''Coolie'' is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Mulk Raj Anand Mulk Raj Anand (12 December 1905 – 28 September 2004) was an Indian writer in English, recognised for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, togethe ...

first published in 1936. The second book written by Mulk Raj Anand, Coolie reinforced his position as one of India's leading English authors. The book is highly critical of British rule in India and

India's caste system The caste system in India is the paradigmatic ethnographic example of classification of castes. It has its origins in ancient India, and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially the Mug ...

. The plot revolves around a 14-year-old boy, ''Munoo'', and his plight due to poverty and exploitation aided by the social and political structures in place. Anand here tries to break the traditional way of life. In 2004, a commemorative edition including this book was launched by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

References

Novels by Mulk Raj Anand 1936 novels Novels set in India {{1930s-novel-stub