Unit-10 Social Transformation in Tamil Nadu
I. Choose the correct answer
1.________established a full fledged printing press in1709,at Tranquebar.
a) Caldwell
b) F.W. Ellis
c) Ziegenbalg
d) Meenakshisundaram
Answer: c) Ziegenbalg
2.________founded Adi Dravida Mahajana Sabha in 1893.
a) Rettaimalai Srinivasan
b) B. R. Ambedkar
c) Rajaji
d) M. C. Rajah
Answer:a)RettaimalaiSrinivasan
3.India’s first organised trade union,the Madras labour union was formed in________.
a) 1918
b) 1917
c) 1916
d) 1914
Answer: a) 1918
4. ________ was established by the Justice Party Government for the selection ofGovernmentofficials.
a) Staff Selection Board
b) Public Service Commission
c) Provincial Staff Recruitment Board
d) Staff Selection Commission
Answer:a)staff section board
5.________was the first elected legislative council member from the depressed class in Madras Province.
a) M. C. Rajah
b) Rettaimalai Srinivasan
c) T.M. Nair
d) P. Varadarajulu
Answer: a) M.C.Rajah
II.Fill in the blanks.
1.________was the first non-European language that went into print
Answer: Tamil
2. The College of Fort St. George was founded by ________.
Answer: F.W.Ellis
3. ________ is considered the father of Tamil linguistic purism.
Answer: Maraimalai Adigal
4.________was the first to approve participation of women in the electoral politics.
Answer: Justice Party government
5. The name Suriyanarayana Sastri changed in Tamil as ________.
Answer: Parithimar Kalignar
6. ________ gave prominence to Tamil music.
Answer: Abraham Pandithar
7.The first woman legislator in India was________.
Answer:Dr.Muthulakshmi
III. Choose the correct statement.
1. (i) Thirukkural was one of the earliest Tamil literary texts to be published in 1812. (T)
(ii) Maraimalai Adigal collected and edited different palm leaf manuscripts of the Tamil grammars and literature. (F)
(iii)Robert Caldwell established the close affinity between the Dravidian languages in contrast with Sanskrit and also established the antiquity of Tamil. (T)
(iv) Thiru.V. Kalyanasundaram was an early pioneer in Trade union movement.(F)
a) (i) and (ii) are correct
b) (i) and (iii) are correct
c) (iv) is correct
d) (ii) and (iii) are correct
Answer: b) i) and iii) are correct
2. Assertion (A) : The Justice Party continued to remain in government from 1920-1937 in Madras Presidency.
Reason (R) : The Congress Party boycotted the Madras Legislature during this period of Dyarchy.
a) Both A and R are correct
b) A is correct, but R is not the correct explanation
c) Both A and R are wrong
d) R is correct, but it has no relevance to A
Answer: a) Both A and R are correct
IV. Match the following.
1.Dravidian Home - a) Maraimalai Adigal
2 Thozhilalan– b) RettaimalaiSrinivasan-
3.Tani Tamil iyakam-c) Singaravelar
4.Jeeviya saritha Surukkam – d) Natesanar
Answer: 1.d 2.c 3.a 4.b
V.Answer briefly
1. Write a note on Tamil Renaissance.
- The cultural hegemony (supremacy) of colonialism and the rise of humanism brought several changes in the socio-cultural life of the Tamils.
- The introduction of printing press, linguistic research on Dravidian languages,
- etc., underpinned the process of Tamil renaissance.
- The publication of the ancient literary tests created awareness among the Tamil people about their history, tradition, language and religion.
- Therefore, the rediscovery of ancient classics and their publication is considered the foundation of Tamil renaissance.
- Robert Caldwell formulated the theory that the South Indian languages belonged to a separate family which was unrelated to the Indo- Aryan family of languages.
- He expanded this argument in a book titled, A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South Indian Family of Languages in 1856.
