Telugu Literature

The Telugu Literature is one of the oldest Literature of India, which has a rich reserve of stories, dramas, epics and poems. The Telugu literature is a vast store house of literary products by eminent personalities from the field of literature. The Telugu literature is one of the most prized possessions of the literary products of India. The eloquently written poems, short stories, epics and dramas only highlight the rich creative and artistic imagination of the Telugu authors.

Telugu literature can be divided into six periods:
Pre – 1020 CE Pre-Nannayya period
1020–1400 Age of the Puranas
1400–1510 Age of Srinatha
1510–1600 Age of the Prabandhas
1600–1820 Southern period
1820 to date Modern period

In the earliest period there were only inscriptions from 575 AD onwards. Nannaya's (1022-1063) translation of the Sanskrit Mahabharata into Telugu is the piece of Telugu literature as yet discovered. After the death of Nannaya, there was a kind of social and religious revolution in the Telugu country. Tikkana (13th century) and Yerrapregada (14th century) continued the translation of the Mahabharata started by Nannaya.

Telugu poetry is flourished after 15th century, especially in the time of Srinatha. During this period, some Telugu poets translated Sanskrit poems and dramas, while others attempted original narrative poems. The popular Telugu literary form called the Prabandha evolved during this period. Many scientific works like Ganitasarasangrahamu by Pavuluri Mallana and Prakirnaganitamu by Eluganti Peddana are written in 12th century in Telugu. Srinatha (1365-1441) was the foremost poet, who popularised this style of composition (a story in verse having a tight metrical scheme). Srinatha's Sringara Naishadham is particularly well-known. Potana’s Dasamaskandham, Jakkana’s Vikramarka Charitra and Talapaka Timmakka’s Subhadra Kalyanam. Literary activities flourished, during the rule of Vijayanagara dynasty. Krishnadevaraya’ s time (16th century) is considered the golden age in the history of Telugu literature.

Tyagaraja (1767–1847) of Tanjore composed devotional songs in Telugu, which form a big part of the repertoire of Carnatic music. After that Telugu literature entered a lull. In 18th century an Englishman called Charles Philip Brown played an important role in the re-development of Telugu literature. Telugu literature after Kandukuri Veeresalingam is termed modern literature. Known as Gadya Tikkana, Satyavathi Charitam was the author Telugu-language social novel, Satyavathi Charitam. Other modern writers include Jnanpith Award winners Sri Viswanatha Satya Narayana and Dr. C. Narayana Reddy. The Andhra Pradesh native and revolutionary poet Sri Sri brought new forms of expressionism into Telugu literature.