CHRISTIAN PERCEPTION IN POST COLONICAL LITERATURE IN

PONDICHERRY – A CHRONOLOGICAL SURVEY

P.CHARLES CHRISTOPHER RAJ M.A., M.Phil. M.I.M., M.L.I.S.C., M.C.A., B.Ed. P.G.D.T.A. P.hd.,

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR of HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL STUDIES

KASTHURBA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN VILLIANUR, PUDUCHERRY 605 110 MOBILE: 9443723327 Email Id:ccraj18@gmail.com

Introduction

The Advent of people of various nationalities during the period between 15 th and

18th centuries in Pondicherry gave an impetus and opportunity for its own regeneration. These

foreigners, who came to India for trade and missionary activities in the beginning, gradually

established their own colonial rule in their new settlements. Colonialism which has many forms

is highly reprehensible. The French, especially their Christian missionaries formed a niche

among the local population and nurtured their language, culture, accustomed with the local

customs, manners and traditions. They learned the language of the native people not to fulfil

their potential needs but their intellectual and made great contributions to its development. This

paper intends to give a thorough picture and bring into light, the various works of Christian

personalities and their perception towards Pondicherry literature in a chronological form.

Literature on Voyages :

The French literature projected its reflection in the Tamil literature by 17 th century, with

the help of La Foutaine’s, acquaintance with Francois Bernier, philosopher and scholar of the

period and brought out Indian fables and tales particularly the Jatakas stories from Mahabaratha,

Panchathantra and other myths of India.

Francois Pyrad de laval was the first French man, who published his experience about the

voyage in 1604 as Description du premier voyage fait aux Indes Orientales par les Francais en

I’an 1603. Francois Charpentier, the Academician was able to write out the (code of) instruction

to be followed by traders going to the new country in the name Journal des voyages des Grandes

Indea published in the year 1698.

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Works on Grammar and Dictionaries :

The French were very much interested in Tamil Dialect of

Pondicherry and as a first attempt to their interest a diary of Veera Naicakar II which contains of

320 pages written between 1778 and 1792, found at National Library of Paris within a bundle of

rare manuscripts was compiled by Eduord Ariel. This manuscript was published by Orse M.

Gopalakrishnan in 1992.

Rev. Fr. Dominique de Valence compiled a French – Tamil Dictionary at Pondicherry.

This compilation contained about 12,450 entries alphabetically which dated back to 1734. This

work happened to be the source reference for the missionaries, who wanted to learn the Tamil

language. Meanwhile Abbe Bignou, Custodian of the Manuscripts of the Royal Library in

Paris in 1718, purchased all the chief works of literature from India and Indo-China and asked

Etienne Fourmout, a Professor of College Royal to draw up a list of work. Travellers and

Roman Catholic missionaries stationed in South India and Bengal with great interest started

purchasing books especially Fr. Calmette obtained copies of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama

Veda. Fr. Pons who showed great interest in classical Sanskrit literature, epics, puranas,

vyakarana, nataka, alankara, vedanta, nyaya. He was the first Sanskrit Grammarian in India,

who authored Sanskrit Grammar written in Latin based on the Samksipatasara and Latin

translation of the Amarakosa.

By the year 1747, Pondicherry was filled with almost one-sixth of the local population

as Christians. Many missionaries were able to train themselves and gain mastery over the Tamil

language. A copy of the book entitled Grammaire pour apprendre la langue tamoule

vulgairement appelee le malabare was found in Bibiliotheque National and it was written and

brought out by P.de la Lane in 1728. Fr. De Bourges, well known French priest who sacrificed

himself in collecting the manuscripts and grammars from Paris brought out a copy of

Dictionnaire Tamoul – Francois which is still preserved at Bibliotheque Nationale Paris.

During the 18th century, most enlightened figure Mariadas Pillai who was instrumental in

transmitting knowledge about Indian Culture to France, explained to Sonnerat, the local

meaning of the religious beliefs, customs, ceremonies and festivals of the Tamil Country.

