Novel Form of Akbar’s History

Abstract

Renowned writer and literary scholar Kerala Varma Valiya Koyi Thampuran (1845-1914) played a pivotal role in the evolution and growth of Modern Malayalam prose, novel and the short story. When he was the Member and Chairman of the Travancore Textbook Committee (1867-1877), Kerala Varma urged fellow writers to pen prose works and he also wrote exemplary Malayalam prose models, stories, laying the foundation for modern Malayalam language and literature. One of his famous such work is the Malayalam Translation of Dr. Petraus Abraham Samuel Van Limberg’s ‘Akbar Novel’. Kerala Varma started translating the novel in 1882 and it was published by the Travancore Textbook committee in 1894. Titled ‘Akbar Malayalam Tharjama’, Kerala Varma’s novel earned a classic status among the early Malayalam novels. It also gained repute as the first Malayalam historical novel that was based on India’s history. The novel’s narrative encompasses a general view of the Mughal India and a detailed and close portrayal of Akbar’s official duties and emotional conflicts. That way, the novel became a classic example of literary retelling of history. Published 130 years back, Akbar stands tall in the stream of Malayalam translate literature. This paper explores how Akbar’s life and Mughal reign in India become a narrative subject for the novel.