C. V. Raman Pillai

Cannankara Velayudhan Raman Pillai (19 May 1858 – 21 March 1922), also known as C. V., was a major Indian novelist and playwright and a pioneering playwright and novelist of Malayalam literature. He was known for his historical novels such as Marthandavarma, Dharmaraja and Ramaraja Bahadur, the last being considered one of the greatest novels written in Malayalam.

Biography

Born in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), capital city of the erstwhile native State of Travancore, on 19 May 1858 to Panavilakath Neelakanta Pillai, a Sanskrit scholar and Parvathy Pillai, a scion of an ancient matrilineal family; both his parents were from middle-class families and employees at the Palace of the Maharaja of Travancore. Pillai got his family name, Cannankara, through matrilineal succession. Fondly called Ramu, he had a traditional Sanskritized education, early in life, under his father's tutelage which included lessons in Ayurveda and even magic and Tantra. He continued education at the first English school in Thiruvananthapuram. Subsequently, he graduated from His Highness Maharaja's College (the present-day University College Thiruvananthapuram), the first-ever College in Travancore, where he reportedly had a brilliant academic career under John Ross, the principal of the institution and Robert Harvey, and obtained his BA degree from the Madras University in 1881, securing a second class, ranking seventh in the Madras Presidency and second in Thiruvananthapuram College. It was during this period, he started his first periodical named The Kerala Patriot.

After graduation, Pillai suffered from persistent stomach ailments and chest pain, aggravated by the disruptions of continuous study and travel. He tried various treatments in Thiruvananthapuram without success before travelling to Patthanamthitta, where he stayed with his elder brother Narayana Pillai, a Tehsildar, and later with another brother Sankara Pillai in Paravur, Kollam. Approximately one and a half years were spent in such travels and recuperation, during which time his health gradually improved and he devoted himself to reading. Their son was the journalist Rosscote Krishna Pillai. Maheshwari Amma, the youngest daughter, later married playwright E. V. Krishna Pillai; their son was the actor Adoor Bhasi. His third marriage was to Janaki Amma, the elder sister of Bhageerathi Amma and the widow of C. Raja Raja Varma, the younger brother of Raja Ravi Varma. He died on 21 March 1922, at the age of 63, survived by Janaki Amma. This followed such historical novels as Dharmaraja and Ramarajabahadur, the social novel, Premamritam as well as several farces. Modern Malayalam drama traces its origins to his works. He is credited with the first original play in Malayalam, Chandramukheevilasam, written in 1884 and was staged for four days successively in 1887 at His Highness Maharaja's College, Trivandrum. is a 400-plus page lexicographic work in four volumes, based on Pillai's books. The work includes the explanations, elucidations and interpretations of over 700,000 Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindustani and English words used by him in his writings.

Works

Novels Historical novels Marthandavarma (1891) Dharmaraja (1913) Ramaraja Bahadur (19181919)

Social novels Premamritam (1915)

Uncategorized Dishtadamshtram (1922) (unfinished) Premarishtam (1922) (unfinished)

Plays Chandramukheevilāsam (1884) (not published) Mattavilāsam (1885) (not published) Kurupillakalari (1909) Tentanāmkōţţu Harischandran (1914) Kaimalassanţe Kadassikkai (1915) Docţarku Kiţţiya Micham (1916) Cherutēn Columbus (1917) Pandathē Pāchan (1918) Pãpi Chelluņadam Pāthālam (1919) Kuruppinţe Thirippu (1920) Butler Pappan (1922)

Other works Videsiyamedhavitvam (1922) (a collection of editorials)

As editor in newspapers The Kerala Patriot (1882) Malayali (1886) Vanchiraj (1901) Mitabhashi (1920)

Translations Marthandavarma (1936, 1979) Dharmaraja (2009) Ramaraja Bahadur (2003)

Honours

The India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp on Pillai on 19 May 2010. A road in Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram has been named after him as C. V. Raman Pillai Road. Chenkal, a panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram which includes his native village of Arayoor, was renamed as C.V.R. Puram in 1970.

Writings on Raman Pillai

K. Ayyappa Paniker, History of Malayalam Literature (C. V. Raman Pillai - Chapter 34) N. Balakrishnan Nair, Saakshaal C. V. എൻ. കൃഷ്ണപ്പിള്ള; പ്രതിപാത്രം ഭാഷണഭേദം: ഡി.സി.ബുക്സ്, കോട്ടയം