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"Language of the Snakes traces the history of the Prakrit language as a literary phenomenon, starting from its cultivation in courts of the Deccan in the first few centuries of the common era. Although little studied today, Prakrit was an important vector of the "kavya movement," and once joined Sanskrit at the apex of classical Indian literary culture. The opposition--as well as underlying identity--between Prakrit and Sanskrit was at the center of an enduring "language order" in India, a set of ways of thinking about, naming, classifying, representing, and ultimately using languages. As a language of classical literature that nevertheless retained its associations with more demotic language practices, Prakrit both embodies major cultural tensions--between high and low, transregional and regional, cosmopolitan and vernacular--and provides a unique perspective onto the history of literature and culture in South Asia."--Provided by publisher.

History --- Asian history --- Prakrit literature --- Prakrit languages. --- Sanskrit literature --- Language and culture --- History and criticism. --- Culture and language --- Culture --- Extinct languages --- Indo-Aryan languages, Middle --- asian history. --- asian literature. --- classical indian literary culture. --- classical literature. --- common era. --- cosmopolitan. --- creating a new language. --- cultural tensions. --- deccan. --- demotic language practices. --- first centuries. --- india. --- indian literary criticism. --- kava movement. --- language history. --- language order. --- language. --- literary phenomenon. --- old languages. --- prakrit. --- regional. --- sanskrit. --- south asia. --- transregional. --- vernacular.