- He established the close affinity between the Dravidian languages in contrast with Sanskrit and also established the antiquity of Tamil
and protection. He welcomed equal rights for males and females in property, guardianship and adoption. z He was a strong champion of birth control and contraception and said that motherhood was a burden to women. VI. Answer the following in detail. 1. Attempt an essay on the foundation and development of Tamil Renaissance in the 19th Century. The publication of the ancient literary tests created awareness among the Tamil people about their history, tradition, language and religion. The introduction of printing press, linguistic research on Dravidian languages, etc., underpinned the process of Tamil renaissance. Printing Technology: z Tamilwasthefirstnon-Europeanlanguagethatwentforprint. z As early as in 1578 a Tamil book, ThambiranVanakkam, was published from Goa. z In1709,afull-fledgedprintingpresshadbeenestablishedthankstoZiegenbalgin Tranquebar. z This led the resurgence of interest among Tamil scholars in publishing the moreancient Tamil classics Rediscovery of Tamil classics: z In the nineteenth century, Tamil scholars like Damotharam Pillai and U.Ve. Swaminatha Aiyar spent their lifetime in the rediscovery of the Tamil classics. z C.W.Damotharanar collected and edited different palm-leaf manuscripts of Tamil grammar and literature. U.V.Swaminathar took efforts to publish the classical texts z The rediscovery of ancient classics and their publication is considered the foundation of Tamil renaissance. RollofTamilScholars: z Tamil renaissance contributed to the origin and growth of Dravidian consciousness in the Tamil country. z The scholars like C.W. Damotharanar, U.Ve. Saminathar, Thiru Vi. Kaliyanasundaram, Parithimar Kalaignar, Maraimalai Adigal, Subramania Bharati, S. Vaiyapuri and Bharathidasan by their writings contributed to the revival of Tamil literature. z In addition, the twentieth century Tamil language movements such as Tani Tamil IyakkamandTamilIsaiIyakkammadeasignificantculturalimpactincreatingapure TamilfreefromtheconfluenceofastrongSanskritcomponent.
2.DescribethebackgroundfortheformationoftheJusticePartyandpointoutits contribution to the cause of social justice. The prominent non-Brahmin leaders Dr. Natesa Mudaliyar, Sir Pitti Theyagarayar, T.M. Nair and Alamelu Mangai Thayarammal came together and formed the South Indian Liberation Federation (SILF) in Nov. 1916. The Association started publishing three newspapers – Dravidian in Tamil, Justice in English and Andhra Prakasika in Telugu to propagate the ideals of the party. Thefirstelection,undertheMontague-ChelmsfordReforms,washeldin1920.JusticePartyformedthegovernmentin1920andcontinuedtoremaininofficetill1937. Its contributions: zThe Justice Party government widened education and employment opportunities for the majority of the population. zThe party removed the legal restricting inter-caste marriages and broke the barriers that prevented Adi Dravidars from the use of public wells and tanks. zThe Justice Party government ordered that public schools accommodate the children of the Adi Dravidars. Hostels were established for the students belonging to this social group in 1923. zTheJusticePartygovernmentwasthefirsttoapproveparticipationofwomenintheelectoral politics in 1921. zThe Justice Party worked towards legislating provisions for communal representation for various communities. zThe Justice Partyrule established the Staff Selection Board in 1924 for the selection of governmentofficialsandencouragedallthecommunitiestosharetheadministrativepowers. zThe Justice Party introduced the Hindu Religious Endowment (HRE) Act in 1926 and enabledanyindividual,irrespectiveoftheircasteaffiliation,tobecomememberofthe temple committee and govern the resources of the religious institutions.3. Estimate Periyar E.V.R’s decisive contribution to the social transformation of TamilNadu. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, the pioneer of the Self-Respect Movement promoted rationalism among people for the better construction of human society. He started his carrier as a Congress man and later, became an anti-congress and started Self Respect Movement. He reformed Indian society on the humanitarian ground and gave special attention to the women empowerment.
His contributions: z He advocated inter-caste and Self- Respect Marriages devoid of any such rituals. z He condemned child-marriage and the devadasi system (institution of temple girls). z He campaigned for women’s emancipation, their empowerment and questioned the superstitious beliefs in the society. z He declared illiteracy as a source for women’s subordination and promoted compulsory elementary education for all. z Periyar objected to terms like “giving in marriage”. He said the term treats woman as a thing. He wants it substituted by “valkaitunai,”(helpmate) z Periyar believed that property rights for women would provide them a social status and protection. He welcomed equal rights for males and females in property, guardianship and adoption. z He was a strong champion of birth control and contraception and said that motherhood was a burden to women. z Anti-north Indian campaigns had made Periyar to take and anti-Hindi stand. ‘I oppose Hindi as a foreign language. It introduces foreign ideas. It makes us slaves’, stated Peiryar in 1948, z Periyar objected to the hereditary priesthood in temples. He argued that eligible individuals, who have a proper religious knowledge, should become priests rather than being based on caste. z C.Rajagopalachari, the Chief Minister of Madras State (1952–54), introduced a vocational education programme that encouraged imparting school children with training in tune with their father’s occupation. Periyar criticized it as Kula Kalvi Thittam (caste-based education scheme) and opposed it tooth and nail. z GovernmentofTamilNadufulfilledhisdreambypassingtheHinduSuccessionTamil Nadu Amendment Act of 1989 which ensured the equal rights to ancestral property for women in inheritance. z This Act became a trendsetter and led to similar legislation at the national level.VII. Activity 1. 2. Students can be taught to distinguish between Labour Movement and Trade Union Movement. Project work on the activities of local trade union organisations may be done by students. STUDENTS SELF ACTIVITY. Students can compile the activities of the local writers’ associations or women’s collectives. STUDENTS SELF ACTIVITY.