In 1964, the
Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, decided to publish the first in a series of monographs on writers who had made significant contributions to the development of literature in an
Indian language. The Sahita Akademi planned to title the series
Indian Men of Letters. Among the authors invited to contribute to the series was
C. Rajagopalachari, who was asked to write on the ancient
Tamil poet
Thiruvalluvar. Responding to the request, Rajagopalachari objected to classifying Thiruvalluvar as one of the "Indian Men of Letters". He felt that the series' title should be changed if
rishis and
sages such as
Valmiki and
Tulsidas were to be included. Alternative titles were considered. Eventually, in order to encompass both old and modern writers, from sages and
rishis to men of letters, the series was named
Makers of Indian Literature.
Krishna Kripalani prepared detailed guidelines for the authors to ensure a measure of uniformity. Each volume was to be of about 80 printed pages, or 30,000 words. They were intended primarily for the general reader who had not necessarily read the work of the writer concerned, and might not be burdened with references and allusions more likely to deter than hold the attention of the target audience. The story of the life and work of the writer concerned was to be told simply and lucidly and in such a manner as to convince the reader of the historic significance of their contribution to Indian literature. The merit of an author's worth and the quality of their work was to be established on the evidence of the totality of their contribution. This was to be assessed in the context of the age in which they had lived and, if possible, in the context of Indian heritage as a whole. Selected passages from works discussed were to be interwoven with the narrative, in order to assist the reader to appreciate the author's style and mode of expression. ==Monographs==