A. Madhaviah
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A. Madhaviah [A. Madhavaiyar] (Born 16-Aug-1872, Died 22-Oct-1925), was one of the earliest Pioneering Tamil novelists. One of his earliest novels to be published in Tamil is 'Padmavati Charithram'. A. Madhaviah was a Social reformer who advocated for female education and women's remarriage. Author of novels such as Clarinda in English.
Birth & Youth
A. Madhaviah was also referred by few as A. Madhavaiyar. But in the books published during his period, he was referred as A. Madhaviah.
A. Madhaviah was born on 16-8-1872 in the village of Perunkulam near Tirunelveli. His father was Anantharamaiyar and Mother was Meenakshi Ammal. He is the descendant of Anantha Avadhani, a scholar from Perunkulam. According to the genealogy written by A. Madhaviah's son Ma. Krishnan, Anantha Avadhani, Mahadeva Pattar, Ananthavan Adigal, Yagnanarayanan, Ananthanarayanayar or Appavaiyar, A. Madhaviah are their clan descendants. Analyst Kala Subramaniam mentions that he was born in a Telugu Brahmin clan and belonged to the Vadamar class who later settled in Tamil Nadu.[Novel Muthumeenakshi,Prolouge for Thamizhini Publications]
He completed his schooling in 1887 in Tirunelveli district. He learned Tamil traditionally from Lakshmana Bodhi who lived in Nellai. He continued his undergraduate studies at the Christian College in Chennai. Here he graduated in Tamil and English. He was fascinated by the ideas of his college principal, William Miller. He completed his bachelor's degree (B.A) in 1892 as the first grader.
After graduation, he worked as a teacher at the Chennai Christian College. In 1893, while studying for his MA, he secured first in an examination conducted by the Salt and Abkari department and became a Salt Inspector in the Kancham district of Andhra Pradesh.
He retired from government service in 1917 and came to Chennai. He took part in many academic works. He was elected to the Senate of the University of Chennai
Literary life
During his college days, Madhaviah wrote stories and articles in English for the magazine of Madras Christian College Magazine published by Tambaram Christian College, Chennai. He aimed to continue writing in English. He used the nickname Pamba (as an acronym for Perunkulam Appavaiyar Madhaviyar, B.A.)in English. [Kala Subramaniam] He started writing a series called 'Savitriin kathaigal' (Savitrii's Stories) in a magazine started by his friend C. V Swaminathayar called Viveka Chintamani, which was started in 1892. In 1892, the series was stopped by its editor due to severe criticism. Only six chapters were published once in two months.
A. Madhaviah then wrote the novel Padmavathi Charithram in 1898. Encouraged by the response to the novel, he completed and published Savitri's story novel under the title 'Muthumeenakshi'. The novel, published in 1903, met with severe criticism. A. Krishnan, son of A. Madhaviah, mentions that there were strong condemnations then in The Hindu newspaper. A. Madhaviah did not write in Tamil for the next six years. He wrote only poems in English for Chennai Christian College magazine during that time.
The first volume of the novel 'Padmavathi Charithram' was published in 1898. In a foreword written in English, Madhaviah says that he thinks the book may not be loved by the readers and therefore did not continue to write it. The novel was welcomed by all. Analysts note that there were two reviews in English and in Tamil. VC Sooriyanarayana Shastri, a Tamil scholar known as Parithimarkalaignar, praised the novel and wrote that there was in no need for any hesitation in regard of the novel. Inspired by this, Madhaviah wrote the second part in 1899. In 1899 the two volumes were published together as a single book. He started writing a sequel to it in 1923 in Panchamirtham magazine. He died before it was completed.
In 1910, A. Madhaviah wrote short stories known as 'Kushikarin Kutti Kathaigal' (Kushikar's Short Stories) under the pseudonym Kusikar in The Hindu English daily. A total of 27 short stories were written by him. Madhaviah belonged to the Kaushika tribe, so he chose the name Kusikar. Although these stories are socially critical, they are admirable. They also had the formal resemblance of the stories of the famous Parmartha Guru in Tamil. These stories became popular among the readers. They were published as a book by the Hindu daily under the title Kusika's Short Stories.Later Madhaviah translated 22 short stories in Tamil and published under the name 'Kushikarin Kutti Kathaigal'. In his literary journal Panchamirtham, A. Madhaviah wrote four short stories, including 'Kannan Perunduthu'. He had earlier written a short story in Tamilnesan magazine.
In 1914, Madhaviah won the first prize in the Indian Kummi Poetry Competition. The information that Subramania Bharathiar also took part in this competition can be found in some books about his life. He was not directly involved in the national independence struggle. But has written poems in support of the national movement.
A. Madhaviah adapted Shakespeare's Othello and wrote the play Udayalan in Tamil. He also wrote short operas.
A. Madhaviah's first English novel Thillai Govindan is one of the earliest Indian novels published in London. A collection of his English poems, Cox vs Dox, is no longer available. He wrote the Markandeyan story, Nandanar story and Manimegalai story for children in English. He wrote lyrics for selected songs in Silappathikaram, Kambaramayanam and Manimegalai. They are compiled under the title of 'Ilakkiya Selvam' (Literary Wealth).
