This information is taken mainly from the books/sites in which the poets are represented.
Adha, Dursa (1533-1654) Rajasthani court poet contemporary of Akbar and of Rana Pratap.
Adiga, M. Gopalakrishna (1918-92) Poet, academic, editor, pioneer of Kannada Navya movement, also wrote fiction.
Adigal, Prince Ilango (c. 12 CE) Tamil poet and prince-turned ascetic (Jain?) . His Silappathikaram is considered ‘feminocentric,’ and is one of the most detailed works about the lives of temple courtesans.
Agarwal, Smita (b. 1958) Writes in English, teaches English literature at Allahabad University.
Ajneya or Agyeya (S.H. Vatsyayan) (1911-87) Hindi poet, fiction writer, playwright, editor, founded ‘New Poetry’ (Nai Kavita) in Hindi; experimentalist in other forms. According to Lucy Rosenstein, Agyeya’s writing has pushed back boundaries in big, difficult, passionate subjects.’
Akha (17 CE) Bhakti poet, from a goldsmith’s background, writing in Gujarati in the first half of 17 CE. He pioneered the use of satirical poems called chhappa.
Akkamahadevi (12 CE) Best-known of the saint-poets writing in Kannada at that time
Alexander, Meena (b. 1951) Poet writing in English and academic.
Ali, Aga Shahid (1949-2001) Poet writing in English, translator, academic. Amaru (c. 800 CE) Classical Sanskrit poet.
Anapiyya (Seyyitu Anapiyya Pulavar, Tamil translation of Arabic ‘Sayyid Hanafiya’) (19 CE) Used Tamil devotional form of pillaittamil to write poems in praise of the Prophet Muhammad.
Andal (9 CE) Kannada poet; the only woman poet among the Alvars, worshippers of Vishnu.
Annamacharya/Annamayya (1408-1503) Telugu saint-poet said to ‘represent to perfection the Telugu temple poet.’
Arvind (b. 1950) Writes in Dogri.
Asvaghosa (c. 1 CE) Buddhist poet; wrote in Sanskrit.
Aurobindo, Sri (1872-1950) Revolutionary, poet writing in English, aesthetician and seer. While his poetry is not in favour today, he can still be read as a sharp critic.
Auvaiyar (100 BCE-250 CE) Classical Tamil poet; the best-known of the classical women poets. She is represented here by her elegy for Anci, her chieftan.
Bana (7 CE) Sanskrit poet and prose writer. A.L. Basham writes, ‘Bana’s outlook has more in common with the 20th century than has that of any other early Indian writer.’
Barhat, Essar Das (1538-1618) Rajasthani saint-poet.
Basavanna (1106-1167/68) Kannada saint-poet and social reformer, believed to have founded the Veerashaiva sect, devoted to Siva, tried to simplify religion, disliked ritual, believed in the equality of sexes.
Bhagwat, Shobha (b. 1947) Marathi poet and director of Balbhavan, a recreational centre for children in Pune.
Bhanudatta (16 CE) Sanskrit poet and aesthetician whose patron may have been the Nizam of Ahmadnagar. His descriptions of the heroines and heroes of Sanskrit literature inspired painters from Mewar and Basholi, and celebrated commentators. Translator Sheldon I. Pollock describes the poet as ‘probably the most famous Sanskrit poet that no one today has ever heard of. While many books have covered the same subjects as Bouquet of Rasa and River of Rasa, no one, Pollock adds, has done so with such exquisite and subtle artistry’.
Bharati, Subramania (1882-1921) Though he died young, he achieved a great deal in various spheres and is considered one of India’s greatest poets. A militant nationalist, he composed nationalist poems and songs. Though born in an orthodox Brahmin family, he felt strongly about the emancipation of women, and the indignities of the caste system. He edited papers in both Tamil and in English, and is said to have been the first to introduce political cartoons in newspapers.
Bharath Has existed in the tradition of the Dungri Bhils for centuries, kept alive by oral renditions.
Bhattacharya, Hiren (b. 1932) One of the pioneers of modern poetry in Assam.
Bhattacharya, Susmita (b. 1947) Bangla poet and teacher, feminist activist.
Bhattacharya, Sutapa (b. 1942) Poet writing in Bangla; academic.
Bhartrhari (c. 400 CE) Classical Sanskrit poet (possibly grammarian and philosopher as well); wrote some of the best-known verse-sequences, often torn between religious feeling and sensuality.
Bhatti (6 CE) Sanskrit poet who lived in south India. His The Death of Ravana is both the story of Rama and an illustrative text of grammar and poetics once codified by the grammarian Panini. This classical epic is considered a bold experiment, a ‘rich mix of science and art.’ It continues to be widely influential among Sanskritists, and is considered the source text for the Old Javanese Ramayana.
Bhavabhuti (c. 725 CE) Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist A.L. Basham has written that ‘his greatness rests on his deep understanding of sorrow’.
Bilhana (c. 11 CE-12 CE) Kashmiri poet; wrote deeply emotional love poetry in Sanskrit.
Bihari (17 CE) Court poet in Amber considered foremost love poet of Hindi poetry in the Braj dialect of the time.
Birjepatil, Jaysinh (b. 1933) Taught English literature at M. S. University of Baroda.
