Friday, October 8, 2010

Des précisions sur le manuscrit d'Anandaragappillai/Precisions on the origins of Anandarangappillai

Mr Gobalakichenane contributes below precisions about the Anandarangappillai, as well as the English translation of page 59. Mr. Gobalakichenane grew up in Pondicherry and studied at University in France. After graduating as an engineer in 1963, he taught physics in South Vietnam. During that period he started to get passionately interested in Tamilnadu history, and later in Buddhism in South India. He worked from 1968 to 1998 as a computer engineer, while he explored further his area of interest, contributing articles and readings. He is credited for discovering Tamil Viranaiker's manuscript at the Bibliothéque Nationale. He's also president of the association Cercle Culturel des Pondichériens (http://www.puduchery.org/). At the end of this entry, you will find his complete bio.

Monsieur Gobalakichenane nous envoie des précisions sur le manuscrit d'Anandarangappillai ainsi que la traduction en anglais de la page 59. M. Gobalakichenane a grandi à Pondichéry et étudié à l'université en France. Après être devenu ingénieur en 1963, il a enseigné la physique au Sud Vietnam qui, sous occupation française, se nommait encore Indochine. C'est pendant cette période qu'il a commencé à se passioner pour l'histoire tamoulnadu, et plus tard pour le bouddhisme dans le Sud de l'Inde. Il a travaillé de 1968 à 1998 comme ingénieur informatique, tout en continuant à étendre ses connaissances et contribuant articles et conférences à son sujet de prédilection. Il découvre les mansuscrits en tamoul de Viranaiker à la Bibliothèque Nationale. Il est aussi président de l'association Cercle Culturel des Pondichériens (http://www.puduchery.org/).Vous trouverez à la fin de cette issue sa bio complète.

"In fact, Gallois Montbrun and Edouard Ariel (1818-1854) made copies from the original by tamil writers; Gallois Montbrun's has been recopied by the British in the end of 19th c. which was used for the English translation by Fr.Price helped by Rangachari, published in Madras from 1904 onwards –the first 3 volumes, the following nine others by H.Dodwell later. I asked to make a microfilm copy for Pondicherry which is now in IFP library. Gallois Montbrun's copy has been lost in Pondicherry in about 1916 while the original Diary has never been recovered afterward!  But after the demise in Pondicherry, at the age of 36, of E.Ariel who spent there his last 10 years (1844-1854), his copies have been brought to Paris and now preserved in Bibliothèque Nationale François Mitterrand; so, the handwriting of the facsimile is the writer's one and not Anandarangappillai's. But, in few other documents, we find the latter's signature in Tamil), and how beautiful the original is.
 
Note: These explanations and other details have been published elsewhere by me some twenty years ago.


En fait, Gallois Montbrun et Edouard Ariel (1818-1854) levèrent des copies de l'original par des copistes rémunérés; la copie de Gallois Montbrun a été recopiée par les Britanniques à la fin du 19ème s., ce qui a permis sa traduction en Anglais et sa publication en 1904 à Madras par Fr.Price aidé de Rangachari – en ce qui concerne les premiers 3 vol., les autres l'ayant été par H.Dodwell plus tard. J'ai fait faire une copie en microfilm pour Pondichéry qui se trouve maintenant à la bibliothèque de l'IFP. La copie de Gallois-Montbrun fut perdue, alors que le Journal original ne fut jamais retrouvé! Mais, après le décès en 1854 à Pondichéry, à l'âge de 36 ans, de E. Ariel qui y passa  ses dernières dix années, ses copies furent rapportées à Paris et conservées à la Bibliothèque Nationale François Mitterrand: l'écriture en facsimile est donc celle du copiste et non celle d'Anandarangappillai. Cependant, dans quelques autres documents, on trouve sa signature en tamoul.



Note: Ces explications et d'autres détails ont été publiés ailleurs par moi il y a une vingtaine d'années.




Translation in English of the page 59:


(Year) Angirasa (Month) Vaiyâssi 30 (Day) Guruvâram – June 8th 1752 (Thursday)

Today I didn't go neither to see the Governor because of intestinal problems.

I heard today that the last inimical relations between the Tanjoreans and our Governor have gone down a little.

