C.V. Raman Pillai

Born:	19 May 1858 Thiruvananthapuram, India
Died:	21 March 1922 Thiruvananthapuram, India
Occupation:	Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Social Activist
Nationality:	Indian
Genres:	Fiction, Theater
Literary movement:	Travancore State Democracy and Social Reform
Debut works:	Candramukhivilasam (1884)
Influences:	Walter Scott, Moliere, Vyasa, Ezhuthachan
Influenced:	E.V. Krishna Pillai, K.M. Panikkar, Uroob, Kappana Krishna Menon, C.N. Srinkantan Nair

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Born of middle class parents on May 19, 1858, C.V. had a traditional Sanskritized education which included lessons in Ayurveda and even magic and Tantra. Kerala's folklore and Kathakali became an integral part of literary metier. He drew out myriad forgotten episodes from his country's history and the genius in him wove them into unforgettable epics.

C.V.'s foray into journalism was pioneering. Gifted alike in English and Malayalam, he was an early builder of Kerala's Fourth Estate. His sharp and incisive pen brought forth first, The Kerala Patriot, then the ' 'Malayali and finally the Mitabhashi.

C.V., Kerala's first historical and epic novelist, is reckoned as one of the greatest novelists. He is classed with the greats in Indian literature like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Harinarayan Apte. In the grand epic sweep of his great classics, Marthanda Varma, Dharmaraja and Ramarajabahadur, he is in the class of the great Vyasa. In world literature he ranks with Dostoevsky. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (Chattopadhyay in the original Bengali; Chatterjee as spelt by the British) was an Indian poet and author, most famous as the composer of Vande Mataram. ... Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

Modern Malayalam drama traces its origins to the genius of C.V. Original Malayalam in prose began with his eleven farces, nine of which were published. They set the tone and paved the way for the Kerala theatre that it is now.

C.V.'s very first attempt at literary creation, was the first original play in Malayalam. Candramukhivilasam was written in 1884 and was staged for four days successively in 1887 at the Maharaja's College, Trivandrum. This was also the first staging of a play in Malayalam by educated amateur actors.

1891 marked a milestone in Malayalam literature, the birth of the first historical novel. Martandavarma, by C.V., in 1885 was published from Madras in 1891. It was an instant hit and editorially hailed by The Hindu of Madras, on Dec 21, 1891 and event perhaps unique in the annals of Indian literature. It continues to be a popular classic even today.

For nearly twenty years from 1891 his literary genius kept smouldering without giving shape to any work. 1909 saw the production of his major comedy, Kurupillakalari. It was in 1913, a year after he quit his job in protest that he wrote his second novel, Dharmaraja, the first of a trilogy, that he conceived on an epic scale. The novel marked him out as a master craftsman in fiction. In 1915 he wrote a social novel, Premamritam which is the first satirical fiction in Malayalam. C.V.'s masterpiece however is Ramarajabahadur, published in 1918 and hailed by outstanding critics as the greatest novel in Malayalam so far.

When he passed away on March 21, 1922, C.V. had become a legendary figure on the Kerala scene.

Works

Novels

• Martanda Varma (1891)
• Dharmaraja (1913)
• Premamritam (1915)
• Ramarajabahadur (1918)
• Dishtadamshtram (1922) (unfinished)
• Premarishtam (1922) (unfinished)

Plays

• Candramukhivilasam (1884) (not published)
• Mattavilasam (1885) (not published)
• Kurupillakalari (1909)
• Tentanamkottu Hariscandran (1914)
• Doctarku Kittiya Miccam (1916)
• Ceruten Columbus (1917)
• Pantatte Paccan (1918)
• Papi Cellanatam Patalam (1919)
• Kuruppinte Tirippu (1920)
• Butler Pappan (1922)

Other Works

• Videsiyamedhavitvam (1922) (a collection of editorials)

Newspapers Edited

• The Kerala Patriot (1882)
• Malayali (1886)
• Vanchiraj (1901)
• Mitabhashi (1920)

References

• P.K. Parameswaran Nair, 'C.V. Raman Pillai'
• N. Balakrishnan Nair, 'Sakshal C.V.'
• K. Ayyappa Panicker, 'C.V. Raman Pillai'
• S. Guptan Nair, 'C.V. Raman Pillai'
• K. Ayyappa Paniker, 'History of Malayalam Literature'
• K.M. Tharakan, 'History of Malayalam Novel'