Bithu, Rangrelo (16 CE) Rajasthani satirical poet who did not hesitate to make fun of his king, Rawal Har of Jaisalmer, who promptly threw him into prison, until another king intervened on his behalf.
Bordoloi, Nirmal Prabha (b. 1933) Assamiya poet, fiction writer, journalist and academic; has written on Assamiya folk culture, and fiction for children.
Borkar, B. B. (1910-84) Konkani poet, wrote poetry, fiction and biography in Marathi, poetry in Konkani and Marathi.
Bose, Buddhadeva (1908-74) Wrote in Bengali and in English, poetry, short stories, plays, literary criticism, translations. He set up the department of comparative literature at Jadavpur University, and in 1935 founded a quarterly dedicated to poetry, Kabita, which he edited for about twenty-five years.
Buddha, Gautam (c. 563 BCE-483 BCE) The Dhammapada, mainly a work on ethics, is traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. The teachings were compiled and written down by his disciples. The Pali version is said to be the most popular, though there are three Sanskrit versions and also versions in other languages.
Cakrabartti, Ma Basanti (writing in Bangla since the 1970s) Head of her own ashram in Kolkota and one of the very few women writing hymns in the Uma and Kali sakta tradition.
Cantirakanti (b. 1961) Writes poetry and short stories in Tamil.
Cellatturai, Arul (mid-20 CE) Tamil (Catholic) poet and engineer; published first book in 1985, in Tamil devotional genre adapted to Baby Jesus.
Cempulappeyanirar (c. 1 CE-3 CE) Classical Tamil poet; the name literally means ‘red earth and pouring rain’ a reference to the poet’s ‘signature’ line.
Chakravarty, Amiya (1901-86) Bangla poet, Rabindranath Tagore’s literary secretary from 1926-33; accompanied him on his travels abroad, including his trips to Iraq and Iran. Also closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi and took part in the Salt March in 1930. He was awarded a DPhil by Oxford University where he was senior research fellow. Taught in various universities in the UK, USA and in India. Chakravarti Nirendranath (b. 1924) Bangla poet who became known as a major poet in the 1950s, critic, journalist, also writes fiction, writes for children; president of Paschimbangla Akademi.
Chandidas Bangla poet, dates given vary, also identity, as there were at least four poets of that name but is thought to have lived before Chaitanya (1485-1533)
Chandra, G.S. Sharat (1935-2000) Wrote poems and short stories in English, was professor of creative writing at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Chattopadhyay, Shakti (1934-95) Wrote in Bangla, a leading member of the ‘Hungry’ poets.
Chaudhuri, Bahinabai (1880-1951) composed her poems in a mixture of two Marathi dialects spoken in the northern area of Maharashtra where she lived. She used the ovi metre of songs sung when grinding grain. Her son wrote down her poems as she was illiterate, and later published them after her death.
Chitre, Dilip (b. 1938) Writes in Marathi and English, poetry, fiction, plays, translations.
Chullikkad, Balachandran (b. 1957) Writes in Malayalam; complete poems published in 2000, and his memoirs the year after. He is also a film and TV actor.
Coda, Naane (12 CE) Telugu poet. His work is said to have disappeared from sight even in medieval times but was re-discovered at the end of the nineteenth century. His translators note that he ‘clearly has a conception of a regional, desi, tradition evolving in Telugu, in contrast with Sanskrit.’
Dabral, Mangalesh (b. 1948) Writes in Hindi, journalist, editor, translator.
Dai, Mamang (b. 1959) Writes in English, abandoned a career in the IAS for journalism.
Dalvi, Mustansir (b. 1964) Professor of architecture, associate editor of online poetry workshop Desert Moon Review and editor of bi-annual online journal Crescent Moon.
Darab, Aziz Bano (1934-2005) Wrote in Urdu.
Daruwalla, Keki N. (b. 1937) A formidable and prolific writer; has published poetry, fiction, essays in English, served in the IPS, and for six months was special assistant to former prime minister Charan Singh. His work contains a wide range of landscapes, inner and outer, and a wide range of textures—irony, compassion, humour. He has a deep interest in history and in the way people lived, but, as he says, he is not interested in facile allegories for the present.
Das, Balaram (16 CE) Oriya poet often persecuted because he dared to write about religious subjects though he was considered a shudra.
Das, Devadurllabha (16 CE) Oriya writer of devotional hymns.
Das, Jibanananda (b. 1899-1954) Considered the most important poet in Bengal after Tagore. As one of his translators, Joe Winter, says, ‘He does not limit his vision to the chaotic, the disconnected, the bizarre; but is able to map out the edges of the incompleteness that inhabits us, by taking a full account of beauty too.’ Clinton B. Seely has written a biography of the poet called A Poet Apart (1990).
Das, J. P. (b. 1936) Oriya poet, playwright, fiction writer, civil servant. He is also a well-known art historian.
Das, Kamala (1934-2009) Wrote in English and Malayalam; produced fiction, autobiography, poetry; the first major woman writer in English and perhaps the most controversial in the post-Independence era.
