Kerala Literature

Major literary movements in Malayalam

■ Pattu Prasthanam

The first literary movement in Malayalam is considered to be the Pattu movement. In this way, the first work in the Pattu movement has great importance in the language. The Pattu movement and the Manipravala movement are two literary branches that existed before the modern form of the Malayalam language. The oldest song work found to date is Ramacharita. This poem, which contains all the characteristics of Pattu language literature, is also considered the first literary work in Malayalam. There is an indication at the end of the book that Ramacharita was composed by Cheerama Kavi. It is also believed that this work was composed in the 12th century. 

■ Manipravala Movement

When excellent literary works began to appear in the mixed language that gained strength in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Manipravala movement emerged. Verse literature became Manipravala. Works written for the purpose of teaching and performing arts are important. This phase can be divided into ancient Manipravala , medieval Manipravala , and modern Manipravala. Works like Vaishikatantra , Unniyachicharitam , Unniyati Charitam , and Unnichiruthevi Charitam represent the ancient Manipravala phase. Medieval Manipravala includes message poems like Kokasandesam and Unnunilee Sandesam. The third phase of Manipravala includes the Champus like Naishadham Chambu , Bhasharamayanam Chambu, and poems like Chandrolsavam. The first Manipravala poet to come to attention is Tholan (Atula). One argument is that ' Thozha ' became Tholan. Tholan, known for his comedic works, has written a historical poem called ' Mahodayapureshacharitham '.

■ Champus

Manipravalam is a literary movement that influenced the Malayalam language after the song literature. Manipravalam means literature that is like a string of mani (jewel) and pravalam (pearl). Manipravalam refers to Malayalam and pavizham refers to Sanskrit. With the advent of Manipravalam , the popularity of song literature, which was a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam, was lost. Champu is a poetic form that combines prose and verse. This movement, which originated in Sanskrit, reached Malayalam after the 12th century. Three of the most famous ancient Manipravalam works are the Champu. They are ' Unniyachicharitham , Unniyaticharitham and Unnichirutheveecharitham ' . The Champu, which emerged in the 16th century, can be said to be the second phase of Malayalam Champu. ' Ramayanam Champu ' can be considered as an important work of medieval Champu, which was composed mainly based on mythological stories . It consists of 20 parts , including Ramavatharam and Ravana Vadham , and was written by Punam Namboothiri.

■ Gadha Movement

' Brihat ' means large. The first epic poem written in pure Malayalam is ' Krishna Gaatha ' written by Cherusseri. Krishna Gaatha can also be considered the first work that shows the power, beauty and simplicity of the Malayalam language. ' Gatha ' means Pattu. Therefore, Krishna Gaatha is also called ' Krishna Pattu ' . It is also known as ' Cherusseri Gaatha ' . In ancient times, songs used for Vedic rituals such as sacrifices were called Gaatha. Krishna Gaatha contains stories from the incarnation of Lord Krishna to his ascension to heaven. 

■ Kilipattu Movement

" Sharikapaitale Charushile , Varikaromale " is the poet who began his poetic writings by calling the parrot with great affection! That great poet, Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, who is hailed as the father of the Malayalam language, introduced a new poetic style of telling stories through the parrot in Malayalam. He also became the originator of the Kilipattu Prasthanam. The main works of the writer are Adhyatmaramayan Kilipattum and Mahabharatam Kilipattum. Valmiki's Ramayana is well known to Malayalis through Ezhuthachan's Adhyatmaramayan Kilipattum. It is believed that some works similar to Kilipattum existed in Malayalam even before Ezhuthachan. However , it was he who introduced an independent system called Kilipattu Prasthanam in Malayalam. 

■ Thullal Movement

Thullal is a literary genre that has become one of the most popular art forms. Kunchan Nambiar, one of the ancient poets, is the master of this art form that provides social criticism in a humorous form. Nambiar's work ' Kalyanasaugandhikam ' is considered to be the first of the Thullal works. There are three types of Thullals:   Ottan Thullal , Seethangan Thullal , and Parayan Thullal.

