What is the Kaveri Delta region?

The Kaveri Delta region in southern India was a hub of Sanskrit scholarship between 1650-1800, with hundreds of pandits or scholars living in rural settlements and producing literary works, plays, and philosophy in the Sanskrit language.

Who was Shahaji Bhonsle?

Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha military leader who donated land to establish the village of Thiruvisanallur, which became home to a group of 45 distinguished Sanskrit scholars.

What happened to Sanskrit scholarship in India after the 19th century?

As English-medium schools spread in the late 19th century, fewer Brahmin families aimed for their sons to become priests. However, the rural settlements of Sanskrit scholars managed to keep the tradition alive, even as Britain tightened its grip on India.

Home / Education / Forgotten Sanskrit Scholars Rediscovered in India's Kaveri Delta

Forgotten Sanskrit Scholars Rediscovered in India's Kaveri Delta

17 Oct, 2025

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Summary

Cambridge scholars uncover vibrant Sanskrit scholarship in 1650-1800
Hundreds of pandits kept writing in Sanskrit despite British rule
Thiruvisanallur village was a hub of distinguished Sanskrit scholars

Forgotten Sanskrit Scholars Rediscovered in India's Kaveri Delta

According to new research by scholars at the University of Cambridge, a vibrant period of Sanskrit scholarship took place in India between 1650 and 1800, even as Britain was consolidating its control over the country. This "golden age" of Sanskrit literature, which includes erotic plays, poems, legal texts, and philosophical works, has largely been forgotten and remains untranslated.

The research team, led by Dr. Jonathan Duquette, a scholar of South Asian religions, is now conducting an extensive survey of sites in the Kaveri Delta region, where many of these Sanskrit pandits were concentrated. One key focus is the village of Thiruvisanallur, which was founded on land donated by Maratha military leader Shahaji Bhonsle to host a group of 45 distinguished Sanskrit scholars.