PREFACE

In the early stages of this study I was rather diffident since the work was voluminous. However during the process of researching and writing I discovered a very salient point which made the work worthwhile. Tamil until the advent of foreign scholars was purely a literary language. The tireless effort of more then eigthty European scholars gave her a scientific outlook. The entire outlook changed and almost a renaissance flowered.

It was well nigh impossible to completely exhaust all their contributions. I was compelled to restrict myself to the 19th century scholars and even then I could not treat exhaustively.

The chief object of this study was to discover the methods adopted by these foreign scholars to learn a new language, and to throw light on their research of Tamil and Tamil works. Their novel methods and contributions were the important points.

This book is the approved doctoral dissertation which I presented to the University of Madras in 1966. The only addition to this book is the Index at the end.

This work was accomplished while I was Professor and the Head of the Department of Tamil in the Presidency College, Madras. The Government of Tamilnadu and the University of Madras were kind enough to grant me the necessary permission to register for the Ph.D. degree and pursue the research which culminated in my dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Under the late Dr. R.P Sethu Pillai's esteemed guidance I worked for a year. To him I am perpetually indebted for his valuable advice and help. After his lamented death Dr.M. Rajamanickam was my guide. I am grateful to him for his guidance I record my sincere gratitude to my learned Professor the late Dr. A.C. Chettiar for his advice.