, Cilappatikaram, Manimekalai, Kundalakesi and Valayapathi are collectively known
as The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature. There were a number of books written on Tamil
grammar. Yapperungalam and Yapperungalakkarigai were two works on prosody by the Jain ascetic
Amirtasagara. Buddamitra wrote Virasoliyam, another work on Tamil grammar, during the reign
of Virarajendra Chola. Virasoliyam attempts to find synthesis between Sanskrit and Tamil grammar.
Other grammatical works of this period are Nannul by Pavanandi, Vaccanandi Malai by Neminatha,
and the annotations on the puram theme, Purapporul Venpamalai by Aiyanaridanar.
There were biographical and political works such as Jayamkondar's Kalingattuparani, a semi-
historical account on the two invasion of Kalinga by Kulothunga Chola I. Jayamkondar was a poet-
laureate in the Chola court and his work is a fine example of the balance between fact and fiction the
poets had to tread. Ottakuttan, a close contemporary of Kambar, wrote three Ulas on Vikrama
Chola, Kulothunga Chola II and Rajaraja Chola II
Tamil Muslim literature is eight centuries old. The earliest literary works of this coterie could be
traced to the 14th century in the form of Palsanthmalai, a small work of eight stanzas. In 1572,
Seyku Issaku, better known as Vanna Parimala Pulavar, published Aayira Masala Venru
Vazhankum Adisaya Puranam detailing the Islamic principles and beliefs in a FAQ format. In
1592, Aali Pulavar wrote the Mikurasu Malai.

Vijayanagar and Nayak period

The period from 1300 CE to 1650 was a period of constant change in the political situation of Tamil
Nadu. The Tamil country was invaded by the armies of the Delhi Sultanate and raided
the Pandya kingdom. This overstretched the Delhi Sultanate to such an extent it collapsed soon after
which triggered the rise of the Bahmani Sultans in the Deccan. Vijayanagar empire rose from the
ashes of the kingdoms of Hoysalas and Chalukyas and eventually conquered the entire south India.
The Vijayanagar kings appointed regional governors to rule various territories of their kingdom and
Tamil Nadu was ruled by the Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks and Gingee Nayaks. This period
saw a large output of philosophical works, commentaries, epics and devotional poems. A number of
monasteries (Mathas) were established by the various Hindu sects and these began to play a
prominent role in educating the people. Numerous authors were of either the Saiva or the Vaishnava
sects. The Vijayanagar kings and their Nayak governors were ardent Hindus and they patronised
these mathas. Although the kings and the governors of the Vijayanagar empire spoke Kannada
and Telugu they encouraged the growth of Tamil literature as we find no slowing down in the literary
output during this period.
There was a large output of works of philosophical and religious in nature, such as
the Sivananabodam by Meykandar. At the end of the 14th century Svarupananda Desikar wrote two
anthologies on the philosophy os Advaita, the Sivaprakasapperundirattu. Arunagirinathar who lived
in Tiruvannamalai in the 14th century wrote Tiruppugal. Around 1360 verses of unique lilt and set to
unique metres these poems are on the god Muruga. Madai Tiruvengadunathar, an official in the
court of the Madurai Nayak, wrote Meynanavilakkam on the Advaita Vedanta. Siva prakasar, in the
early 17th century wrote a number of works on the Saiva philosophy. Notable among these is
the Nanneri which deals with moral instructions. A considerable par to the religious and philosophical
literature of the age took the form of Puranas or narrative epics. A number of these were written on
the various deities of the temples in Tamil Nadu and are known as Sthala Puranas, based on legend
and folklore. One of the most important of the epics was the Mahabharatam by Villiputturar. He
translated Vyasa's epic into Tamil and named it Villibharatam. Kanthapuranam on the
god Murugan was written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar who lived in the 15th century. This work was
based broadly on the Sanskrit Skandapurana. Varatungarama Pandya, a Pandya king of the period
was a littérateur of merit and wrote Paditrruppattanthathi. He also translated into Tamil the erotic
book known as Kokkoha from Sanskrit.
