From Haryana to Gujarat to Maharashtra, numerous Indian states have been witness to protests by backward classes pressing for quotas and reservations. In stark contrast is the exemplary case of Tamil Nadu, which has managed to effectively integrate economic and development agenda for the backward classes into state policy. In the fifty years of rule between them, M. Karunanidhi, MGR, and J. Jayalalithaa—the iconic leaders of Tamil Nadu politics—managed to effectively transform institutions and structures to deliver a social welfare agenda in the state. Was it pure charisma on part of these leaders that gave us the unusual story of politicians and bureaucrats working hand in hand to implement a social agenda? Written by S. Narayan, who as part of the administration was both a witness to and a participant in these developments, this book is an intimate narrative on the Dravidian years of Tamil Nadu. At an important juncture of Tamil Nadu politics, it also makes us wonder: With no charismatic leader in the horizon, who can take the state forward?

Among all Indian states, economic and social development in Tamil Nadu has been uniquely characterized by the political ideologies of the Dravidian parties that have ruled the state from 1967. Starting from a platform of social reform and social justice, the parties have effectively transformed institutions and structures in the state to deliver a social welfare agenda, with the full support of the bureaucracy. The book chronicles the history of the social reform movement, and how these ideas were implemented in policy and through programmes to bring about fundamental changes in institutions of governance and delivery of welfare. Case studies of selected programmes illustrate this development. The author was part of the administration and a witness as well as a participant of these developments. The book is an intimate narrative from the point of view of an insider into the DMK and AIADMK regimes and the iconic leaders of these parties like MGR, M. Karunanidhi, and Jayalalitha.

This book adds to the growing literature on dynamics of regional development in the global South by mapping the politics and processes contributing to the distinct developmental trajectory of Tamil Nadu, southern India. Using a novel interpretive framework and drawing upon fresh data and literature, it seeks to explain the social and economic development of the state in terms of populist mobilization against caste-based inequalities. Dominant policy narratives on inclusive growth assume a sequential logic whereby returns to growth are used to invest in socially inclusive policies. By focusing more on redistribution of access to opportunities in the modern economy, Tamil Nadu has sustained a relatively more inclusive and dynamic growth process. Democratization of economic opportunities has made such broad-based growth possible even as interventions in social sectors reinforce the former. The book thus also speaks to the nascent literature on the relationship between the logic of modernisation and status based inequalities in the global South.

The Dravidian language family is the world's fourth largest with over 175 million speakers across South Asia from Pakistan to Nepal, from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka as well as having communities in Malaysia, North America and the UK. Four of the languages, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu are official national languages and the Dravidian family has had a rich literary and cultural influence. This authoritative reference source provides unique descriptions of 12 of these languages, covering their historical development alongside discussions of their specialised linguistic structures and features. Each chapter combines modern linguistic theory with traditional historical linguistics and a uniform structure allows for easy typological comparison between the individual languages. Two further chapters provide general information about the language family - the introduction, which covers the history, cultural implications and linguistic background, and a separate article on Dravidian writing systems. This volume includes languages from all 4 of the Dravidian family's subgroupings: South Dravidian e.g. Tamil, Kannada; South Central Dravidian e.g. Telugu, Konda; Central Dravidian e.g. Kolami; North Dravidian e.g. Brahui, Malto. Written by a team of expert contributors, many of whom are based in Asia, each language chapter offers a detailed analysis of phonology, morphology, syntax and followed by a list of the most relevant further reading to aid the independent scholar. The Dravidian Languages will be invaluable to students and researchers within linguistics and will also be of interest to readers in the fields of comparative literature, South Asian studies and Oriental studies.