Das, Markanda (15 CE) Probably the first poet of Oriya literature in its formative period; his poem ‘Keshab Koili’ is considered the earliest example of cuckoo ‘musing’ poems. ‘Koili’ means cuckoo while ‘Keshab’ refers to Krishna.
Das, Sarala (15 CE) Considered the father of Oriya poetry as he was the first to adapt the Mahabharata, not just by using Oriya but also making interesting deviations such as the Pandavas visiting holy places in Orissa, many references to the landscape and Oriya folklore and customs. He was not a Brahmin and it was considered outrageous/brave for him to have dealt with sacred texts in his writing.
Dasa, Purandara (1480-1564) One of the great saint-poets in Kannada.
Dasgupta, Pranabendu (b. 1937) Writes in Bangla, well-known poet of the 1950s, professor of comparative literature.
Dasimayya, Devara (10 CE) One of the earliest Veerashaiva Kannada saint-poets, dedicated to ‘Ramanatha’, Rama’s lord Shiva. Tradition has it that he stopped his extreme ascetic practices on the advice of Shiva who urged him to be more involved in the world. He became a weaver and a famous teacher.
Datta, Jyotirmoy (b. 1936) Poet, journalist, editor, teacher; writes in Bangla and in English.
Dave, Balmukund (1916-93) wrote in Gujarati; worked for thirty years with the Gandhian publishing house Navjivan, later edited a periodical published by them.
Dave, Harindra (1930-95) Gujarati poet, novelist, critic, and editor of various Gujarati papers and periodicals.
Ded, Lal (c. 1330-84) (sometimes known as Lal Dyad) Kashmiri poet. A Brahmin girl married at the age of twelve into an unsympathetic family, she left to become a wandering ascetic in the Shaivite tradition. Her compact, aphoristic verses in a four-line form called vakh use both philosophical terminology and homely metaphors.
Derozio, Henry (1809-32) First Indian poet to write in English, key figure in the Bengal Renaissance. A commentator writes, Derozio ‘did more to impart the idea of young India than any other person of his times. A teacher, philosopher and poet, Derozio brought the first waves of European enlightenment into the new education system that was then taking shape.’
Deshika, Vedanta (Venkatanatha) (1268-1369) Described as a theologian, one of the most influential after Ramanuja. ‘Mission of the Goose’ (Hamsasandesa) is a ‘messenger poem’ which makes the occasional dig at Kalidasa. The note on the title says that the ‘ultimate godhead is often pictured as a goose that lives in both worlds—the heavens and the water on earth.’ In this poem Rama sends a message to Sita through the goose. In his ‘Compassion’ he sings his sorrow to the goddess Compassion. A note on the poem says that later Sanskrit poets often wrote ‘personal, often iconoclastic modes, using Sanskrit to reflect back on itself and its long tradition.’
de Souza, Eunice (b. 1940) Poet writing in English, novelist, editor, academic.
Dey, Bishnu (1909-87) Bangla poet, academic, translator, has written a book in English on aesthetics entitled In the Sun and Rain, and books on the paintings of Jamini Roy and Rabindranath Tagore. Wrote cinema criticism and was involved with IPTA. Influenced both by Marxism and T.S. Eliot’s constant references to esoteric myths, books, etc., in his poems. Reacting against Tagore’s poetry, he and others associated with a group around the journal Kallol that incorporated modern concepts of doubt and conflict.
Dharker, Imtiaz (b. 1954) Poet writing in English, documentary film-maker, artist, describes herself as ‘A Scottish Muslim Calvinist, brought up in a Lahori household in Glasgow.’ Now travels between the UK, where she lives, and India.
Dharmakirti (c. 700 CE) Buddhist philosopher and poet, born in south India, studied and taught at the Buddhist school of logic at Nalanda.
Some of his verses encapsulate Buddha’s teaching against caste and against the dogma of creation. But, as with other scholars and religious figures, his poetry includes themes of ambivalence about love. Love may be a delusion or last for a very brief time, but he still cannot forget the ‘gazelle-eyed girl.’
Dhasal, Namdeo (b. 1949) Marathi Dalit poet. His first book of poems, Golpitha, is about the red-light area of that name in Mumbai where he was brought up. Dilip Chitre who has translated a selection of his work describes him as a ‘Poet of the Underworld.’ He founded the Dalit Panthers in 1972, inspired partly by revolutionary movements abroad.
Dhoomil/Dhumil (1935-75) Hindi poet. Taught electrical engineering in Varanasi.
Dhurjati (16 CE) Said to be the first Telugu poet to write what could be called an entirely subjective poem.
Dikshita, Nilakantha (1580-1644) Played an important part as a minister to the king of Madurai, Tirumalai Nayaka, and according to the account given by the publishers and translators, he also ‘embodied the new poetic ethos of his time. “Peace” is a mordantly ironic, self-deprecating, and highly introspective work.’
Divate, Hemant (b. 1967) One of the better-known poets writing in Marathi today, runs a publishing house called Abhidhanantar for Marathi books and Poetrywala, for English. Has been editing a poetry quarterly, also called Abhidhanantar for several years. Widely translated in Indian and foreign languages.
Doshi, Tishani (b. 1975) Writes in English. She is also a dancer who worked with the choreographer Chandralekha in Chennai. Won the Forward Poetry Prize for best first collection in 2006.
