Kattakayam Cherian Mappillai (1859–1936) was an Indian poet and playwright of Malayalam literature. He was known for the epic poem ''Shreeyeshu Vijayam'', which earned him the title of Mahakavi. He was the founder editor of ''

Vijnaana Rathnaakaram ''Vijnaana Rathnaakaram'' was a literary magazine started in 1913 in the old Native State of Travancore, India. J Thomas Kayalackakom was its founder publisher and Mahakavi Kattakayam Cherian Mappillai was its Editor. It was the second literary ...

'', one of the earliest literary magazines in Malayalam language.

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

presented him a gold medal in 1931.

Biography

Cherian Mappillai was born on 24 February 1859 in

Pala Pala may refer to: Places Chad *Pala, Chad, the capital of the region of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest Estonia * Pala, Kose Parish, village in Kose Parish, Harju County * Pala, Kuusalu Parish, village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County *Pala, Järva County, vi ...

Kottayam district Kottayam (), is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that neither borders the ...

of the south Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

in a Christian family to Ulahannan and Cecily. His schooling was limited to

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

studies with Njavakkattu Damodaran Kartha for a few years by which time, he had already started writing poems. His early poems were published in ''Nasrani Deepika'' magazine in 1887 and in 1980, he started a poetry column in

Malayala Manorama ''Malayala Manorama'' is a morning newspaper in Malayalam published from Kottayam, Kerala, India by the Malayala Manorama Company Limited. Currently headed by Mammen Mathew; it was first published as a weekly on 22 March 1888, and currently has ...

, encouraged by

Kandathil Varghese Mappillai Kandathil Varghese Mappillai (1857 6 July 1904) was an Indian journalist, translator and publisher who was the founder of the newspaper Malayala Manorama and the magazine ''Bhashaposhini''. Early life Varghese Mappillai was born in 1857 as th ...

, the founder of the daily. He wrote a number of poems and plays and the most known among them was ''Shree Yeshu Vijayam'', a mahakavya in 24

cantos ''The Cantos'' by Ezra Pound is a long, incomplete poem in 120 sections, each of which is a ''canto''. Most of it was written between 1915 and 1962, although much of the early work was abandoned and the early cantos, as finally published, date ...

on the Bible, detailing from the

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning") ...

to the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

. It was the first Malayalam language epic by a Christian writer. Cherian Mappillai was a rubber farmer by profession and co-founded Meenachil Rubber Factory, one of the earliest rubber factories in Kerala. When J. Thomas Kayalackakom founded

in 1913, Cherian Mappilai served as its founder editor. He was married to Mariyamma from Kadakkachira veedu and he died on 29 November 1936, at the age 77.

Bibliography

Kattakayam Cherian Mappilla statue @ Pala 01

Poems

#Shree Yeshu Vijayam - 1911-1926 #Mar Thoma Charitham - 1908 #Vanithaamani- 1915 #Susannah - 1928 #Matthoo Tharakan- 1924 #Thiranjedukkappetta Paathram - 1926 #Juse Bhakthan - 1880

Plays

#Yoodajeeveshwari - 1890 #Villalvettam - 1894 #Olivervijayam - 1897 #Saaraavivaaham - 1902 #Kalaavathi - 1903

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kattakayam Cherian Mappillai 1859 births 1936 deaths People from Pala, Kerala Malayali people Malayalam poets Malayalam-language writers Indian editors Poets from Kerala 19th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian poets Indian male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Indian male writers Dramatists and playwrights from Kerala 20th-century Indian male writers