Great Tamil scholars of past 500 years:

• Kalamega pulavar (?1430-?1500)  
• Muthu Thandavar (1525 - 1600 CE)    
• Thirikoodarasappa kavirayar (?1540-?1590)  
• Arunachala Kavi (Tamil:அருணாசல கவி) (1711–1779)    
• Marimutthu Pillai (1712 - 1787 CE)  
• Muttukumara Kavirajar (1780–1851)  
• Mahavidhvan Meenakshisundaram Pillai. (1815-1876)  
• Arumuka Navalar (Tamil: ஆறுமுக நாவலர், ārumuka nāvalar  18 December 1822 – 5 December 1879)   
• Arutprakasa Vallalar Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – disappeared on 30 January 1874)  
• C.W. Thamotharampillai (Tamil: சி. வை. தாமோதரம் பிள்ளை)  (?1840-1894)  
• U. V. Swaminatha Iyer(Uttamadhanapuram Venkatasubbaiyer Swaminatha Iyer), 1855–1942.  
• Parithimar Kalaignar (born V.G. Surya Narayana Shastri, Vilacheri near Thirupparankundram, August 11, 1870 - d. November 2, 1903)  
• Nagapattinam Cokkanata Pillai makan  Maraimalai Adigal (15 July 1876 – 15 September 1950)      
• Valliappan Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai (1872–1936)  V.O.C. (Vaa. Oo.Ce) Kappalottiya Tamilan.  
• Chinnaswami Subramania Bharatiyar(11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921)  
• Thiruvarur Viruttachala Kalyanasundaram (1883 – September 17, 1953),    
• Kanakasubburathinam (Tamil:பாரதிதாசன்; 29 April 1891 – 21 April 1964), Bharathidasan)    
• Ki. Aa. Pe. Viswanatham (KiAaPe) (1899-1994) 
• Mozhi-jnyaayiru Devaneya Pavanar (ஞா. தேவநேயப் பாவாணர்; Ñanamuttan Tevaneyan, 1902–1981)   
• Mu. Varadarajan (Tamil: மு. வரதராசன்; 25 April 1912 – 10 October 1974)  
• R.Mathivaanan. 
• Ma. Nannan..