Dutt, Greece Chunder (1833-92) Wrote in English, part of the Dutt family of Bengal.
Dutt, Michael Madhusudan (1824-73) Bangla poet who began by writing in English and then switched to Bangla. Considered one of the great poets of Bengal, he experimented with diction and verse forms and introduced both the sonnet and the blank verse. His most famous work is Meghanada Badha written in 1861, and based on a story from the Ramayana.
Dutt, Toru (1856-77) The most well-known of the Dutt family, poet, novelist, translator, wrote in English and in French.
Eknath (1533-99) One of the great saints of Maharashtra, poet, commentator on religious texts. Born in Paithan, a centre of Sanskrit learning and Brahmin orthodoxy, he became a reformist who rejected untouchability, and taught in Marathi.
Ezekiel, Nissim (1924-2004) Leading post-Independence poet writing in English, academic, also wrote plays, art and literary criticism. ‘I cannot leave the island/I was born here and belong,’ he writes in ‘Island’. Gieve Patel, who wrote the introduction to the collected poems, writes, ‘For all the poet’s stated aim to write clear and direct verse, in many of the best poems there are finely shaded inner movements, requiring an acutely tuned register to pick them up’.
Ezhuthacchan (c. 16 CE) Wrote in Malayalam, a ‘father-figure in modern Malayalam’ because he standardized the language which he felt was too influenced by both Sanskrit and Tamil.
Faiz, Ahmad Faiz (1911-84) Urdu poet who moved to Pakistan after Independence/Partition. His work has been described as ‘the high point of progressive literature in Urdu’.
Farid, Sheikh (1173-1265) Punjabi Sufi poet.
Fazli, Nida (b. 1938) Urdu poet, novelist, critic, translator, film lyricist.
Gadhvi, Pravin (b. 1951) Writes in Gujarati, an IAS official, Dalit poet.
Gandhi, Leela (b. 1966) Poet writing in English, academic.
Gangopadhyay, Sunil (b. 1934) Bangla poet, fiction writer, playwright, translator.
Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan (1797-1869) Generally considered the greatest Urdu poet.
Ghose, Manmohan (1869-1924) Poet writing in English.
Gill, Gagan (b. 1959) Gave up being literary editor in various papers to be a full-time writer, essayist, translator. Lucy Rosenstein writes that Gill ‘focuses on the gamut of female experience’, but she also writes about pain as part of the human experience, death and occasionally on politics.
Gnanakoothan (b. 1938) Tamil poet and critic.
Gorakhpuri, Firaq (1896-1982) Best known as a poet of the classical ghazal in Urdu, though he was also an innovator who took Urdu poetry in new directions; taught English literature at Allahabad University. Also a freedom fighter.
Goswami, Joy (b. 1954) Bangla poet and journalist.
Harihara A Veerashaiva poet who wrote in Kannada, dominated the second half of the medieval period, and is said to have broken with tradition and written simple poems for the common man.
Harsha/Harshavardhan (590 CE-657 CE) One of the great kings of India. He became a Buddhist, a patron of literature. He wrote three plays in Sanskrit of which Ratnavali is one.
Hasan, Bilqees Zafirul (b. 1938) Urdu poet, short-story writer, playwright.
Hasan, Anjum (b. 1972) Writes poetry and fiction in English.
Honnalgere, Gopal (1942-2003) Wrote in English, taught art and writing in various schools.
Hoskote, Ranjit (b. 1969) Poet, critic and cultural theorist.
Husain, Shah ‘Madho Lal’ (1539-93) Wrote in Punjabi, described as an ‘ecstatic sufi who made few concessions to mainstream religion or society.’
Ibopishak, Thangjam (b. 1948) Manipuri writer, teaches Manipuri.
Akbar Ilahabadi (1846-1921) Urdu poet known for his satirical verse, district judge in Allahabad.
Iman, Akhtar-ul (1915-96) Urdu poet, Persian scholar, film director and scriptwriter, part of the Progressive Writers’ Movement.
Islam, Kazi Nazrul (1899-1976) Bangla poet, wrote politicized poems with a nationalist flavour addressed to the goddesses of Bengal, goddesses not named but their functions assumed by Mother India.
Iqbal, Mohammad (1873-1938) Wrote in Urdu and Persian and is regarded as one of the greatest Urdu poets, and one of the founding fathers of Pakistan.
Jabeen, Mahe (b. 1961) Telugu poet and social scientist.
Jafri, Ali Sardar (1912-2000) Urdu poet and short-story writer, editor, documentary film-maker, freedom fighter, radical activist, member of the Progressive Writers’ Movement.
Jayadeva (12 CE) Sanskrit poet, famous for his Gita Govinda which is an erotically charged series of songs about Krishna, Radha and the milkmaids.
Joshi, Umashankar (1911-88) Wrote poetry, fiction and plays in Gujarati; academic and vice-chancellor of the University of Gujarat.
Janabai (c. 1298-1350) Marathi Bhakti saint-poet.
Janna (1163 CE) Jain poet. Chief poet at the court of Hoysala King Veeraballala and a major classical Kannada poet. Called ‘Emperor among poets’ by the King.
