Tamil manuscripts from 18th Century found in Armenian monastery in Northern Italy

Tamil scholar discovers 18th Century Gnanamuyarchi manuscripts in Italian monastery. Tamil Bharathan, JNU doctoral scholar, allowed access after days of persuasion. Margherita Trento, professor, believes it is a copy of Ignatius's Spiritual Exercise in Tamil. Library had categorised it as Indian Papyrus Lamulic Language–XIII Century. Armenians in Chennai may have brought it to Italy. Bharathan cataloguing manuscripts, plans to visit Roja Muthiah Library in Chennai.

Palm manuscripts from the 18th Century titled Gnanamuyarchi have been discovered in an Armenian monastery in Northern Itlay. Tamil Bharathan, a doctoral scholar of the Special Centre for Tamil Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), was allowed access to the manuscripts.

“I was only allowed to read the manuscripts after days of persuasion,” said Mr. Bharathan, who was invited to participate in a seminar on Greek Paleography at the headquarters of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice.

He sought the help of Margherita Trento, a professor who has studied the history of the literary and social techniques employed by Roman Catholics to localise Christianity in early modern Tamil Nadu. According to her, it could be a copy of the first translation of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercise in Tamil.

“This translation is most likely by Michele Bertoldi, known in Tamil as Gnanaprakasasamy. This is a prose text from the early 18th Century (likely the 1720s) and has been printed several times in the 19th Century by the Mission Press in Puducherry,” said Ms. Margherita, who has written extensively about the text.

Mr. Bharathan said the library had categorised the manuscripts as ‘Indian Papyrus Lamulic Language–XIII Century’, and the authorities were not aware that it had been written in Tamil. Those in charge of the monastery are of the opinion that the Armenians in Chennai could have brought the manuscripts to Italy.

He has started cataloguing the manuscripts and also has plans to visit Roja Muthiah Library in Chennai since it also has a copy of the work in its possession. “Once I go through the manuscripts and make comparisons, I can get a clear picture,” he added.