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 was des ...

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 perfor ...

. 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