■ Attakatha Movement

Among the unique art forms of Kerala, Kathakali stands out for its grandeur and tradition. Kathakali is a literary form that originated as a visual art form. Therefore, Kathakali has an important place in the history of Malayalam literature. Kottarakkara Thampuran, who lived in the 17th century, is considered to be the inventor of Kathakali. Veera Kerala Varma of the Kottarakkara royal family was famous as Kottarakkara Thampuran. The Ramanattam he devised later developed into Kathakali. Jayadevan's ' Geetha Govinda ' and Manaveda Zamorin's ' Krishna Geethi ' (Krishna Nattam) are considered models for the form of Kathakali. Kathakali is important in literature , music , and acting. 

■ Bhasha Shasthra Grantham

' Leelathilakam ' is the first literary work that helped to organize the scattered Malayalam language without any precise rules or disciplines. It is believed that this work was written in the fourteenth or fifteenth century, although the author is not known exactly. Leelathilakam, which organizes the topics into eight sections, is written in Sanskrit. However , the examples are Manipravalashlokas ; some are songs. Many things related to literature are clearly explained in this book. The four poetic qualities of slesham , madhuryam , prasadam and samatha are explained in detail. 

■ Sandeshakavyas

The great Kalidasa is said to have initiated the literary genre of Sandeshakavya. His Sanskrit poet ' Meghadootham ' is considered to be the first Sandeshakavya. ' Sukasandesa ' written by Lakshmidasan in the 14th century is also one of the first works in this field. However , the first message poem in Malayalam is ' Unnunileesandesam '. It is not clear who wrote it. There is also an opinion that the person who wrote it and the protagonist are the same person. After the 14th century, many message poems like Mayuradootham and Kokilasandesam appeared in Kerala in Sanskrit.

■ Vanchipattu Prasthanam

When you hear the word Vanchipattu, the name of Ramapurattu Warrier comes to mind. His work ' Kuchela Vrittam Vanchipattu ' is very famous. This is also the first Vanchipattu in Malayalam. The reason for the popularity of Vanchipattu today is because of this work of his. Ulloor records that Ramapurattu Warrier lived during the period of Kolla Varsham 878-928 (1703-1763) . Warrier written the poem by giving importance to devotion by making it a story based on a Purana. Since it is the story of Kuchela in the Purana, this Vanchipattu was named Kuchela Vrittam. Although there are other Vanchipattu like Vyasolpatti , Nalacharitham , and Kiratham, there has never been a better Vanchipattu in Malayalam than Kuchevala Vrittam.

■ Pachamalayala Movement

' Pacha Malayalam ' is a system that started with the idea of ​​saving the Malayalam language from the influence of Sanskrit . The aim of this movement was to write poetry using only the Malayalam language. The idea of ​​Pacha Malayalam came into being during the time when the Manipravalam, a combination of Sanskrit and Malayalam, was strong. Kodungallur Kunjikuttan Thampuran was the first person to write in Pacha Malayalam. It was called ' Nalla Bhasha ' . In 1891 , Nalla Bhasha was printed in the publication ' Vidyavinodini '.

■ Mahakavyas

' Ramachandra Vilasam ' is considered to be the first ' mahakavya ' in Malayalam . The author of this poem, which narrates the story of the Ramayana, is Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup. This poem began to be published in 1899 in the ' Malayali ' magazine published from Kollam . Until then, epic poems were published only in Sanskrit. The content of a epic poem would be a noble life or the history of a great dynasty. It should have at least seven verses and linguistic qualities such as vruttam and alankaram.  Ulloor's ' Uma Keralam ', Pandalam Kerala Varma's ' Rugmangadacharitham ', Vallathol Narayana Menon's ' Chitrayogam ' , K.C. Keshav Pillai's ' Keshaveeyam ', and Kattakayam Cherian Mappila's ' Sree Yeshu Vijayam ' are some of the notable epic poems in Malayalam.

■ Vruthashasthram

The rhythm and beauty of a poem are determined by its vrutham. ' Kerala Kaumudi ' is the first Malayalam work to talk about vruthashasthram. This work, which has more than 380 verses, was written by Kovunni Nedungadi. Published in 1878, Kerala Kaumudi describes the birth of the Malayalam language , famous poets , the importance of the grammar book , Sanskrit vruthams , Dravidian vruthams. It also describes alankarams. A.R. Rajaraja Varma's ' Vruthamanjari ' is a better vruthashastram book than Kerala Kaumudi. Appan Thampuran , Kuttikrishnamarar , and N.V. Krishnawarrier have also written books on vruthashasthram.