Folk lore
A book on the transformation and prolongation of the Telugu national deity Madangi in Tamil worship named Mathangi: A Curious Religious Institution is considered to be one of the pioneer literature in the study of Tamil folklore.
Journalism
When A. Madhaviah came to Chennai in 1917, he co-ordinated the Tamil Education Society to spread education. Under the society he started a magazine called Tamilnesan. After a few magazines it was left in the charge of his son-in-law P N Appusamy.
During 1924 He Launched the monthly magazine Panchamirtham in the month of Chittirai(April). This magazine was conducted solely for literature. He began writing the third volume of 'Padmavathi Charithiram' in the journal and died shortly afterwards. In 1925, with his death, Panchamirtham magazine ceased to exist. A total of 25 magazines were published.
Death
Madhaviah was elected a member of the Senate of the University of Chennai on October 22, 1925. During his lecturing in which he insited that Tamil should be included in the syllabus (B.A) as a compulsory subject, He fell to the ground and died.
Family
A. Madhaviah married at the age of fifteen (1887). His wife's name was Meenakshi. He had eight children, five daughters and three sons, including Ma. Anantha Narayanan, Meenakshi Thiagarajan, Ma. Krishnan, Muthulakshumi alias Mukta Venkatesh, Visalachchi, Dr. Saraswathi
Viswanathan Visalachchi Ammal, the daughter of Madhaviah, wrote stories and articles under the name of Kasini. Her short story 'Moondril Ethu' (Which of the Three) was published in Panchamirtham magazine. The stories written by Madhaviah's family together have been compiled by the Dinamani publication under the name 'Munnila' which was edited by P. Shri.
Son of A. Madhaviah, Ma. Krishnan is a renowned author who has written ecological essays in English.
Literary Contribution
A. Madhaviah is considered to be the pioneer novelist of Tamil. In 1892 he began writing the novel 'Savithriyin Kathai' (The Story of Savitri) or 'Savitiri Charithiram' (History of Savitri). 'Savitriyin Kathai' was the second Tamil novel after the novel 'Pratapa Mudaliar Charithram' (1879) written by Mayuram Vedanayagam Pillai in Tamil. But it was blocked four times and in 1903. Then the book was published under the name 'Muthu Meenakshi'. Before that B. R. Rajamayyar published the novel 'Kamalambal Charithram' which came out in 1896. A. Madhaviah's Padmavathi Charithram was published in 1898.
A. Madhaviah wrote the novels with an understanding of the novel writing art form. நாவல் என்னும் ஆங்கிலச்சொல்லும் நவீனம் என்னும் வடமொழிப்பதமும் ஒரே தாதுவினின்றும் பிறந்து ஒரே பொருளைத் தரும் வார்த்தைகளாம் (The English word for novel and the word for modernity in northern language term are words born of the same orgin and having the same meaning.) ,were the preface of the 'Padmavath Charithram' novel. The Genere of Romance is often written as long stories with miraculous and bizarre events. He explains that the novel is different from that.
A. Madhaviah, who defines the novel as that "like all other Treaties (Granthas),which has 'captivating the minds of the readers and enlightens them' as their primary goal". He notes that he has not considered the novels that have come up in Tamil so far as novels. The form of ‘novel’ is novel [new] to Tamil, He says.
He also states in the preface that the novel is different from the old texts read by the educated and should be read by readers who knew the language. This shows that he had an understanding of the novel as an art form which was formed as a result of the 'people-centric' concept about reading. Madhaviah states that stories should be written in plain simple language and with no commentaries. He also notes that it is customary in this form to write in the same way that uncultured characters speak. It shows his understanding of the realist aesthetics of the novel form.
In his novel, 'Muthumeenakshi' he strongly condemns the oppression of women in the Brahmin caste. His novels published in Tamil contain direct descriptions and comments written for the Tamil environment. Clarinda, the English novel by him, is considered by critics to be his best literary work. Clarinda has been translated into Tamil by Sarojini Bakkiamuthu.It is a novel based on the true story of a prostitute woman in Nellai who converted to Christianity and dug a well for the well-being of the people of the city. A. Madhaviah's another novel -'Thillai Govindan' was translated by his Grand- Son,V. Narayanan.
A. Madhaviah was affected by every common literary trends of his time. The most influential book, Matthew Arnold's 'Light of Asia' through which The Buddha was rediscovered like a wave all over India. Due to its impact, A. Madhaviah wrote the life of the Buddha under the name Siddhartha.
During his time there was a literary tradition of adapting Shakespeare's plays and many wrote prose plays in Shakespeare style. An adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello play , 'Udayalan' was written by Madhaviah. Many such books were continuously written by many authors in Tamil during his time.It was a time when ancient literary texts of Tamil were in print. A new tradition of writing began as to make the literary style of the texts understandable to the general reader. Madhaviah's 'Ilakkiya Selvam' (literary wealth) is a pioneering book in that category.
Social Reform
A. Madhaviah was actively involved in women education, child marriage and women's remarriage. Both the novels 'Padmavathi Charithram' and 'Muthumeenakshi' are based on the theme of women's education.