Jayavallabha (c. 8 CE) Jain monk from the svetambara sect. Compiler of the Vajjalagam, a collection of independent verses in Prakrit.
Jha, Govindadas (1570-1640) Considered one of the three great writers in medieval Maithili.
Jnanadeva (1275-96) Marathi bhakti poet, considered the greatest saint of Maharashtra. At fifteen, he composed the Jnaneshwari, a commentary on the Bhagvad Gita. His sister Muktabai was also a saint-poet as were two of his brothers. They had a difficult childhood: their father who had renounced life at home later returned to married life. The Brahmin community to which they belonged ostracized the whole family.
Joseph, S. (b. 1965) Malayalam poet with four books of poems. He received the Kanaka Sree Award from the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
Jussawalla, Adil (b. 1940) Writes in English, edited New Writing in India for Penguin UK in 1974, a major literary figure based in Mumbai and one of the founders of the poet’s publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Kabir (c. 1398-1448) Saint-poet; all information uncertain including attribution of some poems. Wrote in Bhojpuri, a dialect of Hindi; he was a Muslim weaver but his poems harmonize Ram and Rahim and are impatient with ritual.
Kalia, Mamta (b. 1940) Writes poetry in Hindi and in English, fiction in Hindi. Was principal of a women’s college in Allahabad.
Kalidasa (c. 5 CE-6 CE) Considered the greatest poet and dramatist in Sanskrit, his name virtually synonymous with literature. Academics like to call him the ‘Shakespeare of India’.
Kambar, Chandrashekhar (b. 1937) Kannada poet, playwright, novelist, folklorist, film director.
Kamble, Arun (b. 1953) Dalit poet writing in Marathi, one of the founder members of Dalit Panthers, teaches in the department of Marathi, Mumbai University.
Kampan (1180-1250) Tamil epic poet during the reign of the great Cholas, wrote the Ramayana which he called the Iramavataram; according to his translators the quality of his work and its influence earned him the title ‘Universal Monarch of Poets’.
Kanakadasa (1509-1609) Poet, philosopher, musician and social reformer writing in Kanada.
Kandasamy, Meena (b. 1984) Editor of The Dalit magazine for a year and translator, writes in English.
Kapilar Classical Tamil poet, a friend of his chieftain Pari who withstood the sieges of three powerful kings. After his death Kapilar wrote a lament; also found husbands for Pari’s daughters. Rough dates of the Ettuttokai anthologies in which he is represented are c. 300 BC-AD 200.
Karandikar, Vinda (b. 1918) Marathi poet, academic.
Karmakar, Jyotsna (b. 1950) Bangla poet and child development project officer.
Khair, Tabish (b. 1966) Poet and novelist writing in English and academic, teaches in Denmark.
Khatoon, Habba (16 CE) Kashmiri, broke away from mystic poetry, flourished in the court of Sultan Yusuf Shah.
Khilani, Lakhmi (b. 1935) Writes in Sindhi, short-story writer, translator, playwright.
Khusrau, Amir (1253-1325) Sufi poet, musician, scholar.
Kolatkar, Arun (1932-2004) wrote in Marathi and in English, graphic artist, founder member of the poets’ publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Komal, Balraj (b. 1928) One of the New Wave poets in Urdu prominent in the 1960s, critic, academic, short-story writer.
Ksetrayya (17 CE) Writer of devotional songs in Telugu in which he uses the persona of a courtesan.
Kurup, O.N.V. (b. 1931) A prolific poet who has published over twenty- three volumes of poetry in a variety of styles in Malayalam. Known particularly for his social-concern poems.
Kanaka, Ha. Ma. (b. 1964) Writes in Kannada, theatre actor, journalist, translator.
Latif, Shah Abdul (1689-1752) Major Sindhi mystic poet.
Madarasa, Sakalesha (12 CE) Kannada saint-poet whose poems, like those of Basavanna, Devara Dasimayya, Mahadeviyakka, Allama Prabhu and others are called vacanas. Vacanas are bhakti poems. All these poets reject ritual, attempts to manipulate God, polytheism, animal sacrifice and caste distinctions. For them, as A.K. Ramanujan observes, ‘All true experience of god is krpa, grace that cannot be called, recalled or commanded.’
Madeshwara (15 CE) Veerashaiva saint, Kannada composer of oral epics. One of the special qualities of the epic chosen is that there is real concern about the plight of women and the ordeals they have to undergo. This is said to be characteristic of Kannada folk epics. In the extract chosen, Sankamma is a strong character who refuses to swear an oath of fidelity to her husband as she considers it demeaning.
Mahadeviyakka (12 CE) Kannada saint poet; said to have died in her twenties.
Mahapatra, Anuradha (b. 1957) Bangla poet and social activist, works with Uprooted Tillers’ Rights Association, teaches street children.
Mahapatra, Jayanta (b. 1928) Writes in English; Oriya academic, translator, editor.
Mahapatra, Sitakant (b. 1937) Writes in Oriya. Specialist in tribal literature, particularly that of the Santhals.
Majumdar, Harinath (1833-96) journalist, composer of Baul hymns, wrote prose narratives in Bangla.
Male Madeshwara (c. 14 CE) Narrates the story of Madeshwara, a young Veerashaiva saint. He was a historical figure who probably lived in the fourteenth century.
