Marathi Literature - Sultanate Period

Sultanate Period

There was relatively little activity in Marathi in the early days of the Bahmani Sultanate (1347–1527) and the Deccan sultanates (1527–1686). The Warkari saint-poet Eknath (1528–1599), the main successor of Dnyaneshwar, was a major Marathi literary figure during this period. He made available an authentic, edited version of Dnyaneshwari, which had been forgotten after the Islamic invasion of Deccan. He also wrote several abhangs (devotional poems), narratives and minor works that dealt with the Bhagavata Purana. Dasopant was another minor but notable poet from this era. Mukteshwar (1574-1645), the grandson of Eknath, too, wrote several works in Marathi including a translation of the epic Mahabharata.

Krista Purana, written by the Goa-based Christian missionary Thomas Stephens, was first published in 1616. It is written in a mix of Marathi and Konkani languages, and the first copy was published in the Roman script, and tells the story of Jesus Christ.