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==Modern prose literature== {{See also|Malayalam drama|Malayalam novel|Malayalam journalism}} [[File:Gundert, Hermann (1814-1893).jpg|thumb|right|160px|[[Herman Gundert]]]] [[File:Travancore Rupee - Reverse.jpg|thumb|Malayalam letters on old [[Travancore Rupee]] coin. The establishment of the Kingdom of [[Travancore]] was a turning point in the field of Malayalam literature.]] Contemporary Malayalam poetry deals with social, political, and economic life context. The tendency of the modern poetry is often towards [[political radicalism]].<ref name="South Asian arts"/> Nineteenth century was not a very creative period for Malayalam literature (except towards the end) from the point of view of imaginative writing. The modern Malayalam grammar is based on the book ''[[Kerala Panineeyam]]'' written by [[A. R. Raja Raja Varma]] in the late 19th century CE.<ref name="clt"/> But the foundations for the great renaissance that began at the end of the century were laid during this period. The establishment of colleges for imparting English education, the translation of the Bible and other religious works, the compilation of dictionaries and grammars, the formation of the text book committee, the growth of printing presses, the starting of newspapers and periodicals, the introduction of science and technology, the beginning of industrialisation and the awakening of social and political consciousness: these constitute the giant strides towards modernisation. Like his predecessors [[Swathi Thirunal]] and [[Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma|Uthram Thirunal]], [[Ayilyam Thirunal]] (1832–1880) and [[Visakham Thirunal]] (1837–1885) were great patrons of letters and were themselves talented writers. Christian missionaries [[Benjamin Bailey (missionary)|Benjamin Bailey]] (1805–1871), Joseph Peet, Richard Collins and George Mathen (1819–1870) were responsible for many works on Malayalam language based on western models. Perhaps the most important of these missionaries was [[Herman Gundert]] (1814–1893). Born in [[Stuttgart]] in [[Germany]] and educated at [[Tübingen]] and [[Switzerland]], Gundert came to India in 1836. He wrote over twenty books in Malayalam, the most important of which are ''A Malayalam-English Dictionary, A Grammar of Malayalam, Keralappazhama'' and ''Pazhamcholmala''. The first authoritative grammar of Malayalam was also Gundert's contribution (1851). This led to the production of a number of grammatical works in Malayalam. Vaikkam Patchu Moothathu (1814–1883) published his ''Grammar of Malayalam'' in 1876, ''Kerala Kaumudi'' by Kovunni Nedungadi (1831–1889) came out in 1878. This was soon followed by the first history of the language by P. Govinda Pillai (1849–1897) published in 1881. The first work on rhetoric in Malayalam on the European model was brought out by Father Gerad under the title ''Alankara Sastram'' in the same year. By the end of the 19th century two different traditions could be clearly distinguished in Malayalam literature: the western school and the oriental or traditionalist school. Writers such as [[Kerala Varma Valiya Koyithampuran]] represent the confluence of these two major traditions. His major works include ''Mayurasandesam'' (Peacock Message) and the translations of [[Kalidasa]]'s ''[[Abhijñānaśākuntalam]]'' (which got him the title of Kerala Kalidasa), and of Von Limburg Brower's ''Akbar''. Meanwhile, many literary magazines were established to encourage all kinds of writers and writings, such as C. P. Achutha Menon's ''Vidyavinodini'', [[Kandathil Varghese Mappillai]]'s ''[[Bhashaposhini]]'' and Appan Thampuran's ''Rasikaranjini''.<ref name="mlm"/>[[File:Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran Changanassery Lakshmipuram Palace.