The Man Who Changed How Tamil is Sung — Johann Philipp Fabricius
Fabricius’s influence on spiritual songs is still felt in churches
As our journey about Tamil took us to various destinations, let’s route back a bit. Under the patronage of Raja Raja Cholan, Tamil merchants traded across the globe and took Tamil with them. There was even a Tamil settlement in the outskirts of Rome. Romans made a special hot water supply line to the Tamil settlement. So it’s not a surprise that the first Tamil mold before Ziegenbalg made it in Tranquebar was made in Rome.
British Entry:
Ziegenbalg left from Tranquebar, and his press was sort of in operation. The political situation in the landmass of modern-day Tamilnadu saw new players enter. The British packed their bags from Chandragiri, citing the threat from the Dutch and French. They settled in Madras or modern-day Chennai and found them to be in the same position. The Dutch were just around the corner in Santhome, and the French were a few blocks away in Pondicherry. The king of Ponnamalle (yes, there lived a king of Ponnamalle), with the help of a land broker from the village of Perambur…
