Newar literature
Literature in the Newar language / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Newari literature?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The Newar language of Nepal has the fourth oldest literature tradition among the Sino-Tibetan languages (after Chinese, Tibetan and Burmese).
The earliest known document in Newar is called "The Palmleaf from Uku Bahal" which dates from 1114 during the Thakuri period.[1] The earliest dated stone inscription in Nepal Bhasa is dated Nepal Sambat 293 (1173 AD).[2] From the 14th century onwards, an overwhelming number of stone inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley, where they are an ubiquitous element at heritage sites, are in Nepal Bhasa.[3]
The first books appeared in the 14th century.
- Haramekhalā (Devanāgarī: हरमेखला, a medical manual written in 1374
- Nāradsmṛti (नारदस्मृति) a law book written in 1380
- Amarkośa (अमरकोश), a Sanskrit-Newari dictionary written in 1381
- Gopālarāja Vaṃśāvalī (गोपालराज वंशावली), a history of Nepal written in 1389[4][5]
The first story book is Tantrākhyāna (1518), and the first one-act play is Ekadaśī Brata (1633) written by King Siddhi Narasingha Malla.
Nepal Bhasa literature can be broadly divided into four periods.
- Classical Period (1505–1847)
- Dark Period (1847–1909)
- Renaissance Period (1909–1941)
- Modern Period (1941 onwards)