When A. Madhaviah's daughter became a widow at a young age, he arranged for her further education and remarriage. It created the greatest opposition in the society during those days. So it is said that he even considered converting to Christianity.
Unlike P R Rajam Iyer, who was comparable to him in the early novels, A. Madhaviah was a non-Hindu. He criticizes and parodies of Hindu traditions in stories such as 'Sasthapreethi' and 'Kannan Perunduthu'.In his novels 'Satyanandan' and 'Clarinda', he portrays Christianity as a way to liberate oneself from social oppression. But in later novels he denounces the proselytizing techniques of Reformed Christianity.He talks about the needs of freedom from European perceptiveness over life. Analyst Christine Bergman says Madhaviah was ambivalent about Christianity. According to the writings of the researcher Manaseegan, A. Madhaviah, had a past societal view of religion, or an atheistic view.
Biographies, Studies
His son Ma. Krishnan wrote a detailed biography about A. Madhaviah. It was released after the demise of Ma. Krishna
- Madhaviah: A Biography and a Novel by Sita A. Raman
- Waha, Kristen Bergman (2018-03-26). "Synthesizing Hindu and Christian Ethics in A. Madhaviah's Indian English * Novelclarinda (1915)". Victorian Literature and Culture
- Parameswaran, Uma (1986-03-01). "3. A. Madhaviah 1872 -1925: An Assessment". The Journal of Commonwealth Literature.
- Raj Gautam wrote ‘A. Madhavaiya (1872-1925): Life and Creation' -presents a comprehensive study. This is his doctoral dissertation
Works
Novel
- Padmavathi Charithiram (1898)
- Muthumeenakshi (1903)
- Vijayamarthandam (1903)
- History of Padmavathi Part III (1928, unfinished)
- Thillai Govindan [Translated by V. Narayanan]
- Clarinda [Translated. Sarojini Bakkiamuthu]
- Satyanandan [Translated by Joseph Kumar]
Short story
- Kusikar Short Stories (Translated from English by A. Madhaviah) (1924)
Drama
- Udayalan, a Korkkai Sinhala (Tamil version of Shakespeare's play 'Venetian Morian in Othello') (1903)
- Thirumalai Sethupathi (1910)
- Manimegalai Thuravu (1918)
- Rajamarthandam (1919)
- Barrister Panchanadam (1924)
Poetry
- Poems (20 poems) (1903)
- Podhu Dharma Satkeeta Manjari (Part Two, 1914)
- The Ballad of the penniless bride (1915)
- Pudhu Madiri Kalyana Pattu (New Model Wedding Song) (1923)
- Indiya Desiya Geethangal (Indian National Anthems) (1925)
- Indiya Kummi (Indian Kummi) (1914)
Article
- Achara Seerthirutham (Ethical Reform) (1916)
- Siddharthan (1918)
- Bala Vinodha Kadaigal (Bizarre Stories for the young) (1923)
- Bala Ramayana (1924)
- Kural nanooru (Kural Four Hundred) (1924)
- Thalavai Mudaliar Kudumba Varalaru (Family History of Talwai Mudaliar) (1924)
- Dakshina Charithira Veerar (1925)
English texts
- Dox vs Dox poems (1903)
- Thillai Govindan. Novel (1903)
- Satyananda .Novel (1909)
- The story of Ramanyana .Childrens Literature (1914)
- Clarinda .Novel (1915)
- Lt. Panju .Novel (1915)
- Markandeya Childrens Literature (1922)
- Nanda Childrens Literature (1923)
- Thillai Govindan's Miscellany. Articles (1907)
- Manimekalai. Childrens Literature (1923)
- Kusika's short stories - 1916, 1923
- Dalavai Mudaliar .Research (1924)
- Mathangi: A Curious Religious Institution.Research (1924)
Apart from these, few articles, comments, etc. in Tamil were published in the magazine Panchamirtham from 1924 to 1925. Similarly, from 1892 to 1910, sixteen essays and poems written by Madhaviah were published in English in the College Magazine of the Chennai Christian College.
references
- A. Madhaviah (1872-1925): Life and Creation. Raj Gautam.Kavya Publishing in Tamil
- A. Madhaviah Website http://www.madhaviah.org/MadhaviahWelcomeV11.htm
- Savitri Charithram creation of the story of Muthumeenaksi. kala.Subramanian
- A. Madhaviah: The first voice of modernity. Manaseegan. Tamilini Internet Magazine
- Madhaviah: A Biography and a Novella - Sita Anantha Raman and Vasantha Surya, Oxford University Press
- Waha, Kristen Bergman (2018-03-26). "Synthesizing Hindu and Christian Ethics in A. Madhaviah's Indian English Novelclarinda (1915)". Victorian Literature and Culture. 46: 237–255. doi: 10.1017 / S1060150317000419. S2CID 165304670. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- Parameswaran, Uma (1986-03-01). "3. A. Madhaviah 1872 -1925: An Assessment". The Journal of Commonwealth Literature. 21 (1): 222–239. doi: 10.1177 / 002198948602100124. ISSN 0021-9894. S2CID 161124736.
