INTRODUCTION

In the history of Tamil literature the advent of European interest is indisputably a landmark. This era can be considered as the initial beginning for the Tamil Renaissance. It was a reawakening of flagging interest and drowsy talent to the inexhaustible mine of literature and literary capacities.

Before the advent of European scholars into the domain of Tamil Literature, prose in the language had been a mere rivulet compared to the vast ocean of Tamil poetry. With European interest exerting itself the small rivulet filled its banks, breaking its shores to form a recognisable river, overflowing with torrential literary works and threatening occasionally to overshadow poetry.

Tamil was exposed to the all-permeating influence of Sanskrit. Almost all was either attributed to her or to her dominating influence. She (Tamil) was entangled with Sanskrit and it was left to European scholars to detach her from that gnawing hold when creative Tamil Literary activity had nearly reached an impasse and channel her in her own individual courses.

The ways that were paved for subsequent native following, the torches they lit to enlighten those ways, the western methods they profitably introduced and the long vistas opened up for future speculation and research by European Scholars form a golden chapter in the history of Tamil literature. A haphazard study of the glorious service rendered by these scholars has been made in the past, but a comprehensive survey of their remarkable toil and contributions has been a long felt desideration. Such a study will unmistakably reveal to us those branches of literature for which they gave the necessary start and push but which failed to develop after them¹.

1.For example medical books in Tamil have had a very slow snail’s pace after Dr. Green’s works.