Foucher d’ Obsonville a traveller, naturalist and writer together with Monneron, a

member of Conseil Superieur translated Bagavadam into French. There was a dramatic change

from manuscript to printing, which had the facility for printing in Tamil, French, English and 2

Telugu and so many number of books were printed like blowing the great trumpet to Pondicherry

about the availability of mass communication.

In 1829, Racine’s Brittannicus was translated into Tamil by Krishnaraja and Smt.

M.Shanmughanandam, in which introduction by Jean Fillizot was rendered. The French

continued their contribution to lexicography in 19 th century where in 1831 a short Tamil-French

and French Tamil Vocabulary was compiled by A.Blin.

Translations from Tamil to French :

Missionaries MM.Mousset and Dupuis, brought out The Dictionnaire Tamoul-Francois

in 1858. The noteworthy role is that of Fr. Beschi, who showed much interest in Tamil

literature. His own works Saduragarthi and Paramathaguru Kathaigal were published by the

Catholic Pondicherry Mission Press in 1845. His works were re-worked by Fr.Dupuis

especially Kodun Tamil Grammar of Beschi to Sen Tamil Grammar in Latin in 1843. In 1851,

Pondicherry Missionary press published a book entitled Le Rev.P.Beschi et le Tembavani and in

1863 he published the Grammaire Francaise-Tamoule which was considered as the most

remarkable work published in a European language by a European. In 1827, E.Martinet

published his three volumes of Dictionnaire de prononciated Tamoule figure en francais. The

Tamil pronunciation was experienced in French phonetics.

M.J.Baules, a missionary who served in the Vellore region published Vingt ans dans

I’lnde. He translated the famous Panchatantra from Tamil into French in 1878. Lamairesse,

accumulated the poems of South India and made his publication as Poesies Populaires due Sud

de I’lnde in 1867 and in 1868 another work called Hants populaires du sud de I’lnde. His work

continued through translation, and he translated Tiruvarangakalambakam, Devadasipattu and

Terupattu into French.

Beauty of Tamil language attracted innumerable Christians. Among those are B.Adam

who was Justice of Peace at Karaikal between 1878 and 1884 translated biography of

Tiruvalluvar, Attichoodi, Kondrai Vendan, Netri Verkai, Moodurai, Nalvazhi, Nanneri and

Needi Neri Vilakam into French and these were well received by the French in Pondicherry as

well as in France.

Karaikal one of the enclave of French settlement had a Tamil Son, by name Julien

Vinson, born of French parents who took keen interest in establishing mastery over Tamil

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literature and tried hard to improve his knowledge in Tamil into the ardent help of V.V.Saminada

Iyer, Nagai Vedasalampillai, Pandi Savarirayar, Karailkal Ayakannu Ayasamy Pulavar etc.

From 1879 to 1821 Julien Vinson taught Hindustani and Tamil in various organisation

namely ‘l’Ecole Nationale de langues Orientale, le verbe dans es languages dravidienne,

Legends Bouddhistes et Djainas. He translated in French some portions of Chintamani,

Silappatikaram, Manimekalai and brought out Manuel de la Langue Tamoule in 1903.

In 1861 he published his translated work at Pondicherry names Tadagi Vadhai Padalam

and Agaligai Pava Vimochana Padalam. He had helped V.V.Saminada Iyer who was

instrumental by bringing out Stalapurana of Villiyanur, for he copied out the text of Villai

Puranam from the collection of Tamil manuscripts in Paris.

Two of Vinson’s students Barrique de Fontainieu and G.Deveza paved ways for Tamil

works to enter the French World. The former translated the Inbathuppal of Thirukkural into

French. The latter joined and took pains to establish an institute called Enfant de langue on 29th

October 1827, inorder to encourage the local language. The Europeans of 16 to 22 years of age

joined this Institute and learnt Tamil and Hindustani with an optional language Telugu.

