Marthandavarma (novel)

Marthandavarma (Malayalam: മാർത്താണ്ഡവർമ്മ, Māṟttāṇḍavaṟmma [mɑːṟt̪t̪ɑːɳɖaʋaṟmma]) is a historical romance novel by C. V. Raman Pillai published in 1891. Taking place between 1727 and 1732 (Kollavarsham 901–906), the story follows three protagonists (Ananthapadmanabhan, Subhadra, and Mangoikkal Kuruppu) as they try to protect Marthanda Varma's position as the heir to the throne of Venad from Padmanabhan Thambi (the son of Rajah Rama Varma) and the Ettu Veetil Pillamar, both of whom want to oust him from the throne. The novel includes allusions to the Indian subcontinent and Western, historical, cultural and literary traditions.

The historical plot runs alongside the love story of Ananthapadmanabhan and Parukutty, Ananthapadmanabhan's chivalric actions, Parukutty's longing for her lover, and Zulaikha's unrequited love. The politics of Venad is shown through the council of Ettuveettil Pillas, the subsequent claim of the throne by Padmanabhan Thambi, the coup attempt, the patriotic conduct of Subhadra, and finally to her tragedy following the suppression of the revolt. The intertwined representation of history and romance is attained through classic style of narration, which includes vernacular languages for various characters, rhetorical embellishments, and a blend of dramatic and archaic style of language suitable to the historical setting of the novel.

This novel is the first historical novel published in Malayalam language and in south India. The first edition, self published by the author in 1891, received positive to mixed reviews, but book sales did not produce significant revenue. The revised edition, published in 1911, was an enormous success and became a bestseller. The story of Travancore is continued in the later novels, Dharmaraja (1913) and Ramarajabahadur (1918–1919). These three novels are together known as CV's Historical Narratives and C. V. Raman Pillai's Novel Trilogy in Malayalam literature.

The 1933 movie adaptation Marthanda Varma led to a legal dispute with the novel's publishers and became the first literary work in Malayalam to be the subject of a copyright infringement. The novel has been translated into English, Tamil, and Hindi, and has also been abridged and adapted in a number of formats, including theater, radio, television, and comic book. The Marthandavarma has been included in the curriculum for courses offered by universities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as well as the curriculum of the Kerala State Education Board.