Malik, Keshav (b. 1924) Writes in English, art critic, curator.
Mansuri, Adil (b. 1936) Gujarati poet, journalist.
Mardhekar, Bal Sitaram (1909-56) Pioneer of modernism in Marathi poetry, also wrote fiction.
Mathur, Shakunt (b. 1920) Regarded as the forerunner of feminism in Hindi poetry.
Mehrotra, Arvind Krishna (b. 1947) Poet, editor, translator, academic, critic, founder member of the poets’ publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Mehta, Jaya (b. 1932) Writes in Gujarati, academic, editor, translator, literary critic.
Mehta, Narsinh (1408-80) Bhakti poet, regarded as father of Gujarati poetry.
Menon, Siddhartha (b. 1967) Teaches at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh.
Mirabai (1498-1546) Rajasthani princess who scandalized Rajasthan by singing and dancing in public in her choice of vocation as saint-poet.
Mir Taqi Mir (1722-1810) One of the most important poets of the eighteenth century, noted for his melancholy, a formative influence in Urdu, known for his ghazals. Ghalib wrote more than one couplet in praise of him.
Miranda, Fr. Joaquim Born in Goa. Dates not known but his most celebrated poem ‘Riglo Jesu Molleantu’ (Jesus Entered the Garden) was written in Konkani between 1763-83.
Mitra, Debarati (b. 1946) Bangla poet and lecturer at Jadhavpur University.
Mohamad, Sheikh (16 CE) Wrote Marathi hymns in praise of Lord Krishna.
Mohiuddin, Khadar (b. 1955) Writes in Telugu; represented here by a section of his best-known poem, ‘Birthmark, about the bitter experience of being a Muslim in India, but he participates in Ugadi Sammelans, Telugu New Year poetry readings which now include poems by women and by Dalits, Hindus and Muslims.
Moraes, Dom (1938-2004) Wrote poetry and non-fiction in English. His first book of poems, written at nineteen, won him the Hawthornden Prize.
Mukerji, Dhan Gopal (1890-1937) Wrote poetry and non-fiction in English, and was one of the early ‘translators’ of Indian culture in the US.
Muktabai (13 CE) Bhakti poet, wrote in Marathi, sister of Jnanadeva.
Muktibodh, Gajanan Madhav (1917-69) Hindi poet considered a bridge between the Progressive movement and New Poetry movement, also called the modern movement. Wrote fiction, criticism journalism, was also a broadcaster and teacher.
Nagra, Daljit (b. 1966) Lives in the UK. Won the Forward Prize both for his first poem and his first book, Look We Have Coming to Dover, published by Faber and Faber in 2007. Continues to teach English in schools much to the amazement of his students.
Naidu, Sarojini (1879-1949) Poet in English and political activist.
Nair, Rukmini Bhaya (b. 1952) Poet writing in English, academic.
Nambiar, Kunchan (1700-70) Malayalam poet, belonged to a sub-sect specializing in temple art forms such as the ‘Kothu’ described as a dramatic narration, a mix of puranic mythology and contemporary satire.
Nambisan, Vijay (b. 1963) Writes poetry and non-fiction in English, translator.
Nambudiri, Punam (c. 16 CE) Wrote in Malayalam. The Nambudiris, who were Brahmins, are said to have introduced Sanskrit into the local language.
Namdev (1220-1350) Bhakti saint-poet in Marathi, travelled widely in India to spread the idea of bhakti.
Nammalvar (9 CE) Tamil poet, most important of the twelve alvars dedicated to Vishnu, and among the earliest bhakti poets.
Nanak, Guru (1469-1539) Founder of Sikhism, saint-poet.
Nanmullai, Allur (c. 1 CE-2 CE) Classical Tamil poet.
Nara (b. 1932) Pen name of Velcheru Narayana Rao, scholar and translator of several Telugu texts, academic.
Narain, Kunwar (b. 1927) Writes in Hindi and his work has been described as deeply humanist. He is also a short-story writer, editor, translator, and is involved in music and theatre.
Narayana (12 CE) Sanskrit poet; wrote Hitopadesa, one of the most popular versions of the Panchatantra stories.
Ngangom, Robin (b. 1959) Writes in English and in Manipuri.
Nirala (Suryakant Tripathi) (1899-1961) A leading member of various movements in Hindi poetry. Poet, novelist, essayist.
Nongkynrih, Kynpham Sing (b. 1964) Writes poems and fiction in both Khasi and English. His poems have been translated into several languages including Welsh and Swedish. He received the first North-East Poetry Award in 2004 from North-East India Poetry Council, Tripura.
Nur Jehan, Empress (1577-1645) Favourite wife of Emperor Jehangir.
Padgaonkar, Mangesh (b. 1929) Marathi poet, essayist, academic, editor.
Pakalikkuttar (dates uncertain, possibly born mid-14 CE and died sometimes in the first quarter of the 15 CE) It is said that the Tamil devotional form, the pillaittamil, began to flourish with his compositions.
Pande, Mrinal (b. 1946) Writes fiction and plays in Hindi.
Pandit, R.V. (1917-90) Wrote in Konkani was involved in the Goa Liberation Movement.
