Tolan (''fl.'' 9th century AD), also romanized as Tholan, was an early medieval south Indian poet remembered for composing

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

passages of the art-form

Koodiyattam Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of '' Koothu'', an ancient perf ...

. He was a courtier and friend of king Kulasekhara Varma (identified with

Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara Sthanu Ravi Varma ( early Malayalam and Tamil: Ko Tanu Iravi), known as the Kulasekhara, was the Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala in southern India from 844/45 to 870/71 AD.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interp ...

, c. 844/45 – c. 870/71 AD). Tolan wrote the elaborate Malayalam passages for the vidushaka's speeches in

. These passages were probably intended for a native (Malayalam) audience at the temple. Tolan is also credited with the authorship of the lost historical kavya "Mahodayapuresa-charitha".

References

{{Malayalam Literature , state=collapsed Indian male poets Malayalam-language literature Year of birth missing Year of death missing 9th-century Indian poets Poets from Kerala Koodiyattam exponents People of the Kodungallur Chera kingdom

See also

References