This period also an age of many commentaries of ancient Tamil works. Adiyarkunallar wrote an
annotation on Cilappatikaram. Senavaraiyar wrote a commentary on the Tolkappiyam. Then came
the famous Parimelalagar whose commentary on the Tirukkural is still considered one of the best
available. Other famous annotators such as Perasiriyar and Naccinarikiniyar wrote commentaries on
the various work of Sangam literature. The first Tamil dictionary was attempted by Mandalapurusha
who compiled the lexicon Nigandu Cudamani. Thayumanavar, who lived in the early 18th century, is
famous for a number of short poems of philosophical nature.
The 17th-century altruist Syed Khader, known colloquially as Seethakaathi, was a great patron of all
Tamil poets. He commissioned Umaruppulavar to pen the first biography of Nabi. The collection of
poems was called Seerapuranam.[8] The 17th century also saw for the first time literary works by
Christian authors. Costanzo Giuseppe Beschi (1680–1746), better known as Veeramamunivar,
compiled the first dictionary in Tamil. His Chathurakarathi was the first to list the Tamil words in
alphabetical order.

Modern era
During the 18th and the 19th century Tamil Nadu witnessed some of the most profound changes in
the political scene. The traditional Tamil ruling clans were superseded by European colonists and
their sympathisers. The Tamil society underwent a deep cultural shock with the imposition of
western cultural influences. The Hindu religious establishments attempted to stem the tide of change
and to safeguard the Tamil cultural values. Notable among these were the Saiva monasteries at
Tiruvavaduthurai, Dharmapuram, Thiruppananthal and Kundrakudi. Meenakshi Sundaram
Pillai(1815–1876) was a Tamil scholar who taught Tamil at one of these monasteries. He wrote more
than eighty books consisting of over 200,000 poems.[citation needed] He is more famous however for
encouraging U.V.Swaminatha Iyer to go search for Tamil books that have been lost for
centuries. Gopalakrishna Bharathi lived during the early 19th century. He wrote numerous poems
and lyrics set to tune in Carnatic music. His most famous work is the Nandan Charitam on the life of
Nandanar who having been born in a sociologically lower caste, faces and overcomes the social
obstacles in achieving his dream of visiting the Chidambaram temple. This work is a revolutionary
social commentary considering the period in which it was written, although Gopalakrishna Bharati
expanded on the story in Periyapuranam. Ramalinga Adigal (Vallalar) (1823–1874) wrote the
devotional poem Tiruvarutpa is considered to be a work of great beauty and simplicity. Maraimalai
Adigal (1876–1950) advocated for the purity of Tamil and wanted to clean it of words with Sanskrit
influences. One of the great Tamil poets of this period was Subramanya Bharathi. His works are
stimulating in their progressive themes like freedom and feminism. Bharathy introduced a new poetic
style into the somewhat rigid style of Tamil poetry writing, which had followed the rules set down in
the Tolkaappiyam. His puthukkavithai (Lit.:new poetry) broke the rules and gave poets the freedom
to express themselves. He also wrote Tamil prose in the form of commentaries, editorials, short
stories and novels. Some of these were published in the Tamil daily Swadesamitran and in his Tamil
weekly India. Inspired by Bharathi, many poets resorted to poetry as a means of
reform. Bharathidasan was one such poet. U.V.Swaminatha Iyer, was instrumental in the revival of
interest in the Sangam age literature in Tamil Nadu. He travelled all over the Tamil country,
collecting, deciphering and publishing ancient books such as Cilappatikaram, Kuruntokai, etc. He
published over 90 books and wrote En caritham, an autobiography.

