Sanskrit Education and Literature in Ancient and Medieval Tamil Nadu: An Epigraphical Study

Education, especially Vedic and Vedantic, along with allied subjects, was a prime focus of the rulers of the Tamil kingdoms. This book highlights the educational initiatives during the reigns of the Pallava, Pandya, Cola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka and other kings.

The inscriptions across the Tamil country talk about Sanskrit education in detail. Agraharas, ghatikas, temple-colleges and mathas were the main educational institutions propagating Sanskrit texts. The teachers were handsomely paid and bhatta-vritti was the norm of the day; villages were donated to them either as ekabhoga or as agrahara (brahmadeya). There were poets and composers among the rulers, as an embodiment of their dedication to education. The numerous grants act as authentic sources of information on the reigns of these rulers, scholars, composers and educational institutions across many centuries beginning from the Pallava times.

Giving a deep insight, this book is an invaluable source of information for students and researchers in the ancient and medieval history of India.