■ Bhasha Charithram

Every language has a history. The works that describe it are important in that language. The first book that describes the history and growth of the Malayalam language was published in 1881 by Kerala Vilasam Press in Thiruvananthapuram. It was written by P. Govinda Pillai of Travancore. The first name of this book was ' Malayalam Bhasha Grantha Samuchayam ' . Later, when it was revised and published in two volumes, the name was changed to 'Malayalam Bhasha Charitra ' . The second work was 'Malayalam Sahitya Charitra Sangrah ' written by P. Sankaran Nambiar in 1922. Ulloor's Kerala Sahitya Charitra is also a prominent work in this category.

■ Dictionary

A dictionary is a book that arranges the words of a language in alphabetical order and explains their meaning , pronunciation, etc. The first dictionary in Malayalam was 'A Dictionary of High and Colloquial Malayalim and English' prepared by Benjamin Bailey. This Malayalam-English dictionary, which recorded the meaning of Malayalam words in English, was published in 1846. The first Malayalam-Malayalam dictionary that gave the meaning of Malayalam words in Malayalam itself came ten years later. It was prepared by Richard Collins, the principal of CMS College, Kottayam, in 1856. However , the ' Shabdatharavali ' prepared by Sreekantheswaram Padmanabha Pillai is known as the comprehensive and authoritative Malayalam-Malayalam dictionary . It was published in 1923.

■ Literary Criticism

Literary criticism is the process of accurately studying a work and impartially evaluating it to find its strengths and weaknesses. The first literary criticism in Malayalam was the literary criticism written by C.P. Achutha Menon during the period 1890-1895 . Achutha Menon initiated impartial literary criticism under the name 'Pusthaka Niroopanam' in the magazine ' Vidyavinodini ' , which was published under his own editorship. A.R. Rajarajavarma , P. K. Narayana Pillai , Swadeshabhimani K. Ramakrishna Pillai , Kesari Balakrishna Pillai and others were also early talents in criticism literature.

■ Scientific literature

The first encyclopedia in the Malayalam language is the ' Samastha Vijnana granthavali ' prepared by R. Easwara Pillai . It was published in 1937. However , the first work that can be considered as an encyclopedia based on each subject is another. This is the ' Sahithyabharanam Nighandu ' published in 1933. Its author is Sreekantheswaram Padmanabha Pillai. Years later , in 1968 , a comprehensive and extensive encyclopedia came out in Malayalam. It was published by NBS under the name ' Vishva Vijnjanakosham '.

■ Proverbs collection

Proverbs are old sayings. They are an important part of the growth of language and literature. The first book of proverbs in Malayalam was compiled by a foreign missionary named Paulinus Pathiri. This book, printed in Rome, was published in 1791. He gained knowledge in Indian languages ​​like Malayalam , Sanskrit and Tamil and wrote several books. It was followed by the collection of proverbs in Malayalam and compiled them into a book. The name of this book was 'Centum Adagia Malabarica' , which means a collection of proverbs from Malabar . The largest proverb book is ' Kerala Adagia ' , compiled and published by the Kerala Historical Research Council . As important as proverbs are also idioms. T. Ramalingam Pillai's ' Malayalam Style Dictionary ' is one of the earliest style books in Malayalam.

■ Grammer Book

'Keralapaneeyam' by A.R. Rajarajavarma is considered to be the first authoritative grammar book in Malayalam . This book, published in 1916, is still relied upon by Malayalis for grammar studies. Its revised edition was published in 1917. The first grammar book in Malayalam is considered to be 'Malayalam Bhashavyakaranam ' by Hermann Gundert . The complete version of this work, prepared in three parts , was published in 1868. Another book with the same name was published by Robert Drummond in 1799. Since it was written for Westerners, it is not considered a complete Malayalam grammar book.

■ History Book

The first printed history book of Kerala was ' Keralolpathi ' published by Hermann Gundert in 1843. It is not clear who wrote it. This work, which tells the history of Kerala in the sections of Parasurama's time , the time of Perumakas , and the time of Thampuraks, contains a lot of legends. Therefore, it cannot be considered as an authentic history. As a sequel to this work, Gundert published a book called ' Keralapazhama aka Malabarin Chitra ' in 1868.

