This is a book about the newness of old things. It concerns an
oratorical revolution, a transformation of oratorical style linked
to larger transformations in society at large. It explores the
aesthetics of Tamil oratory and its vital relationship to one of
the key institutions of modern society: democracy. Therefore this
book also bears on the centrality of language to the modern human
condition.
Though Tamil oratory is a relatively new practice in south
India, the Dravidian (or Tamil nationalist) style employs archaic
forms of Tamil that suggest an ancient mode of speech. Beginning
with the advent of mass democratic politics in the 1940s, a new
generation of politician adopted this style, known as "fine," or
"beautiful Tamil" ( centamil), for its distinct literary
virtuosity, poesy, and alluring evocation of a pure Tamil past.
Bernard Bate explores the centamil phenomenon, arguing
that the genre's spectacular literacy and use of ceremonial
procession, urban political ritual, and posters, praise poetry are
critical components in the production of a singularly Tamil mode of
political modernity: a Dravidian neoclassicism. From his
perspective, the centamil revolution and Dravidian
neoclassicism suggest that modernity is not the mere successor of
tradition but the production of tradition, and that this production
is a primary modality of modernity, a new newness-albeit a newness
of old things.
eISBN: 978-0-231-51940-3
Subjects: Anthropology, History, Language & Literature
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