M. S. Purnalingam Pillai
Encyclopedia
Munnirpallam S. Purnalingam Pillai ( , b. May 25, 1866 - d. June 6, 1947) was a Tamil
writer, scholar, historian and Dravidologist.
family. After his initial education, Pillai joined as a lecturer of English at the Madras Christian College
. During this period, Pillai got interested in studying Tamil history and civilization. He edited a Tamil journal called Gnanabodhini along with Parithimar Kalaignar
.
and Mohenjodaro were in their nascent stages, Pillai, along with another Dravidologist T. R. Sesha Iyengar pedicted that future discoveries would establish beyond doubt that the Indus Valley Civilization
was of Dravidian origin and also along with it the antiquity of Tamil civilization and language.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
writer, scholar, historian and Dravidologist.
Early life
Purnalingam Pillai was born at Munnirpallam in Tinnevely district in 1866 in a Saiva VellalarSaiva Vellalar
Saiva Velaalar is a Tamil community in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They trace their lineage to the ancient Velir tribeSaiva Velaalars have the title of Mudaliar and Pillai...
family. After his initial education, Pillai joined as a lecturer of English at the Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
. During this period, Pillai got interested in studying Tamil history and civilization. He edited a Tamil journal called Gnanabodhini along with Parithimar Kalaignar
Parithimar Kalaignar
Parithimar Kalaignar , a Professor of Tamil at the Madras Christian College was the first person to campaign for the recognition of Tamil as a classical language.- Life :...
.
Dravidology and political activism
In 1904, Pillai published A Primer of Tamil Literature, the first comprehensive study of Tamil literature as a historical narrative. The narration was strongly imbibed with a Dravidian supremacist point of view. In the early 1920s, when excavations at HarappaHarappa
Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The current village of Harappa is from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a train station left from...
and Mohenjodaro were in their nascent stages, Pillai, along with another Dravidologist T. R. Sesha Iyengar pedicted that future discoveries would establish beyond doubt that the Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
was of Dravidian origin and also along with it the antiquity of Tamil civilization and language.
Further reading
- http://www.tamilheritage.org/thfcms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=186&Itemid=260Purnalingam Pillai profile in Dina ManiDina ManiDina Mani is daily Tamil newspaper printed and published from Chennai, Coimbatore, Vellore, Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri, Bangalore, and New Delhi in India. The newspaper was established in 1933 and owned by The New Indian Express Group.The first edition came in 1934 september 11...
]