An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Indian Languages- Literature

The present Volume strives to make a systematic study of India's literary heritage preserved in various languages of the country. A perusal of the book will enable the discernible readers to appreciate the funda mental unity of Indian literature. The write ups included in the Volume provide authentic glimpses of Indian languages and literatures constituting a priceless possession for the Nation. Indian literature is marked by its spirit of acceptance and assimilation. It has imbibed many features from other literatures including the Western literatures. There is a fundamental unity in the literary types and expressions among all the modern languages and literatures of India. This aspect is one of the pillars of our nationhood and must be empha sized again and again. It is hoped that the present Volume will be of some help in achieving this goal.

A.N. Kapoor After obtaining M.A., D.Phil. in English from Allahabad Universiy, Dr. Kapoor taught English at Agra and Delhi Universities for over four decades and has edited, compiled and authored more than hundred titles including reference books, encyclopaedias and language dictionaries. His dictionary of geographical terms published in 1955 was the first work of its kind in Hindi. His comprehensive English- Hindi Dictionary stands as the crowning work of the four decade long effort. The lexicon is considered a work of tremendous relevance for the entire gamut of bilingual activity, being undertaken in the country as almost all levels of our social system, educational institutions and government departments. V.P. Gupta: A former Professor at Delhi University, Chief Editor, Macmillan India and Deputy Director, Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies. V.P. Gupta is presently Secretary, Radha Kamal Mukerji Memorial Society. While he has been engaged in teaching, research and publishing activity for the last four decades, he has of late been concentrating on a study of Indian Freedom Movement, its ideas, events, personalities and forces which have laid the foundations of contemporary India along with all its triumphs and tragedies. Mohini Gupta: A constant collaborator in the intellectual pursuits of her husband V.P. Gupta she is co-author in a number of his publications including an Encyclopaedia of History and Culture of Punjab, and biographical studies of Raja Rammohun Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. A two volume study of India since independence critically examines the triumphs and tragedies of Indian people during the last fifty five years. These books brought out in both the languages English and Hindi-have been widely acclaimed as the harbinger of awareness about the ideals of our freedom struggle.

The present work An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Indian Languages Literature is the tenth title under the ongoing series An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Indian History and Culture. The Volume aims at being a handy reference manual for understanding the growth and present status of various Indian languages, linguistic studies and literatures. The Volume is divided into five sections: Historical Perspectives. Growth and Development of Indian Languages, Linguistic Studies: A Survey, Evolution of Indian Literature and finally Bibliography. Section One, dealing with historical perspectives, contains four pieces (1) Linguistic and Literary Scene in India: A Historical Perspective, (2) Basic Unity of Indian Literature, (3) Indian Literature Abroad and (4) Government and Languages. The material provides a historical background to an understanding of Indian languages and literature. Section Two discusses the growth and development of major Indian languages in an alphabetical order. The languages discussed are those recognized by the Sahitya Akademi. The journey starts from the Vedic period and comes upto the modern times. The write-ups demonstrate the richness and variety of India's linguistic heritage. Section Three is a modest survey of linguistic studies carried out in different languages. The foundations in this field were laid by European scholars or their Indian disciples. These studies are being carried out in the language departments of universities mainly as doctoral dissertations. It is a matter of regret that Indian scholars of Independent India have not been able to complete an up-to-date linguistic survey of India. The Volumes of Grierson have been reprinted but what is urgently required is an authentic survey using the valuable data furnished by the Census documents and independent field surveys. Section Four titled Evolution of Indian Literature describes the origin and evolution of literature in diverse languages marking their phases, outstanding literary creations and eminent writers. Indian literature is vast, varied and deep. But it reflects a remarkable fundamental unity in its ethos and cultural values. It is necessary that the speakers of one language should try to appreciate the contributions of other languages. This is one of the surest approaches to national integration. Sahitya Akademi, founded in 1954, has done much to promote the cause of Indian literature through publications, translations, seminars, awards, workshops, cultural exchange programmes and literary meets organized all over the country. The fifth and the last section on Bibliography lists about two hundred important books on Indian languages, linguistic studies and literature.

**Contents and Sample Pages**