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Kerala Varma Valiya Koyithampuran]]]] In the wake of Kerala Varma's translation of ''Abhijñānaśākuntalam'', several attempts were made to translate numerous plays from Sanskrit and English into Malayalam. These plays were seldom acted. The stage conditions of those days were crude and unfit to project a performance. As if irritated by this imitation plays of low quality, P. Rama Kurup wrote ''Chakki Chankaram'' (1893). Kerala Varma's nephew [[A. R. Raja Raja Varma]] went a step further than his uncle in the promotion of a synthesis between the different trends current in the literature of his time. A professor in the [[University College Thiruvananthapuram|His Highness Maharaja's University College, Thiruvananthapuram]], he had to modernise the process of teaching Malayalam language and literature; this made him write books on grammar and rhetoric (which earned him the title of Kerala [[Pāṇini|Panini]]) and eventually prepare the ground for an enlightened renaissance in Malayalam poetry and literary criticism. A close associate of both Kerala Varma and Raja Raja Varma, [[K. C. Kesava Pillai]] wrote ''Kesaviyam'' (a ''mahakavya'') and a number of ''attakkathas''. [[Azhakathu Padmanabha Kurup]] (1869–1932: author of ''Ramachandravilasam''), [[Pandalam Kerala Varma]] (1879–1919: author of ''Rukmangatha Charitam''), Kattakkayam Cherian Mappila (1859 – 1937: author of ''Sri Yesu Vijayam''), [[Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer]] (1877–1949 : author of ''Umakeralam'') and [[Vallathol Narayana Menon]] (1879–1958: author of ''Chitrayogam''), all paid their obeisance to this neoclassicist trend.<ref name="mlm"/> The developments in prose at this time were very significant, [[Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar]] (1861–1895), more famous under his pseudonym Kesari, was one of the first to explore the essay form in Malayalam. He was closely associated with periodicals like ''Kerala Chandrika'' (started in 1879 at [[Thiruvananthapuram]]), ''Kerala Patrika'' (started in 1884 by C. Kunhiraman Menon (1854–1936) and [[Appu Nedungadi]] (1866–1934) at [[Kozhikode]]), ''Kerala Sanchari'' (after 1898 under the editorship of Murkoth Kumaran) and the English Journal ''Malabar Spectator''. His ''[[Vasanavikriti]]'' is considered by historians and literary experts as the first [[short story]] in Malayalam literature. It was published in ''[[Vidyavinodini]]'' in 1891. Along with Nayanar, the pioneers of short stories in Malayalam were [[Oduvil Kunhikrishna Menon]], [[C. S. Gopala Panicker]], [[Ambadi Narayana Poduval]], [[Chenkulath Cheriya Kunhirama Menon]] (M. R. K. C.) and [[Moorkoth Kumaran]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=A Brief Survey of Malayalam Literature: History of Literature |author=[[K. M. Tharakan]] |publisher=National Books |date=1990 |page=72 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3nhkAAAAMAAJ |quote=The pioneers of the short-story in Malayalam were Vengayil Kunju Raman Nayanar, Oduvil Kunjukrishna Menon, C. S. Gopala Panikkar, Ambadi Narayana Poduval, Chakulath Kunjirama Menon (M. R. K. C.) and Murkoth Kumaran.}}</ref> ''Fulmoni Ennum Koruna Ennum Peraya Randu Sthreekalude Katha'' (Phulmōni ennuṁ kōruṇa ennuṁ pērāya ranṭu strīkaḷuṭe katha), a translation of [[Hana Catherine Mullens]]'s Bengali novel ''Fulmoni O Korunar Biboron'' by Rev. Joseph Peet, is believed to be the first novel printed and released in Malayalam (1858). ''Ghathakawadham'' (''Ghātakavadhaṁ'', 1877) by Rev. Richard Collins was the first novel printed and published in Malayalam with a story based in [[Kerala]] and around [[Malayali]]s.<ref name="mlm"/> The first novel conceived and published in Malayalam was [[Appu Nedungadi]]'s ''[[Kundalatha]]'' (1887).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/Seminar-in-memory-of-Appu-Nedungadi/article15769229.ece|title=Seminar in memory of Appu Nedungadi|author=Staff Reporter|newspaper=The Hindu |date=5 October 2010|access-date=15 September 2017|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> Though ''Kundalatha'' is not considered a major novel, it gets the pride of place as the first work in the language having the basic characteristics of a novel. [[O. Chandhu Menon]]'s ''[[Indulekha (novel)|Indulekha]]'' was the first major novel in Malayalam language. It was a landmark in the history of Malayalam literature and initiated the novel as a new flourishing genre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindu.com/br/2004/09/07/stories/2004090700011403.htm |title=The Hindu : Voice of rebellion |author=K. Kunhikrishnan |website=www.hindu.com |access-date=15 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022162845/http://www.hindu.com/br/2004/09/07/stories/2004090700011403.htm |archive-date=22 October 2012}}</ref> The title refers to the main character in this novel, a beautiful, well educated Nair lady of 18 years. [[C. V. Raman Pillai]]'s ''[[Marthandavarma (novel)|Marthandavarma]]'' (1891) had many distinctions: it was the first historical novel in any South Indian languages, first novel