■ Travelogue

The first travelogue in Malayalam was ' Varthamanapusthaka ' written in 1786. However , ' Urshlem Yatravivarana ' ( 1895) written by Parumala Thirumeni is the first printed travelogue in Malayalam. ' Varthamanapusthakam ' was written by Paremmakkal Thommakathanar. The practice of writing travelogues in verse began in the early 20th century.

■ Scientific Book

The book ' Govasoori Prayogam' or 'Vasuri Nirmala ' written by Senchi Palani Andi in 1864 is considered to be the first scientific book in Malayalam. There was also a series of scientific books in Malayalam called ' Lahushastra Pathavali ' . The Latin botanical book "Hortus Malabaricus " , prepared under the leadership of the Dutch governor Heinrich van Reed and published in Amsterdam , contains the names of plants in Malayalam. This is the first book printed in Malayalam script.

■ Short Story Literature

The first short story in Malayalam was ' Vasanavikruthi ' written by Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar, one of the early journalists of Kerala . It was published in ' Vidyavinodini ' in 1891. He wrote this story in a language with a touch of humor. Moorkothu Kumaran , C.S. Gopalapanicker , Ambadi Narayanapothuval , Appan Thampuran , C.V. Kunhiraman , E.V. Krishna Pillai, etc. are some of the prominent storytellers of the early period.

■ Biography

Biography is the story of someone else's life. In 1895 , Kerala Varma Valiyakoithampuran published a collection of biographies called ' Mahacharitha Sangraham ' . The first work on Marx in Malayalam was ' Karl Marxinepatti ' (1912) by Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai . The first work on Gandhiji's life in Malayalam was also written by Swadeshabhimani. 

■ Drama Literature

The era of Malayalam plays began with the translation and publication of Kalidasa's ' Abhijnjana Shakunthalam ' by Keralavarma Valiyakoithampuran in 1882. This play, translated as ' Keraliya Bhasha Shakunthalam ' , was published as ' Manipravala Shakunthalam ' . ' Chakkichankaram ' is a play written by Munshi Ramakurup in 1894 , making fun of the Malayalam plays of that time , and ' Mariamma ' by PK Kocheepan Tharakan is the first social play in Malayalam.

■ Novel Literature

Appu Nedungadi's ' Kundalatha ' is the first novel in Malayalam. It was published in 1887. However , some believe that ' Pullerikunju ' written by Archdeacon Koshy in 1882 was the first novel in Malayalam. O. Chandu Menon's ' Indulekha ' is the first novel with a plot in Malayalam. ' Indulekha ' , published in 1889, satirizes the status quo in the Kerala society of that time. Chandu Menon passed away before completing his second novel, ' Sharada ' . C.V. Raman Pillai's ' Marthanda Varma ' is the first historical novel in Malayalam.

■ Autobiography

An autobiography is a story of a person's life told by him/herself. Ulloor is of the opinion that Pachu Moothathu's ' Atma Katha Samskshepam' is the first Malayalam work that can be classified as an autobiography. There are different opinions among literary historians on this matter. Swadeshabhimani K. Ramakrishna Pillai's ' Ente Nadukadathal ' (1911) is the first full-length autobiography in Malayalam. It can also be described as the first ' political autobiography. Some of the famous autobiographies in Malayalam include ' Vyazhavattasmaranakal ' written by Ramakrishna Pillai's wife B. Kalyaniyamma , ' Smaranamandalam ' by literary critic PK Narayana Pillai , ' Jeevitasmaranakal ' by E.V. Krishna Pillai, KP Kesava Menon's Past Time , VT Bhattathiripad's Kannirum Kinavum, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer's Ormakalkale Arakal, Madhavikutty 's Ente Katha , Thikodiyan 's Arangu Kanatha Nadan and Changampuzha 's Thudikunna Thaalukal.