Tamil novel
The novel as a genre of literature arrived in Tamil in the third quarter of the 19th century, more than
a century after it became popular with English writers. Its emergence was perhaps facilitated by the
growing population of Tamils with a western education and exposure to popular English
fiction. Mayavaram Vedanayagam Pillai wrote the first Tamil novel Prathapa Mudaliar Charithram in
1879. This was a romance with an assortment of fables, folk tales and even Greek and Roman
stories, written with the entertainment of the reader as the principal motive. It was followed
by Kamalambal Charitram by B. R. Rajam Iyer in 1893 and Padmavathi Charitram by A. Madhaviah
in 1898. These two portray the life of Brahmins in 19th century rural Tamil Nadu, capturing their
customs and habits, beliefs and rituals. Although it was primarily a powerful narration of the common
man's life in a realistic style spiced with natural humour, Rajam Iyer's novel has a spiritual and
philosophical undertone. Madhaviah tells the story in a more realistic way with a searching criticism
of the upper caste society, particularly the sexual exploitation of girls by older men. D.
Jayakanthan has enriched the high traditions of literary traditions of Tamil language and contributed
towards the shaping of Indian literature. His literature presents a deep and sensitive understanding
of complex human nature and is an authentic and vivid index of Indian reality. One famous novel of
his is Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal. Since the 1990s the post modernist writers emerged as a
major figures, including Jeyamohan, S.Ramakrishnan, Charu Nivedita. The critically acclaimed
works include Vishnupuram and Venmurasu novel series by Jeymohan, Ubapandavam by
S.Ramakrishnan, Zero degree by Charu Niveditha, yumaa vasuki – Ratha vurvu (Blood Relation),
Lakshmi Manivannan (appavin Thottathil neer payum idangal ellam ...), nakulan – ninivu-p-
padhai., and Konangi, who mixes classical Tamil inflections with experimental sound poets.
There are other less appreciated works involving those translated from other languages, which are
often unrecognized by Tamil pundits. The works include "Urumaatram" (translation of Franz
Kafka's The Metamorphosis), Siluvayil Thongum Saathaan (translation of "Devil on the Cross"
by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o), Thoongum azhagigalin Illam (translation of "House of Sleeping Beauties" by
Yasunari Kawabata). Writers like Amarantha, Latha Ramakrishnan are responsible for these works.

Popular fiction
Crime and detective fiction has enjoyed wide popularity in Tamil Nadu since the 1930s. Popular
authors in the years before independence included Kurumbur Kuppusami and Vaduvur Duraisami
Iyengar. In the 1950s and '60s, Tamilvanan's detective hero Shankarlal carried readers to a variety
of foreign locales, while using a pure Tamil with very few Hindi or English loan words. These writers
are often extremely prolific, with hundreds or even thousands of short novels to their credit, and one
or more short novel published in a monthly periodical. Indra Soundar Rajan, another popular modern
author, writes supernatural crime thrillers usually based around Hindu mythology.
In the 1940s and 1950s Kalki Krishnamurthy was notable for his historical and social fiction.
In the 1950s and 60s, Chandilyan wrote a number of very popular historical romance novels set in
medieval India or on medieval trade routes with Malaysia, Indonesia and Europe.
From the 1950s, spanning six decades, Jayakanthan authored around 40 novels, 200 short stories,
apart from two autobiographies. Outside literature, he made two films. In addition, four of his other
novels were adapted into films by others. His works revolve around the lives of underclass people
like rickshaw-pullers, prostitutes and rag-pickers.
Arunaa Nandhini is one of recent Tamil novelists who has entered the hearts of many Tamil readers,
and her story covers family subject, romance, reality, with some humor added for the readers to
enjoy their leisure.
Modern romance novels are represented by the current bestselling author in the Tamil
language, Ramanichandran.
Though sales of Tamil pulp fiction have declined since the hey-day of the mid-1990s, and many
writers have turned to the more lucrative television serial market, there remains a thriving scene.
