RICE E.P., 1849-1936
Edward(Edmund?) Peter Rice, (ಎಡ್ವರ್ಡ್
ಪೀಟರ್ ರಾಯಿಸ್) younger brother of Benjamin Louie Rice was a
Christian missionary and a teacher who served the cause of Kannada in more than
one way. He served as a missionary in
He has translated the old testament of the Bible in
to simple and chaste Kannada. He has also rendered in to Kannada the
theological texts of Moses as ‘Adikanda’ (1908) and ‘Yatrakanda’ (1909) He has written a biography of his
father, B.H. Rice who lived in
Benjamin Rice or Fifty years in the Master's Service,
by his son Edmund P. Rice, B.A., Published by the Religious Tract Society, 192
pp.
The lasting contribution E.P.Rice
is his ‘A History of Kanarese Literature’.
(1915) This is
the first attempt in writing the history of Kannada literature in any language.
He gives a broad outline of Kannada literature based on the texts available at
that point on time. The book is divided in to four parts called, Jaina, Veerashaiva, Vaishnava and modern.
Of course his pioneering effort is not well received
in the scholarly circles of Karnataka because he speaks rather disparagingly
about the contribution of Kannada to world literature. Naturally his views were
vehemently criticised and many scholars rose in defence of Kannada literature and tried to present their
case. The answers given by Dr R.S.Mugali in his
‘Kannada Sahitya Charitre’
(1956) are noteworthy.
References:
1. Rice, E.P. [1921] (1982). A
History of Kanarese Literature.
2. History of Kannada Literature, R.S.Mugali,
1975,