Next came the vyavaharika bhasha vadam or using colloquial language in script. Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1848-1919) wrote the first novel in Telugu, Rajashekharacharitramu.
Young men acquainted with English literature were influenced by Shelly, Keats and Wordsworth, and a new type of romantic poetry called the Bhavakavithwam was born. His pursuit is said to be the only present day source of the many classics in Telugu literature.Īlthough the first printed Telugu book was out in 1796, it was a while before the modern period in Telugu literature set in. Tyagaraja (1767–1847) of Tanjore composed devotional songs in Telugu, which form a big part of the repertoire of Carnatic music.Ĭharles Philip Brown (1798-1884), was an employee of East India Company whose quest to understand the basic structure of Telugu language made him embark upon an exploration of Telugu literature. Innumerable Yakshaganas or indigenous dramas of song and prose works were also produced. Of the dozens of works of the eighteenth to mid nineteenth century, Kankanti Paparaju’s Uttara Ramayana in campu style and the play Vishnumayavilasa stand out. Some critics dismiss the following period, dominated by prabandhas, as a decadent age.
His court had the Ashtadiggajas (literally "eight elephants") who were the known to be the greatest of poets of that time. The king, a poet himself, introduced the Prabandha (a kind of love poetry) in Telugu literature with his Amukta Malyada. Krishnadevaraya’ s time (sixteenth century) is considered the golden age in the history of Telugu literature. Literary activities flourished, during the rule of Vijayanagara dynasty.
Some of the early landmarks are Srinathudu’s Sringara Naishadham, Potana’s Dasamaskandham, Jakkana’s Vikramarka Charitra and Talapaka Timmakka’s Subhadra Kalyanam. It was almost the end of the eleventh century by the time the original Telugu literature came to exist. Other such translations like Marana’s Markandeya Puranam, Ketana’s Dasakumara Charita, Yerrapragada’s Harivamsam followed. Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada are known as the Kavitraya or the three great poets of Telugu for this mammoth effort. Andhra Mahabharatamu was later furthered by Tikanna Somayaji (1205–1288), to be finally completed by Yerrapragada (fourteenth century). The advanced and well-developed language used by Nannayya suggests that this may not be the beginning of Telugu literature. So, Nannayya is known as Aadi Kavi (the first poet). Telugu literature prior to Nannayya Bhattarakudu’s Andhra Mahabharatamu was not preserved, except royal grants and decrees.