■ Letter Literature

Letter writing is an area that has not grown much in Malayalam. The practice of collecting letters of prominent people and publishing them in book form is very rare here. In this era where letter writing itself is disappearing, this literary genre has no chance of growing. In the early days, our writers wrote letters like poems. Venmani Achan Namboothiri started this. The letters he sent to his son, Kodungalloor Kunjikuttan Thampuran, were later published in Malayala Manorama , Rasikaranjini , and Bhashaposhini. Some letters sent by Kunjikuttan Thampuran to Naduvathachha were later published. Letters sent by Vallathol to Sardar K.M. Panikkar were published in 1978 under the title ' Vallathol Kathukal ' . This is the first collection of letters in Malayalam.

■ Prose Literature

Some of the essays from the time of the Chera kings can be considered as precursors of prose works. The oldest of these is the Vazhappally Shasanam. It was written in the 9th century. Bhashakautalyam is the first prose collection in the Malayalam language. It is a translation of Chanakya's Arthashastra. It is not known who or when it was prepared. Keralavarma Valiyakoithampuran laid the foundation of Malayalam prose literature. He is described as the ' father of modern prose ' . He took charge as the chairman of the committee formed to prepare school textbooks in the early 20th century and wrote textbooks on various subjects. Through this, Thampuran contributed a new prose style to Malayalam.

■ Elegies

Elegies are poems that the West describes as ' laments of personal losses ' . In English, they are known as Elegy . Elegy has also found a place in the genre of Khanda poetry in the Malayalam language. The first elegiac poem in Malayalam is considered to be ' Oru Vilapam ' written by C.S. Subramanian Potty . The theme of this poem is the lament of a father who is in pain over the loss of his daughter. It was published in the magazine ' Kavanakaumudi ' in 1902. Subramanian Potty, a teacher and an excellent translator, has translated many famous English poems and scientific articles into Malayalam. In 1909 , when V.C. Balakrishna Panicker wrote another elegiac poem with the same name (Oru Vilapam), elegiac poetry in Malayalam gained a strong foundation.

■ Muktakam

A Muktakam is a single verse. The method of Muktakam is to indicate the entire meaning in a single verse. Although there are many Muktakams in Malayalam too, Muktakams are more important in Sanskrit. These are found in abundance in ' Leelathilakam ' . Leelathilakam can be considered the first work that helped to introduce Muktakams in the language and to understand their influence. Leelathilakam is believed to have been written between 1385 and 1400 AD.

■ Khandakavyas

The Khanda Kavya movement arose due to the poetic connection with the Western world. Although it is not as deep and extensive as the Mahakavyas, the specialty of Khanda Kavya is the depth of the author's thought. A.R. Rajaraja Varma's ' Malayavilasa ' is the first Khanda Kavya in Malayalam. It was written in 1895. It presents the beauty of the Sahya Parvata ranges that the poet saw on his journey from Madras in a very poetic manner. ' Veena Poova ' , written by Kumaranasan and published in 1907, is the first full-length Khanda Kavya in Malayalam.

■ Children's Literature

The first Malayalam book printed in Kerala , ' Stories Translated from English for the Benefit of Young Children ' , is also the first collection of stories in Malayalam. This work was translated by Benjamin Bailey in 1824. It is also the first work of children's literature in Malayalam. Gundert's Pathamala in 1860 and Vaikath Pachu Mooththu's ' Bala Bhushanam ' in 1866 are also early contributions to children's literature.

■ Articles

With the advent of magazines, articles or essays were born in Malayalam. Articles on various subjects by many writers were published through Rajyasamacharam and Paschimodayam, published by Gundert from Thalassery. The writings of scholars like M Rajarajavarma and Kodungallur Kunjikuttan Thampuran are among the earliest articles in Malayalam. A book titled ' Gadyamalik ' was published in 1907 by Kochi Ramavarma Appan Thampuran, collecting various articles that appeared in ' Vidyavinodini ' , the second literary magazine in Malayalam.

■ Encyclopedia

There are many encyclopedias in Malayalam. Examples include ' Puranik Encyclopedia ' prepared by Vettam Mani , ' Biography Encyclopedia ' edited by PT Bhaskara Panicker , ' Balakairali Encyclopedia ' by the Institute of Children's Literature , ' Kathakali Encyclopedia ' by Aymanam Krishnakaimal , ' Nadodi Encyclopedia ' by Dr. MV Vishnumaboothiri , and ' Cricket Encyclopedia ' by Sanil P. Thomas.