The medieval Indian culture combines Indian and Persian philosophy, literature, art, and architecture. The growth of vernacular literature was a significant development during the medieval period. Growing regional identities aided in the development of new literary and artistic forms. The expansion of regional languages such as Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, and Telugu was a significant development. The popularity of translations increased readership and facilitated the exchange of ideas. The exchange of ideas also ushered in new musical developments. Fine art, or "high art," has traditionally been regarded as the pinnacle of aesthetic expression. In this article, we will discuss Literature and Fine Arts (1200-1500) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Literature During 1200-1500

Sanskrit Literature

• During the time period under consideration, Sanskrit remained a vehicle for higher thought and a medium for literature.
• Following the great Sankara, philosophical writings by Ramanuja, Madhava, Vallabha, and others were produced in Sanskrit.
• The rapidity with which their views were communicated and debated in many regions of the country demonstrated the critical function that Sanskrit continued to play during this time.
• In several parts of the country, especially places dominated by Muslims, there was a network of specialized schools and academies.
• Many of them, in fact, used the emergence of paper to duplicate and disseminate older literature.
• As a result, some of the oldest available Ramayana and Mahabharata texts written on paper date from the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
• Apart from philosophy, Sanskrit was used to write works in the fields of kavya (poetical narrative), drama, fiction, medicine, astronomy, music, and so on.
• Between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, a vast number of commentaries and digests on Hindu law (Dharmashastras) were written.
• The magnificent Mitakshara of Vijnaneshwar, one of the two major Hindu schools of law, cannot be dated prior to the twelfth century.
• Chandeshwar of Bihar, who lived in the fourteenth century, was another well-known commentator.
• The Jains, too, played a role in the development of Sanskrit. The most illustrious of these was Hemachandra Suri.
• There was little attempt to translate Islamic or Persian writings into Sanskrit.

Arabic and Persian Literature

• In India, Arabic was mostly used by a small group of Islamic intellectuals and philosophers, and the majority of the original literature was published in Arabic.
• With the help of Indian academics, digests of Islamic law were eventually written in Persian.
• However, Arabic digests continued to be written, the most renowned of which was the Fatawa-i-Alamgiri, or Digest of Laws, written by a group of jurists during Aurangzeb's reign.
• During the eleventh century, when the Turks arrived in India, a new language, Persian, was introduced to the country.
• The Turks adopted Persian as the country's literary and administrative language from the start.
• As a result, Lahore became the first centre for Persian language learning.
• Amir Khusrau, however, was the most famous Persian writer of the day.
• Khusrau was a prolific poet who composed a variety of works, including historical romances.
• He experimented with all poetic genres, eventually developing a new Persian style known as the Sabaq-i-Hindi, or style of India.
• As a result, Sanskrit and Persian served as important link languages in the country's politics, religion, and philosophy, as well as literary works.

Regional Languages

• During this time, high-quality literary works were also produced in a variety of regional languages.
• Many of these languages, including Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi, date from the seventh century or before. Others, such as Tamil, were considerably older.
• The maturation of several of these languages, as well as their usage as a medium for literary works, is a notable element of the medieval period.
• Sanskrit may have lost part of its respect as a result of the Brahmans' loss of prestige.
• When these languages had progressed to a certain level of development, several Muslim kings granted them patronage for literary purposes as well.

Fine Arts During 1200-1500

• When the Turks arrived in India, they brought with them a rich Arab musical heritage that had evolved further in Iran and Central Asia.
• They brought new musical instruments, such as the rabab and sarangi, as well as new musical modes and laws with them.
• The Indian classical work Raag Darpan was translated into Persian during the reign of Firuz Shah, who used to listen to music every Friday after namaz.
• From the Sufi's abodes to the nobles' palaces, musical gatherings took place.
• Pir Bodhan, a Sufi saint, is said to have been the second greatest musician during the reign of Sultan Husain Sharqi of Jaunpur.
• The king of Gwalior, Raja Man Singh was a huge music fan.
• Under his direction, the piece Man Kautuhal was composed, which featured all of the new musical modes introduced by the Muslims.
• In the kingdom of Kashmir, a distinct form of music arose, influenced in large part by Persian music.
• Sikandar Lodi continued the habit of patronizing music on a grand scale after the conquest of Jaunpur, a tradition that was later embraced by the Mughal monarchs.

Conclusion

The establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the early thirteenth century could be considered a significant milestone in the country's cultural history. When the Turks arrived in India, they brought with them not just a strong conviction in Islam, but also clear notions about government, art, and building. The contact of the Turks with the Indians, who had strong religious convictions and developed concepts about art, architecture, and literature, resulted in the formation of a new enriched culture in the long run.