Lecture Notes: Ancient Indian Literature and Related Texts (Vedic to Persian Era)

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Vocabulary-style flashcards covering terms, texts, authors, dynasties, and key concepts from the provided notes.

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68 Terms

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Satapatha Brahmana

Brahmana text (commentary on Sukla Yajurveda) that refers to expansion of Aryans toward the eastern Gangetic Plains.

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Aitareya Brahmana

Rig Veda prose text; noted in the notes as describing women as a source of misery.

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Visa

Vedic concept of election of a chief by tribes; mentioned in the Atharva Veda.

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Upavedas

Applied knowledge texts; subjects include Dhanurveda (warcraft), Gandharvaveda (music), Ayurveda (medicine), Silpa-veda (crafts).

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Mundaka Upanishad

Upanishad from which the phrase Satyamev Jayate is traditionally drawn.

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Anguttara Nikaya

Buddhist scripture; includes lists of 16 Mahajanapadas.

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Bhagwati Sutra

Jain text that lists 16 Mahajanapadas.

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Ashtadhyayi

Panini’s grammar; notes mention it in connection with a list of 22 Mahajanapadas.

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Swapanavassavdattam (Swapnavāsavardhāttam)

Play by Bhasa about King Udayana and Avanti Princess Vasavadatta; set near Ujjain.

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Urubhanga

Sanskrit drama by Bhasa depicting the story of Duryodhana during/after his fight with Bhima.

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Ahananuru

Tamil Sangam poem by Mamulanar; mentions the enormous wealth of the Nandas.

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R. Shama Shastrai

Scholar credited with discovering the Arthashastra manuscript in 1904.

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Arthashastra (three parts)

Three-part work: 1) King/counsel & government departments; 2) Civil/Criminal Law; 3) Diplomacy & War.

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Dipavamsa

Ceylonese chronicle; sheds light on Ashoka’s spread of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

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Mahavamsa

Ceylonese chronicle (Pali); recounts Buddha’s travels to Sri Lanka and kings of Ceylon.

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Parishistparvan

Section (Parva) of the Mahabharata associated with Hemchandra; notes Chandragupta Maurya’s Jainism conversion.

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Mahavibhasika Shastra

Mahayana Buddhist text compiled around 150 CE by Vasumitra.

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Gathasaptasati (Sattasai)

700 Prakrit verses by Hala (7th-? century Shatavahana era); erotic elements; multiple female poets contributed.

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Hala

Poet who authored 44 of the 700 verses in Gathasaptasati.

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Pahi, Mahavi, Sasippaha, Roha, Reva

Female poets who contributed to the Gathasaptasati (as per the notes).

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Milindapanha

Milinda’s Questions; Buddhist dialogue with Nagasena; court scholars include Vasumitra, Ashvagosa, Nagarjuna.

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Vasumitra

Court scholar of Kanishka; associated with Milindapanha and Buddhist scholarship.

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Ashvaghosha

First dramatist to use Sanskrit in plays; author of Buddhacharita.

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Saka Era

Era begun under Kanishka (circa 78 CE).

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Buddhacharita

Sanskrit drama by Ashvaghosha about the life of Buddha.

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Pandyas

Dynasty that patronised Sangam literature.

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Tamilakam

Ancient name for the land of Tamil Nadu.

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Muchchangam

Location of the 1st Sangam; capital Madurai; no surviving works from this Sangam.

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Kapadapuram (Kapadpuram)

Location of the 2nd Sangam; most works lost except Tolkkapiam (Tolkappiyam).

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Mudathimaran

Organizer of the 3rd Sangam at Madurai.

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Tolkappiyam

Work on Tamil grammar; also provides socio-economic context.

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Ettutogai (Ettuthokai)

Eight Sangam anthologies (Aingurunuru, Narrinai, Agananuru, Purananuru, Kuruntokai, Kalittogai, Paripadal, Padiruppattu).

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Pattinappalai

Tamil Sangam poem (CHOLA-Karikala period) describing customs at Port Puḥar.