'A Must For [Anyone] Who Wants To Understand Tamil Nadu Politics' New Indian Express Tamil Nadu Is A State Very Different From The Rest Of India, Both Culturally And Historically. It Has Retained A Fundamentally Separate Identity For Itself In Language And Caste Structure, And This Is Most Evident In Its Politics. Cut-Outs, Caste And Cine Stars: The Word Of Tamil Politics Tells A Political Story That Has All The Elements Of A Blockbuster Film, Where Ironies And Larger-Than-Life Characters Abound: Periyar, A Kannada-Speaker, Who Introduced The Notions Of Tamil Self-Respect And Regional Pride, Yet Dismissed Tamil As 'A Barbaric Language'; The Matinee Idol Mgr, A Malayalee Born In Sri Lanka, Who Became Tamil Nadu'S Most Popular Mass Leader; The Dravidian Movement Which, By Its Own Ideology, Should Have Helped The Dalits But Has Instead Supported Only The Upwardly Mobile Middle Groups; And Parties That Rose To Power By Propagating Anti-Hindi And Anti-Brahmin Sentiments But Have Now Allied Themselves With The Bjp. It Is Fitting That This Reel-Like Scenario Is Presently Dominated By The Electoral Politics Of Karunanidhi And Jayalalithaa, One A Scriptwriter And The Other A Former Actress. Well-Known Writer And Journalist Vaasanthi Has Observed The Dramatis Personae In This Epic Drama At Close Quarters For A Decade. Now Updated With An Additional Chapter On The War Of Succession Cut-Outs, Caste And Cine Stars Offers An Objective And Insightful View Of A Political World That Is Both Fascinating And Perplexing.

This book focuses on the role of U.S. and European churches, academics, think-tanks, foundations, government and human rights groups in fostering separation of the identities of Dravidian and Dalit communities from the rest of India. It is the result of five years of research, and uses information obtained in the West about foreign funding of these Indian-based activities. The research tracked the money trails that start out claiming to be for education, human rights, empowerment training and leadership training, but end up in programs designed to produce angry youths who feel disenfranchised from Indian identity. The book reveals how outdated racial theories continue to provide academic frameworks and fuel the rhetoric that can trigger civil wars and genocides in developing countries. The Dravidian movement's 200-year history has such origins. Its latest manifestation is the Dravidian Christianity - movement that fabricates a political and cultural history to exploit old faultlines. The book explicitly names individuals and institutions, including prominent Western ones and their Indian affiliates. Its goal is to spark an honest debate on the extent to which human rights and other empowerment projects are cover-ups for these nefarious activities.

British rule of India brought together two very different traditions of scholarship about language, whose conjuncture led to several intellectual breakthroughs of lasting value. Two of these were especially important: the conceptualization of the Indo-European language family by Sir William Jones at Calcutta in 1786—proposing that Sanskrit is related to Persian and languages of Europe—and the conceptualization of the Dravidian language family of South India by F.W. Ellis at Madras in 1816—the "Dravidian proof," showing that the languages of South India are related to one another but are not derived from Sanskrit. These concepts are valid still today, centuries later. This book continues the examination Thomas R. Trautmann began in Aryans and British India (1997). While the previous book focused on Calcutta and Jones, the current volume examines these developments from the vantage of Madras, focusing on Ellis, Collector of Madras, and the Indian scholars with whom he worked at the College of Fort St. George, making use of the rich colonial record. Trautmann concludes by showing how elements of the Indian analysis of language have been folded into historical linguistics and continue in the present as unseen but nevertheless living elements of the modern.

