A History of Indian English Literature

Product Description

Indian English literature began as an interesting by-product of an eventual encounter in the late 18th century between a vigorous and enterprising Britain and a stagnant and chaotic India,and is now nearly two hundred years old,it is literature written originally in english by authors Indian by birth,ancestry or nationality.It is no part of English literature any more than American literature or australian literature can be said to be a branch of english literature.It is legitimately a part of Indian literature,since it's difeerentia is the expression in it of Indian ethos. Sahitya Akademi has accepted Indian English Literature as the most suitable applellation for this body of writing.The term emphasises two significant ideas:first that this liteature cnstitutes one of the many streams that join the great ocean called Indian literature,which though written in different languages has an unmistakable unity:and secondly,that it is an inevitable product of the nativization of the English language to express the India sensibility. Professor Naik traces the course of this history from it's beginnings to recent times,dividing it into convenient periods,in an analytical,critical and engaging style.

Review

Indian English Literature (IEL) refers to the body of work by writers in India who write in the English language and whose native or co-native language could be one of the numerous languages of India. It is also associated with the works of members of the Indian diaspora, such as V.S. Naipaul and Salman Rushdie, who are of Indian descent. It is frequently referred to as Indo-Anglian literature. (Indo-Anglian is a specific term in the sole context of writing that should not be confused with the term Anglo-Indian). As a category, this production comes under the broader realm of postcolonial literature- the production from previously colonised countries such as India. IEL has a relatively recent history, it is only one and a half centuries old. The first book written by an Indian in English was by Sake Dean Mahomet, titled Travels of Dean Mahomet; Mahomet's travel narrative was published in 1793 in England. In its early stages it was influenced by the Western art form of the novel. Early Indian writers used English unadulterated by Indian words to convey an experience which was essentially Indian. Raja Rao's Kanthapura is Indian in terms of its storytelling qualities. Rabindranath Tagore wrote in Bengali and English and was responsible for the translations of his own work into English. Dhan Gopal Mukerji was the first Indian author to win a literary award in the United States. Nirad C. Chaudhuri, a writer of non-fiction, is best known for his The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian where he relates his life experiences and influences. P. Lal, a poet, translator, publisher and essayist, founded a press in the 1950s for Indian English writing, Writers Workshop. --Wikipedia

About the Author

Distinguished critic and editor,Professor M.K.Naik is one of the leading scholars of English literature.Recipient of a national fellowship for Teachers of Eminence in 1978 he retired as Head of the Department of English,Karnataka University,Dharwar.