Daniel Jeyaraj
Dean, Lutheran Heritage Archives
Professor, Aaron Chair of the History of Christianity in India Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research Institute 94, Purasawalkam High Road
Chennai - 600 010
RECENTLY DISCOVERED TAMIL PALM LEAF MANUSCRIPTS IN HALLE/SAALE, GERMANY
Introduction
The art of writing on the leaves of palm tree (lat. Corypha umbraculifera or Corypha taliera) had a long history in Tamil Nadu. As a result every palm leaf manuscript is to be understood as a historical work accomplished in a
time and circumstances. This essay deals with the Tamil palm leaf manuscripts discovered and identified by the author during his research stay in Germany. The main purpose of the research was to ascertain the cultural contact between the Germans and the Tamils of the eighteenth Century in Tranquebar and its vicinity. The Germans were missionaries, Bartholomaues Ziegenbalg (1682-1719) and Henry Pluetschau (1677-1746), who were sent by the Danish king Frederick IV (1671-1730) to the small Danish colony Tranquebar (1619-1845). Their main vocation was to spread the message of Jesus Christ in Tamil. In this process they mastered Tamil, Tamil culture and religion. When they sent report on their work in 1707 many Europeans were interested to know more about the Tamii way of life and belief. One of their desire was to see the "malabarian paper", i.e. the palm leaves, that were used by the Tamils to write down their literature. In this process from 1707-1740 several palm leave manuscripts were sent to Halle/ Saale in Germany by Ziegenbalg himself and his successors Benjamin Schultze (1689-1760) and Christopher T. Walter (1699-1741). After almost 250 years they are now discovered, identified and presented to Tamil public. I. Francke Foundations at Halle/Saale and Tamil Tradition
August Herman Francke (1663-1777), the founder, was a Hebrew philologist. When he was asked to preach a sermon on 'faith' he realised that he did not have the faith. As a result he became a Christian. This conversion experience made him to devise ways and means of demonstrating காகிதச்சுவடி ஆய்வுகள்
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