Forgotten poetry : Sanskrit writings by women of Cochin royal family

Bibliogr. s. 229-230

It is obvious that the history of Sanskrit literature as well as the picture of Indian society cannot be treated as complete without taking into consideration women’s writing. Each and every single manuscript brought to our attention is important as generally there is a lack of works authored by women. Additionally, Kerala women’s literary creativity can show the specificity and rank of Sanskrit literature in the South of India. The right starting point for the investigations seemed to be Sanskrit education in Kerala, especially with regard to women. The literary creativity of three generations of women literati from the royal family of Cochin is briefly presented in this paper. The historical and cultural background of the region is also taken into account.