from [[Travancore]], first Malayalam novel to be a part of a trilogy and the first Malayalam novel to have a masculine title. ''Marthandavarma'' was completed even before ''Indulekha'' but could not be published until 1891 owing to lack of finance. The novel recounted the history of [[Venad]] ([[Travancore]]) during the final period of [[Rajah Rama Varma]]'s reign and subsequently to the accession of [[Marthanda Varma]]. The novel had a [[Marthanda Varma (film)|film adaptation of the same name]] in 1933 and was the first Malayalam novel to be adapted into film. During the early 20th century, Malayalam received outstanding novels, either as translations or adaptations of Western literature. The post-independence period saw a fresh start in the history of longer fiction in Malayalam as in many other Indian languages, parallel to the evolution of post-world war fiction in other parts of the world. It was both a break and a continuation. [[P. Kesava Dev]], who was a Communist in the thirties and forties turned away from diehard ideologies and wrote a symbolic novel called ''Arku Vendi?'' (For Whose Sake?) in 1950, challenging the philosophy of Stalinist liquidation of political enemies. It had a special significance in the context of the 'Calcutta thesis'. After portraying the class struggle of farm labourers in ''[[Randidangazhi]]'' (Two Measures) in 1949, [[Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai]] turned away from party politics and produced a moving romance in ''[[Chemmeen (novel)|Chemmeen]]'' (Shrimps) in 1956. For [[S. K. Pottekkatt]] and [[Vaikom Muhammad Basheer]], who had not dabbled in politics, the continuity is marked in the former's ''Vishakanyaka'' (Poison Maid, 1948) and the latter's ''[[Ntuppuppakkoranendarnnu]]'' (My Grandpa had an Elephant, 1951). The non-political social or domestic novel was championed by [[Uroob|P. C. Kuttikrishnan (Uroob)]] with his ''[[Ummachu]]'' (1955) and ''[[Sundarikalum Sundaranmarum]]'' (Men and Women of Charm, 1958). In 1957 Basheer's ''[[Pathummayude Aadu]]'' (Pathumma's Goat) brought in a new kind of prose tale, which perhaps only Basheer could handle with dexterity. The fifties thus mark the evolution of a new kind of fiction, which had its impact on the short stories as well. This was the auspicious moment for the entry of [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]] and [[T. Padmanabhan]] upon the scene. Front runners in the post-modern trend include [[Kakkanadan]], [[O. V. Vijayan]], [[E. Harikumar]], [[M. Mukundan]] and [[Anand (writer)|Anand]].<ref name="mlm"/> The travelogues written by [[S. K. Pottekkatt]] were turning point in the travelogue literature.<ref name="mlm"/> Prominent literary critics of twentieth century include [[Kuttikrishna Marar]].<ref name="mlm"/> In the second half of the 20th century, [[Jnanpith]] winning poets and writers like [[G. Sankara Kurup]], [[S. K. Pottekkatt]], [[Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai]], [[Edasseri Govindan Nair]], [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]], [[O. N. V. Kurup]], and [[Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri]], had made valuable contributions to the modern Malayalam literature.<ref name="google25"/><ref name="Accessions List, South Asia"/><ref name="Indian Writing Today"/><ref name="DattaAkademi1987"/><ref name="Malayalam Literary Survey"/> Later, writers like [[O. V. Vijayan]], [[Kamaladas]], [[M. Mukundan]], [[Arundhati Roy]], [[Vaikom Muhammed Basheer]], have gained international recognition.<ref name="MukundanPillai2004"/><ref name="Maheshwari2002"/><ref name="Chaudhuri2008"/> [[Kerala]] has the [[Indian states ranking by media exposure|highest media exposure in India]] with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly [[English language|English]] and [[Malayalam]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The DHS Program - India: Standard DHS, 2015-16 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/what-we-do/survey/survey-display-355.cfm |website=dhsprogram.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Family Health Survey|url=http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-4Report.shtml|website=rchiips.org|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=3 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003131317/http://rchiips.org/NFHS/NFHS-4Report.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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