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Raja Rao

ラジャ・ラオ

Raja Rao

プロフィール

性別
男性
生誕
1908-11-08 (Hassan, Kingdom of Mysore, British India (now Karnataka, India))
死没
2006-07-08 (Austin, Texas, United States) 97歳
国籍
Indian, American
言語
Kannada, French, English
宗教
Hinduism
居住地歴
Hassan, Karnataka, India → Hyderabad, India → Montpellier; Paris, France → Austin, Texas, United States

経歴

職業
Writer, Professor
活動期間
1938年〜1998年
所属
University of Texas at Austin (Professor), Sri Vidya Samiti (cultural organisation)
影響を受けた人物
Mahatma Gandhi, Upanishads (Indian philosophy), French literature and European philosophy
影響を与えた人物
Subsequent writers in Indian English literature

学歴

Nizam's College (Osmania University)
English and History
学位: BA
期間: 1920年代
卒業年: 1927
国: India
Studied after matriculation
University of Montpellier
French language and literature
期間: 1929–1932頃
国: France
Moved to France to study French
Sorbonne (University of Paris)
Literature / comparative studies (Indian influence on Irish literature)
期間: 1930年代初期
国: France
Explored Indian influence on Irish literature
University of Madras
English and History
学位: BA
期間: 1920年代
卒業年: 1929
国: India
Won Asiatic Scholarship and went to study abroad

受賞歴

Sahitya Akademi Award
1963
対象作品: The Serpent and the Rope
主催: Sahitya Akademi
結果: 受賞
Padma Bhushan
1969
主催: Government of India
結果: 受賞
Neustadt International Prize for Literature
1988
対象作品: For his body of work
主催: Neustadt Foundation
結果: 授与
Padma Vibhushan
2007
主催: Government of India
結果: 追授/受賞

受賞・候補エディション

作品

代表作

Kanthapura

1938年 Novel (nationalist)

Set in the South Indian village of Kanthapura, the novel depicts the impact of Gandhian ideas and the independence movement on village life. Narrated by the old woman Achakka in a folk-epic style, it addresses caste and social change.

GandhismCasteVillage society

The Serpent and the Rope

1960年 Novel (semi-autobiographical, metaphysical)

A semi-autobiographical novel recounting a search for spiritual truth between Europe and India. The title's metaphor contrasts illusion (the serpent) and reality (the rope).

MetaphysicsEast–West encounterSpiritual quest

The Cat and Shakespeare: A Tale of India

1965年 Novel (metaphysical comedy)

A metaphysical comedy that responds to philosophical questions raised in earlier novels, combining humour with metaphysical inquiry.

MetaphysicsPhilosophical inquiryHumour

全著作

  • Kanthapura (1938)
  • The Serpent and the Rope (1960)
  • The Cat and Shakespeare: A Tale of India (1965)
  • Comrade Kirillov (1976)
  • The Chessmaster and His Moves (1988)
  • The Cow of the Barricades (1947)
  • The Policeman and the Rose (1978)
  • The Great Indian Way: A Life of Mahatma Gandhi (1998)
  • The Meaning of India (essays, 1996)

作風・主題

文体
Oral/folk narrative style reflecting local speechMetaphysical and philosophical prosePoetic prose with abundant vocabulary in English
頻出モチーフ
Absence of mother and orphanhoodEast–West cultural encounterSpiritual quest

健康

  • Heart failure (cause of death)
    2006
    Died of heart failure at home in 2006; followed by preservation of his archive and memorial attention.

評価・遺産

Raja Rao is regarded as a major figure in Indian English literature, praised for his metaphysical concerns and deep engagement with Gandhian thought and Indian philosophy. Works like The Serpent and the Rope influenced readers and scholars worldwide; his legacy is preserved through academic study and archival collections.

記念館・博物館

  • Raja Rao Archive (University of Texas at Austin) Austin, Texas, United States

資料所蔵先

  • Raja Rao archive held by the University of Texas at Austin

大衆文化への影響

  • The Raja Rao Award (2000–2009) recognized contributions to South Asian diaspora literature.

引用

  • Women is the Earth, air, ether, sound, women is the microcosm of the mind.
    出典: Interview / cited in writings (exact source unspecified)

豆知識

  • Eldest of nine siblings (seven sisters and one brother).
  • His mother died when he was four; absence of mother recurs as a motif in his work.
  • The Raja Rao Award was established in his name in 2000 and was awarded until 2009.