Periodicals
The increasing demand of the literate public caused a number of journals and periodicals to be
published and these in turn provided a platform for authors to publish their work. Rajavritti
Bodhini and Dina Varthamani in 1855 and Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu's fortnightlies,
Salem Desabhimini in 1878 and Coimbatore Kalanidhi in 1880, were the earliest Tamil journals. In
1882, G. Subramaniya Iyer started the newspaper Swadesamitran. It became the first Tamil daily in
1889. This was the start of many journals to follow and many novelists began to serialise their
stories in these journal. The humour magazine Ananda Vikatan started by S.S. Vasan in 1929 was
to help create some of the greatest Tamil novelists. Kalki Krishnamurthy (1899–1954) serialised his
short stories and novels in Ananda Vikatan and eventually started his own weekly Kalki for which he
wrote the enduringly popular novels Parthiban Kanavu, Sivagamiyin Sabadham and Ponniyin
Selvan. Pudhumaipithan (1906–1948) was a great writer of short stories and provided the inspiration
for a number of authors who followed him. The 'new poetry or pudukkavithai pioneered by Bharathi
in his prose-poetry was further developed by the literary periodicals manikkodi and ezhuttu (edited
by Si Su Chellappa). Poets such as Mu Metha contributed to these periodicals. Tamil Muslim poets
like Kavikko Abdul Rahman, Pavalar Inqulab, Manushyaputhiran and Rajathi Salma too have made
significant contributions to social reforms. The pioneering fortnightly journal Samarasam was
established in 1981 to highlight and cater to the ethnic Tamil Muslim community's issues. Another
remarkable work was done in Tamil novel field by Mu.Varatharasanar.[Agal vilakku] [Karithundu].
And last but not least Akilan the unique Tamil novelist, short story writer and a social activist is
famous for his works like 'Chithirapavai' 'Vengayinmaindan' 'Pavaivilaku'.

Tamil journalism
The first Tamil periodical was published by the Christian Religious Tract Society in 1831 – The Tamil
Magazine.
The increasing demand of the literate public caused a number of journals and periodicals to be
published and these in turn provided a platform for authors to publish their work. Rajavritti Bodhini
and Dina Varthamani in 1855 and Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu's fortnightlies, Salem
Desabhimini in 1878 and Coimbatore Kalanidhi in 1880, were the earliest Tamil journals.
The first regular newspaper in Tamil was Swadesamitran in 1882, started by G.Subramaniya Iyer,
editor and sponsor of The Hindu and founding member of the Indian National Congress. He created
a whole new Tamil political vocabulary. He) was conscious that those with a knowledge of English
are a small number and those with a knowledge of Indian languages the vast majority. He felt that
unless our people were told about the objectives of British rule and its merits and defects in the
Indian languages, our political knowledge would never develop. When Subramania Aiyer quit The
Hindu 1898, he made the Swadesamitran his full-time business. In 1899, the first Tamil daily. It was
to enjoy this status for 17 years.
Subramania Aiyer's "pugnacious style, never qualifying words to soften the sharp tenor of a
sentence," his use of words "dipped in a paste of extra pungent green chillies," made the
Swadesamitran sought by Tamils wherever they lived in the world. And the daily became even more
popular when Subramania Bharati joined it in 1904. The next year, when Lala Lajpat Rai was
arrested and agitation followed in the Punjab, Subramania Aiyer's attitude to the British changed and
he became a trenchant political critic of the Raj. His whole political mantra can be summed up in
these words: `Peaceful but tireless and unceasing effort.' Let us sweat ourselves into Swaraj, he
would seem to say." Swadesamitran is credited for coining new Tamil words to deal with science,
politics and administration. It had the most comprehensive budget of news among all the regional
language papers of that time.
In 1917, Desabhaktan, another Tamil daily began with T.V. Kalyansundara Menon as editor. He was
succeeded by V.V.S. Iyer, a colleague of the Savarkar brothers. These two editors were scholars
with a natural, highly readable but polished style of writing.
The freedom movement and the advent of Gandhi also impacted Tamil journalism. Navasakthi, a
Tamil periodical edited by Tamil scholar and freedom fighter V.