Pandya, Natwarlal ‘Ushnas’ (1920-2011) Gujarati poet and one-time principal of Arts College, Valsad, literary critic and essayist.
Paniker, K. Ayyappa (b. 1930) Malayalam poet, critic, academic, translator.
Parikh, Vipin (b. 1930) Writes poems and essays in Gujarati.
Parthasarthy, R. (b. 1934) Writes in English and Tamil. Editor, translator, academic.
Pash (1950-88) Best-known of the left and progressive poets, opposed Sikh nationalist violence, shot dead by a Khalistani militant. Edited a literary magazine called Siarh.
Patel, Gieve (b. 1940) Poet, painter, playwright, translator, doctor of medicine. Founder member of poets’ publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Patel, Ravji (1939-68) Gujarati novelist, short-story writer, poet.
Patil, Chandrashekara (b. 1939) Poet and playwright in Kannada, academic.
Periyalvar/Periyazhwar/Vishnuchittan (9 CE) Tamil poet wrote poems in praise of Krishna’s pranks as a child, inspired the pillaittamil verse form in which the poet adopts the voice of a mother and god is worshipped as an extraordinary child.
Perunkatunko, Palai Patita Classical Tamil poet dates uncertain, anywhere from c. 300 BCE to 200 CE.
Phookan/Phukan, Nilmani (b. 1933) Assamiya poet, academic, translator. Considered one of Assam’s most important poets.
Pinto, Jerry (b. 1966) Writes in English, journalist, and editor of several anthologies; recently published his much-acclaimed first novel.
Prabhu, Allama (c. 12 CE) Kannada saint-poet. As with other Veerasaiva saints he rejected external ritual. Other well-known saints such as Basavanna and others regarded him as the Master.
Prasad, G. J. V. (b. 1955) Poet, novelist and critic. Won the Katha Award for his translations from Tamil into English.
Pritam, Amrita (1919-2005) First prominent Punjabi woman poet, novelist and short-story writer.
Purandara Dasa (1485-1565) Kannada saint-poet. William J. Jackson tells us that ‘Purandaradasa was in the prime of his life during the heyday of the Vijayanagar empire.’ The fall of this empire in 1565 ‘led to many problems in society, and some of Purandaradasa’s songs reflect the loss and bewilderment of a turbulent land crying out for help’.
Ramaiya, Nita (b. 1941) Academic, writes in Gujarati.
Ramakrishnan, Kadammanitta (b. 1935) Malayalam poet and translator, described as a ‘progressive modernist.’
Ramanujan, A. K. (1929-93) Wrote in English and Kannada. Significant poet, translator, folklorist, philologist; taught at the University of Chicago.
Rasananda (17 CE) Oriya saint-poet.
Rath, Ramakanta (b. 1934) Oriya poet and civil servant; President of the Sahitya Akademi from 1998-2002. J.M. Mohanty writes, ‘Rath provided a deep troubled voice to modern Oriya poetry, troubled because of its intense awareness of futility’.
Rath, Baladev (1789-1845) One of the major Oriya Vaishnav poets dedicated to Krishna, particularly known for his champu poems which are arranged alphabetically, using Oriya consonants from ka to ksha. These poems are used both as song and dance. Said to be the only Oriya poet to use Persian words.
Ravidas (c. 14 CE-15 CE) Contemporary of Guru Nanak. A saint-poet who felt that God redeemed ‘even tanners of hides’—a reference to the family trade. Some of his poems are included in the Adi Granth, the Sikh scripture.
Rayaprol, Srinivas (1925-98) Wrote in English, founded and edited the journal East and West from 1956-61.
Revathi, Kutti (b. 1974) Writes in Tamil, working on a doctorate in medical anthropology.
Rituraj (b. 1940) Writes in Hindi; teaches.
Rodrigues, Santan (1948-2008) Poet in English, founder of eight Kan, a poetry magazine in the 1970s, founder member of New Grand poets’ cooperative.
Sarosh, Minal (b. 1960) Mitosis and Other Poems was published by Writers Workshop, Kolkata, 1992.
Sachdev, Padma (b. 1940) Dogri poet, prose writer, broadcaster.
Sahay, Raghuvir (1929-90) Hindi poet, journalist, translator, essayist, fiction writer.
Salabega (b. 16 CE) A Muslim, he was devoted to Lord Jaganath to whom he addressed his hymns which are widely popular in Orissa and influential in Oriya literature.
Sami (1743-1850) Sindhi religious poet, interpreted Vedantic thought in his work.
Sankaracarya (c. 8 CE-9 CE) Considered the greatest philosopher India has produced. Wrote devotional hymns in Sanskrit.
Sant, Indira (1914-2000) Wrote fiction and poetry in Marathi, considered one of the most intense lyrical voices in Marathi.
Sarangapani (18 CE) Telugu temple poet, wrote ‘courtesan’ songs.
Sastri, Chellapilla Venkata (1870-1950) Telugu poet.
Satchidanandan, K. (b. 1946) Writes in Malayalam; for several years Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi; earlier was a professor of English.
Sauda, Mirza Mohamed Rafi (1713-80) Urdu satirical poet.