Between 1827 and 1838, the institution became the real centre to Tamil Language. Another

Pondicherrian, and an ardent Christian who drew the attention of Tamil affinity through his

poems by name Savarayala Nayagar. He was born on 9th December 1829. He wrote Perinba

Sadagham, Perinba Andhadhi and Tirunavatchadagham and was dedicated to Blessed Virgin

Mary. His most popular work of discourse on Tembavani won him the Thembavani Ubadesigar

title.

Translations from French to Tamil :

Pondicherry people were also interested in the foreign language of French because the

20th century witnessed the influence of French Culture and literary works were translated into

Tamil. Victor Hugo Les Miserables was adapted by Vidwan Duraiswamy Iyengar in his work

Kanakambujam published in 1923. Les Miserables was translated in the name Ezhai Padum

Padu by Yogi Sudhanandha Bharati and later it was filmed. The Three Musketeers of Dumas

enlightened Kalki to bring out Ponniyin Selvan.

Roger Martin du Gard’s work called Vieille France was translated by

KA.NA.Subramanian as Thapalkaran. The latter also translated Andre’ Gide’s Laporte Etroite 4

under the title Kurugiyapathai, Sudhananda Bharathi translated Anatole France’s work Thais

under the name Thasiyum Thabasiyum. Alexander Dumas ‘Le’comte de Monte Cristo was

brought out in Tamil by A.M.Ali.

M.M. Houssain took up Horace a work by Corneille and made out as Thygamey Perithu.

Victor Hugo’s Hernani was rendered as Simmavaraman. Rotron’s Vincelas was translated into

Tamil as Needhivarman by R.Desigampillai, and he translated Bernardin Saint Pierre’s work as

Indiyak Kudisai. His other French translations from Tamil included Andal Tiruppavai,

Saraswathi Andhadhi Sakalakalavalli Malai, Thiruvilayadarpuranam, Kanchipuranam and

Kandappuranam.

Apart from the above mentioned works, other works by famous writers like Emile Zola,

Romain Rolland, Gustave Flankert, Maupasant, Alphonse Dandet and Balzac were translated

into Tamil. The book title Missionary History of Pondicherry written by

Rev.Fr.P.A.Sampathkumar provides a clear portrayal of the emergence of Christianity and the

Christian missionary at Pondicherry. This book is an evidence to study and understand the

welfare and educational works undertaken and carried out by various missionaries in different

periods for the growth and development of Pondicherry. Literary works brought out by

Fr.M.A.Jacob, Clement Iswar, Fr.Carof, and Fr. P. P. Xavier are worth mentioning and they are

the exemplary one for the oncoming generation of the present.

Conclusion

The French who occupied Pondicherry for about 350 years leaving it only in 1954 considered Pondicherry as the window of the French culture which was pointed out by Nehru ,with its language, culture. Writings in Tamil and French were produced in a large scale from Pondicherry. Christians contributions to Tamil language dominates the history of Pondicherry Literature and Culture in the Post Colonial Regime. Social upliftment and cultural exchange became possible through the development of literature. Most of the works that were translated from French to Tamil became an eye-opener to the people of Pondicherry to break through the superstitious perils that were found in the society. Technology of Printing developed as the need of literature increased. Above all development of education took place among the population of Pondicherry.

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References:

1. Francis Cyril Antony, ed..Gazetteer of India,Vol.II.,Pondicherry,1982.

2. P. Raja & Rita Nath Keshari, Glimpses of Pondicherry,Pondicherry,2005.

3. K.S. Mathew, ed., French in India and Indian Nationalism,Vol.II,Delhi,1999

4. Rita Nath Kesari, The Post Colonial Encounter India:India in the British

Imagination, Pondicherry, 2005.

5. Neill, Stephen, Christian Missions, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth,1964.

6. Lafrence Jean, Precis d’histoire de la mission de Pondichery,Pondicherry,1953.

7. Arokianathan S, Tamil Diglossia, Chidambaram,1985.

8. S.A.Rahman,et.all, The Beautiful India,Pondicherry,Delhi,2006.

9. Said,Edward, Culture and Imperialism,London,1993.

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