Kalyanasundaram. C.Rajagopalachari began Vimochanam, a Tamil journal devoted to propagating
prohibition at the Gandhi Ashram in Tiruchengode in Salem district.
In 1926, P. Varadarajulu Naidu, who was conducting a Tamil news-cum-views weekly 'Tamil Nadu'
started a daily with the same name. Its forceful and colloquial style gained it a wide readership but
after the paper failed to take sides with the 1930 Civil Disobedience Movement, the Congress Party
decided to bring out a new Tamil daily – India, edited by renowned poet Subramania Bharati. India
showed great promise but could not establish itself financially, and folded up soon after Bharati was
exiled to Pondicherry. All these papers were published from Madras.
In 1933, the first Tamil tabloid – the 8 page Jayabharati began at a price of 1⁄4 anna. It closed in 1940
as the price could not sustain even its postage.
In September 1934, S. Sadanand (who was running The Free Press Journal) started the Tamil daily
Dinamani with T.S. Chockalingam as editor. It was priced at 6 pies, contained bright features and
was fearlessly critical. It was highly successful and its circulation eclipsed the total circulation of all
other Tamil dailies. Soon 'India' was incorporated into Dinamani. Dinamani made a studied and
conscious effort to make the contents of a newspaper intelligible even to the newly literate. In 1935,
Viduthalai was begun, but it was more of a views-paper than a newspaper. The Non-Brahman
Movement also gave an impetus to Tamil journalism. Newspapers like the Bharat Devi were strong
supporters of this movement.
Many magazines began in Tamil Nadu during the 1920s and '30s. The humour magazine Ananda
Vikatan started by S.S. Vasan in 1929 was to help create some of the greatest Tamil novelists. It is
still running successfully after 80 years and the Vikatan group today also publishes Chutti Vikatan,
Junior Vikatan, Motor Vikatan and other special interest magazines. R. Krishnamurthy serialised his
short stories and novels in Ananda Vikatan and eventually started his own weekly Kalki. The name
Kalki denotes the impending tenth Avatar of Lord Vishnu in the Hindu religion, who it is said, will
bring to an end the Kali Yuga and reinstate Dharma or righteousness among the worldly beings. He
used the name because he wanted to bring about liberation of India.
In 1942, Dina Thanthi (Daily Telegraph) was started in Madurai with simultaneous editions in
Madras, Salem and Tiruchirappalli. It was founded by S.P. Adithanar, a lawyer trained in Britain. He
modeled Thanthi on the style of an English tabloid- The Daily Mirror. He aimed to bring out a
newspaper that ordinary people would read, and which would encourage a reading habit even
among the newly literate. In the past, the daily newspaper which was printed in Madras reached the
southern Tamil region after at least one day. Thanthi used the public bus system to distribute the
paper throughout the south Tamil region and capitalized on the hunger for war news that arose after
Singapore fell to the Japanese. Due to financial constraints, its Salem and Tiruchirappalli editions
had to be closed down for a while. Thanthi emphasized local news, especially crime and the courts.
It used photographs extensively and brought banner headlines to Tamil journalism. It could fit one
story on an entire broadsheet page, mainly filled with large easy-to-read headlines. One of its
biggest scoops was the murder of the editor of a scandalous film magazine by two actors. Thanthi
covered the trial in Madras in detail, and its reporters phoned the daily account to the printing centre
in Madurai. Thanthi was the first Tamil paper to understand the people’s fascination with crime and
film stars. The paper was popular and it was said that Tamils learned to read in order to read the
newspaper.
Dina Thanthi became one of the largest Tamil language dailies by circulation within a few years; it
has been a leading Tamil daily since the 1960s. It has today 14 editions. It is the highest circulated
Tamil daily in Bangalore and Pondicherry. It issues a book called 10th, +2 Vina Vidai Book, every
Wednesday during the second part of the year. The model question papers of all the subjects of
Standard 10 and 12 are provided with answers along with the question papers of board exams that
are conducted previous year.