Saxena, Sarveshwar Dayal (1927-83) Hindi poet, playwright, short- story writer.
Satavahana Hala (2 CE) Is said to have compiled the Gathasaptasati, possibly the oldest extant anthology of poetry from South Asia.
Sen, Ramprasad (1718-75) Bangla poet requested by Nadia zamindar to stay at his court and compose hymns to Kali/Uma.
Seth, Vikram (b. 1952) Poet and novelist writing in English. Best known for his verse novel The Golden Gate and his novel A Suitable Boy.
Shah, Bullah (1680-1759) Punjabi Sufi poet.
Shah, Waris (18 CE) Punjabi writer considered the greatest of the romance writers.
Sharma, B. C. Ramchandra (1925-2005) Writes in Kannada and in English, poet and translator.
Shetty, Manohar (b. 1953) Poet writing in English, editor of anthologies in English translation.
Shivarudrappa, G. S. (b. 1926) Kannada poet and academic.
Shukla, Vinod Kumar (b. 1937) Hindi poet, fiction-writer.
Siddalingaiah (b. 1954) Poet-playwright writing in Kannada, activist pioneer of Dalit-Bandaya movement in Kannada.
Siddaramayya (12 CE) Kannada Veerashaiva poet, contemporary of and influenced by Basavanna, and believed like him that one could combine life in the world with both devotion to Siva and a spirit of renunciation. The egalitarian vision of the Veerashaiva poets won them thousands of followers.
Silgardo, Melanie (b. 1956) Writes in English, co-founder of Newground, a poets’ publishing cooperative; later worked with Virago.
Singh, Kedarnath (b. 1934) Hindi poet, literary critic, translator, editor of two anthologies of Hindi poetry, and the journal Shabd.
Soma (5 BCE) Buddhist nun, Pali.
Sri Sri (1910-83) Telugu poet, journalist, critic, playwright, revolutionary.
Sriharsha (12 CE) Epic poet whose Naiadhiyacarita, or Naiadha, is among the most popular mahakavyas in Sanskrit literature.
Subbiah, Shanmuga (b. 1924) Writes in Tamil.
Subramaniam, Arundhathi (b. 1967) Writes in English, editor of the India domain, Poetry International Web.
Sunani, Basudev (b. 1962) Dalit poet, writes in Oriya.
Surendran, C.P. (b. 1959) Poet writing in English, novelist, journalist, editor.
Suri, Hemacandra (12 CE) Jain scholar writing in Prakrit/Apabhramsa.
Suri, Tenneti (1911-58) Telugu poet, playwright, journalist.
Surve, Narayan (c. 1926) Marathi Dalit poet, teacher, activist.
Tagore, Rabindranath (1866-1941) Bangla poet and writer of fiction, plays, songs. He was also a painter, musician, educator, and, inspired partly by experiences abroad, reshaped Bangla literature, music and the arts. Received Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.
Thakore, Anand (b. 1971) Writes poetry in English; Hindustani classical singer.
Thayil, Jeet (b. 1959) Writes in English, poet, musician, songwriter. Editor of 60 Poets, an anthology of Indian poetry in English by writers living in India and abroad.
Trilochan (1917-2007) Hindi Progressive poet who wrote about ordinary people, introduced the sonnet form in Hindi.
Tukaram (b. 1608) Vanished without trace in 1649. A bhakti poet, considered the greatest of the Marathi poets.
Tulsidas (1532-1623) Poet and philosopher regarded as the greatest Hindi poet, dedicated his life to Ram. Ram Charit Manas is his major work.
Tyagaraja (1767-1847) The most famous South Indian saint-poet/musician, wrote in Telugu.
Usha, S. A. (b. 1954) Kannada poet and academic.
Vajpeyi, Kailash (b. 1936) Prolific Hindi poet, awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award 2009.
Vallana (c. 900 CE-1100 CE) Sanskrit poet.
Vallathol (Vallathol Narayana Menon) (1878-1958) Poet, translator, freedom fighter, revived Kathakali, founded the Kerala Kalamandalam as part of this revival. Considered the greatest Malayalam poet.
Valmiki (c. 400 BCE-250 CE) The ‘first poet of Hinduism,’ post-Vedic but dates vary; created the first Indian verse form.
Vanparanar (c. 100 CE-250 CE) Classical Tamil poet.
Varma, Attoor Ravi (b. 1931) Malayalam, poet, critic, academic.
Varma, Shrikant (1931-86) Hindi poet, fiction writer, parliamentarian.
Vemana (c. 17 CE-18 CE) Telugu poet-philosopher, his poems are critical of caste, rituals, and externals; among the favourites of Telugu readers.
Verma, Mahadevi (1907-87) Described as the first woman to become a leading Hindi writer, helped to create the Chhayavad Movement.
Vidyapati (15 CE) Maithili and Sanskrit scholar and poet.
Vijayalakshmi (b. 1960) Writes in Malayalam.
Yashaschandra, Sitanshu (b. 1941) Poet and playwright in Gujarati.
Zote, Mona (b. 1973) Lives in Mizoram, writes in English, employed in government service.
While every effort has been made to find information about the poets, this has not been possible in all cases; any omissions brought to our attention will be remedied in future editions.