News came that Chandâ Sâhib who was in Seringapatam had sent all men and was staying with ten 'kisumdar'. I heard also that only Gundo Pandit refused to go and stayed there.

It was said also that, among Mr. Law and Sheick Hussein men, those wounded and dead together with those European and sepoys joining the enemy could number about 2 or 3 thousand. Moreover, rice, curd, ghee, salt were hard to find and the little available  was acquired at very high rupees  price. It was said also that d'Auteuil and few sepoys were  in Vâlikondâpuram and Ranjankadai and that cavalry men and 'jamedars' went away because they had not been  paid.

(From H.Dodwell's edition, Vol.8, p. 105)
Thursday, June 8, - (the passages given above in italics are examples of those contained in the E.Ariel's tamil copy of Paris but not given in the English translation set of 12 volumes published in Madras)
There is news of Chandâ Sâhib's writing to the Governor, that M. Law has gone over to Muhammad'Alî Khân and the English, and ruined everything. The Europeans, Muhammadans and Tamils are all saying that they have the same news from the officers who have quarrelled with M. Law. "


 
M.GOBALAKICHENANE (b.1940) 
E-mail: ggobal@yahoo.com
 
Retired IT Engineer, Historian (Second half of XVIIIth c. History of South India and Indian Ocean)
 
Up to 1958 - French College, Pondicherry 
1958-1963 - University of Paris and Grenoble (degree in Maths and Physics, Telecoms Engineer), France  
1964-1968 - Physics Professor in Dalat and Saigon (South-Vietnam)
After extensive travels in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, great interest in Tamilnadu History (including Later Buddhism in Tamilnadu and South India)
1968-1998 - Computer Engineer in the Netherlands and France
 
            As result of long time field research in Tamilnadu (during summer vacations, since 1968) and analytical study of selected manuscripts in Oriental and Western Manuscripts Dept, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris :
1986-87 Discovery of Tamil Viranaiker's Diary Manuscripts in Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris 
 
1987  6th International Conference-Seminar of Tamil Studies, Kuala Lumpur, two papers read :
            - Latin Character-Tamil Character Bilingual Text Processing (ISO2022 standard coding) on PC 
            - Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in Tamilnadu
1989  7th International Conference-Seminar of Tamil Studies, Mauritius:
- Viranaiker II historian 
1989  9th IABS Conference, Taipeh, two papers read:
- Arittapatti Tamil-Brahmi Inscription
- Buddhism in Tamilnadu
1991  10th IABS Conference, Paris (UNESCO):
- Buddhism in Pondicherry region
1992  Publication of Irandaam Viranaiker's Diary (1778-1792), in Tamil
1992-1995 - Contacts with History Dept, University of Pondicherry and French Institute of Pondicherry for a critical edition of Anandarangappillai's Diary in Tamil (several passages remaining unpublished).
1997            M.Phil. History, University of Nantes, France
1997 35th ICANAS, Budapest:
- The 'French Revolution' of the Tamils in Pondicherry 1790-1793
1999-2000 Health problems which compelled, after 2 years research, to discontinue the Ph.D. thesis on
            - The Turmoil of the French in the second half of XVIIIth c. in South India (1761-1799) 
2000 Société Asiatique, Paris:
- The French account of Siege of Pondicherry of 1778 and its author    

2002 17th European Conference of Modern South Asian Studies, Heidelberg:

- The Diaries of Anandarangappillai, of Viranaiker II and of their followers: Their Contribution to 18th c. South Indian History.

After full retirement, critical editions: 
2004  Publication of Anandarangappillai V-Diary Prajothpathi Year (1751-1752), in Tamil (Mss. of BNF Paris)
2005  Publication of Anandarangappillai V-Diary Angirasa Year (1752-1753), in Tamil (Mss. of BNF Paris)
2005  Société Asiatique: The Sapiential literature in Tamil and Edouard Ariel's contribution    
2008  Publication of The Origin of the Nattukkottaiyars and their Communal Practices, (based on a Mss. of BNF, Paris) 
2008  Publication of Anandarangappillai V-Diary Srimuga Year (1753-1754), in Tamil (Mss. of BNF Paris)
 
Ongoing : Anandarangappillai V-Diary Bhava Year (1754-1755) publication works
   and other historical research papers



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