The Dravidian tribe in the Western Ghats holds the key to ancient knowledge capable of redefining the fundamentals of modern medicine. When an army of Bio Pirates descend on them, the warrior tribe is faced with an adversary that must be taken down at all costs to avoid complete destruction. The last weapon in the Dravidian arsenal is Arjun Mamidi, a young, blind lawyer. Can Arjun save the Dravidians and their invaluable knowledge from impending doom? Or will the knowledge and the men guarding it be lost forever? ________________________________________ About the Author- Dr. Kalyan C Kankanala Dr. Kalyan is a novelist and Thai yoga masseur from Bangalore, India. He started his fiction writing with legal thrillers, and is currently writing historical and crime thriller novels. Some of his novels were among best sellers on different stores, and have been listed among the 'must reads' for people interested in the law thriller genre. He is an IP attorney by profession, and is listed among the top intellectual property minds in India. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala writes extensively on intellectual property issues, and has published highly referenced books and law review articles on the subject. Dr. Kalyan is also a trained Thai yoga masseur, and provides Thai yoga body work as a hobby. He combines his learnings from psychology, music therapy and body work to offer meditative and relaxing massages. ________________________________________ ***Select Reviews of The Dravidian "In line with the previous Arjun Chronicles, The Dravidian is a fast paced legal IP thriller that is sure to leave its readers asking for more. The story begins with the all too familiar scene of the Lankan Warfield, where a fatally wounded Laxman lies in a pool of blood, fighting what seems like an inevitable end. Ram, the elder brother, on the other hand sees hope in Hanuman and his superhuman abilities to find a cure that can heal and restore Laxman’s fast fading pulse. When the Dravidians help bring back Laxman from the brink of certain death, Lord Ram makes a promise that will ensure the survival of the tribe for centuries to come and sanctify the Dravidian tribe as being ‘God’s own’. The plot of ‘The Dravidian’ is well chalked and complete with intricate details that writers often tend to miss or overlook. The narration transports you deep into the jungles of the Western Ghats in one instance and right into the midst of the Court room arguments in the next with absolute ease." - The Indian Jurist. "Reading, like writing, is an art and this art is only capable of serving its purpose when the reader gets to immerse themselves in the pages of the books. Paragraphs aren’t a bunch of words cluttered together and words are not mere letters trying to balance themselves on the armature of language. Dr Kalyan.C.Kankanala’s The Dravidian: God’s Own Tribe belongs to that category of wonderful books that leaves a bittersweet aftertaste. What makes the book interesting apart from the nail-biting plot line and the characters with all their quirks and eccentricities is undoubtedly the impeccable language. The luminous descriptions transport us to Arjun’s world and the ongoing battle. The Indianness which creeps into the language is intentional and absolutely necessary. A literary enthusiast feels as if they are taken to the land of Swift with the skirmishes between the ancient and the modern. - Pavana, Independent Book Reviewer. "The author, Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala, has taken his experiences as an IP attorney and used it to bring about this legal thriller between the ancient generous ways of the tribe and the modern money-minded pharma companies. His main character, a lawyer for the underdogs, Arjun, is a brilliant, young and blind, yet he does not allow this disability to erode his work, in fact, he uses it to his advantage at some points in the book. Arjun is accompanied by his wife Shreya, an intelligent researcher, paralegal, his assistant Jose and his dog Neo. I loved the camaraderie between these three; they provide relief when the court scenes become tensed. ..." - Dr. Shalini Gopal, Independent Book Reviewer.

Edition: Deluxe edition with color.The history of Tamil̤ Nāḍu from the sixteenth century to the eighteenth is eventful with political developments which had far-reaching consequences. It was a significant period in which non-Tamil̤ rulers ruled the country which ultimately led to the establishment of foreign rule. The period commences with the appointment of the Telugu-speaking Vijayanagar governors in the Madurai, Thañjāvūr and Señji regions. The decline of the Vijayanagar rule led to the rule of the Marāthas in Thañjāvūr and the Mughals in the Carnatic. The invasion of the Tamil̤ country by the Mughal general, Zulfikar Khan, made the Tamil̤ States tributaries of the Mughals and established the rule of the Carnatic Nawabs. This period witnessed the efforts of European powers to establish trade centres. The war of succession between the two dynasties of the Carnatic Nawabs and the wars between the competitive trading countries, the English and the French, had their impact on the native powers which thereby became weakened. By providing military and financial aid to native powers, the British gradually took over their territories and expanded the Madras Presidency. Another notable feature is that the success in getting political power in the Tamil̤ country encouraged the British to acquire political power in North India using their base in the Tamil̤ country as a springboard. Native rulers' military weakness and tendency to allow foreign powers to interfere in native politics and Muhammad Ali's total reliance on the English to control his subordinates and meet his financial needs necessitated by his extravagant lifestyle were contributary factors which helped the English, who came as traders, become rulers of the country.In this period, resenting the interference and oppression of the British, the poligars rose against them. The Poligar Rebellion under Pūli Thēvar and Kaṭṭabomman̤ and the South Indian Rebellion under Marudu Pāṇḍyan̤ are notable events of this period. The political development in the Tamil̤ country in this period had serious repercussions on the political future of India since they provided the British with experience and resources for the expansion of their rule in the rest of India. The year 1801 A.D. in which the Madras Presidency, the biggest in the British India, attained its total expansion is politically significant in the history of Tamil̤ Nāḍu and India.The rule of foreigners had its impact on the social life of the people and the economy of the country. The advent of Christian missionaries along with trading companies influenced the social life. The exploitation of native resources by the foreign rulers and the constant wars among them shattered the economy. In the midst of such turmoil, the Nāyaks and the Marāthas contributed to the developments of arts and culture. This book is a study of not only political events, but also the contemporary social, economic and religious conditions. The Nāyak architecture, which is the last phase of the Dravidian architecture, along with the contributions of the Marathas of Thañjāvūr, is highlighted. Besides its use to students and those who prepare for competitive examinations, it is an interesting study to those who are interested in the history of Tamil̤ Nāḍu. For the proper understanding of the details presented, maps and pictures are added at appropriate places.