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Pattuppattu

Ten Tamil idylls; part of Sangam literature; includes Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunarruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Maduraikanji, Kurinjipattu, Padiruppatu and others.

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Avvaiyar

Famous female saint-poet of Sangam literature.

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Silappathikaram

One of the two major Tamil epics; by Ilango Adigal; tale of Kovalan and Madhavi.

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Manimekalai

Second major Tamil epic by Sitalai Sattanar; sequel to Silapathikaram.

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Deepavamsa

Pali text; describes Buddha’s visit to Sri Lanka and related events; part of Sri Lankan Buddhist literature.

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Mahavamsa (Sri Lanka)

Pali epic/history of Sri Lanka; chronicles Buddhist kings and events.

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Padiruppatu

One of the Pattuppattu works; details Chera Rule.

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Padiyinap Paank?

(Note: included as Padiruppatu info on Chera rule; see Pattuppattu section.)

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Avvaiyar

Famous female saint of Sangam literature.

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Maduraikanji

Tamil work by Mangudi Maruthanar; reports Pandya Rule.

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Kurinjippattu

One of the Pattuppattu works describing land and nature; part of the Pattuppattu collection.

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Pandu?

(Note: content related to Pandya rule in Pattuppattu section.)

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Aham and Puram

Two thematic groups in Pathinenkilkanakku: Aham (Love) and Puram (Valour/ethical life).

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Malaipadukadam

Aham–Puram collection; part of Pathinenkilkanakku; includes Tirukkural.

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Pathinenmelkanakku

The 18 major Tamil works; includes both Aham and Puram sections.

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Tirukkural

Didactic Tamil work by Thiruvalluvar; part of Pathinenkilkanakku; ethics and morality.

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Kavirajamarga

First literary work in Kannada; court treatise by King/ poet; describes Kannada literary tradition.

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Merutunga, Prabandhchintamani

Merutunga: 14th-15th C. Jain scholar; wrote Prabandhachintamani (Chand) describing history.

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Hammira Mahakavya

Sanskrit epic by Nayachandra Suri (14th–15th c.) about Hammira of the Chauhans.

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Jain literature in Sanskrit

Several Jain scholars wrote in Sanskrit; prominent figures include Siddha, Jinasena, Shantinatha Charita.

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Tattvartha-sutra

Jain text on logic, epistemology, ethics and astronomy by Umaswati; accepted by Digambaras and Śvetāmbaras.

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Ain-i-Akbar

Official court chronicle of Akbar’s reign; translated into Persian; related to Akbar’s era.

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Abul Fazl (Ain-i-Akbarī)

Court historian at Akbar’s court; author of Akbarnama and related works.

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Akbarnama

Formal chronicle of Akbar’s reign by Abul Fazl.

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Tarikh-i-Firoz-shahi

Court history by Zia-ud-din Barani? (Note mentions historians in Delhi Sultanate era; referenced works include Tarikh-i-Firoz-Shahi and Minhaj-i-Siraj.)

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Isami, Barani, Ibn Batuta

Contemporary writers in the Delhi Sultanate era; historians and travelers.

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Firuz Tughlaq

Delhi Sultan who collected Sanskrit manuscripts and promoted translations into Persian.

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Tutunama

Book of the Parrot; translated into Turkish and other languages from Persian/Arabic traditions.

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Ziyauddin Nakshabi

Role in translations of Sanskrit stories into Persian.

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Amir Khusro

Court poet in Delhi; prolific Persian poet; composed divans.

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Shah–Nama (Shahnameh)

Epic Persian poem translated in courtly settings; attributed to Firdausi in this era.

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Ain-i-Akbarī and Akbarnama

Key Persian-language chronicles of Akbar’s reign; part of Mughal historiography.

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Md. Bin Tughlaq (Muhammad bin Tughlaq)

Delhi Sultan known for literary patronage; the only sultan described as having broad literary education.

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Padmavat

Epic poem by Jayasi; later Persian translations and cultural adaptations.

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Nilopitu

Reference in Harsha-era literature; archives or archives tradition (note appears in Harsha section).