Primitive and modern literature
Although it is generally accepted that written literature emerged in Rajasthan around 1000 CE, few works have survived. The oldest copy of the epic poem Prithviraj Raso dates back to the 16th century, while the court poet to whom it is attributed, Chand Bardai, is thought to have lived in the second half of the 12th century. It is therefore likely that other authors modified it according to their whims, and it remains difficult to discern the original parts of this description of an otherwise historically unsubstantiated battle. The fact remains that this text was written in Braj, one of the first languages to take on a literary form, even before Hindi, although it was mainly used by mystical poets who dedicated their works to Krishna (as did the famous poetess Mirabaï, who died in the middle of the 16th century), dedicating to him love songs called bhajan. Religion was therefore one of the initial sources of inspiration, as was popular folklore, which gave rise to the love story between Dhola and Maru, of which there is a version specific to Rajasthan.
The medieval period saw the appearance of warrior chronicles such as Padmanābha's Kanhadade Prebandha (15th century), recognized as one of the finest poems in Dingal, the language of the Charans. This caste, made up of bards - but also farmers and merchants, as their art did not always provide for their needs, even if the posts of kaviraja (poet and state historian) were generally reserved for them - is considered to be at the origin of the major part of medieval literature, which was thus declined in khyat, historical prose, but also in a host of poetic genres responding to precise metrics. The first "modern" Rajasthani writer, Suryamal Misran (1815-1868), was born of this lineage. A scholar and polyglot who achieved the status of national poet, his most remarkable text, Vansha Bhaskar, is often compared to the perfection embodied by one of the two jewels of ancient Indian literature, the Mahābhārata. Alas! history had repercussions on his work of fiction, as the kingdom of Bundi to which he was linked fell under the yoke of the British protectorate, while he himself became involved in the movement for independence. The 12 volumes he had originally planned for his epic were therefore reduced to 8, but this did not hinder his considerable influence. Murari Dan, his adopted son, then set about completing his work.
From independence to today
Independence finally came in 1947, encouraged by nationalist poets ("yug Charan") such as Kanhaiyalal Sethia (1919-2008), whose poem Dharti Dhoran Ri became the lyrics of the Rajasthani anthem. This new period of history was documented by Gayatri Devi, third wife of maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, who wrote her memoirs(Une princesse se souvient, éditions Robert Laffont) and whose adventurous life never ceased to inspire writers(La Maharani de Jaipur by Isaure de Saint-Pierre, éditions M. de Maule). It also coincided with a real recognition of literature, as demonstrated by the Sahitya Akademi founded by Nehru in 1954. This body also awards literary prizes, one of which in 1979 went to Rama Mehta (1923-1978), who made her mark with her novel Inside the Haveli (translated by Kallash éditeur: À l'ombre du haveli), in which she offered magnificent portraits of the women of Rajasthan. Another eminent laureate was Narayan Singh Bhati (1930-1994), celebrated as much for his poetry(Barsan Ra Degoda Dungar Langhiyan, 1981) as for his efforts to preserve ancient texts. We could also mention Abdul Vaheed and Bhanwar Singh Samaur as recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award: the former for his novel Gharano, which advocated understanding between religions, the latter for Sanskriti ri Sanatana Deeth, which crowned a 50-year career. Last but not least, playwright Arjun Deo Charan, born in 1954, is the object of much attention from the famous academy, since his fame has propelled him to the top of an undisputed podium, thanks to his plays(Meh Reja The Parja) but also to the other registers into which he likes to plunge: poetry(Ghar Tau Ek Nam Hai Bhrosai Rau) and the novel(Dharam Judh, Uchhalo).
In 2011, Vijaydan Detha (nicknamed Bijji) will be nominated for a no less prestigious award, the Nobel Prize for Literature. Detha, who was born in 1926 and died in 2013 in his hometown of Borunda, had acquired an international reputation. A prolific author, he combined influences ranging from Indian author Saratchandra Chatterjee to Russian writers, who guided him to write no less than 800 short stories and other poems! Vijaydan Detha is one of the rājasthānis authors whose voice carries beyond borders, a privilege he shares with Alka Joshi who, while living in the USA, has won over audiences with a trilogy using her country of birth as a backdrop and which is currently being translated into our language by Hauteville Editions: La Tatoueuse de Jaipur (2021) and Le Secret de Jaipur (2022).
However, the new generation is more readily associated with the Indian capital. In 1915, New Delhi was the birthplace of the forerunner Khushwant Singh, whose Train to Pakistan (1956) recounted the terrible dissension between Muslims and Hindus at the time of independence; the story was made into a film forty years later. Among contemporary authors, we should mention Gita Mehta (b. 1943), Vikram Chandra (b. 1961) and Kiran Desai (b. 1971), whose works are representative of what today's Indian literature is aiming for: to depict a country that is moving towards modernity without denying its traditions. The former offers a striking description of the India to which she returns every year in Le Serpent et l'échelle (Albin Michel), while Vikram Chandra, who also lives abroad, has decided to play the crime novel card in Le Seigneur de Bombay (Pocket), after having explored the historical genre in Les Tigres d'Allah (Le Livre de Poche). Finally, the youngest daughter tackles the question of female and Indian identity in La Perte en héritage, published by Montreal's Fides publishing house.
