The novel was written at a time when there was an emerging class of upper caste men (mostly Nairs) who received a Western style education, and were achieving prominent positions in British India. The title refers to the main character in this novel, a beautiful, well educated Nair lady of 18 years.

It was a landmark in the history of Malayalam literature and initiated the novel as a new flourishing genre. Chandhu Menon's Indulekha was the first major novel in Malayalam language. It had a historical narrative centred on Kundalatha, the daughter of the king of Kalinga. It was also the first novel to be written by a Malayali Keralite and the first novel published in Malabar region. Though Kundalatha is not considered a major novel, it gets the pride of place as the first work in the language having the basic characteristics of a novel. The first novel conceived and published in Malayalam was Appu Nedungadi's Kundalatha (1887). were also translated to Malayalam and published in Arabi-Malayalam script during the same era. world-famous novels like Ameer Hamza, Gulsanober, etc. Pathminiyum Karunayum, another translation of Fulmoni O Korunar Biboron, came out in the year 1884 (author unknown).

However, it was not originally conceived in Malayalam but was a translation of The Slayer Slain (English, 1864вЂ“1866) by Mrs. Richard Collins was the first novel printed and published in Malayalam with a story based in Kerala and around Malayalis. Ghathakawadham ( GhДЃtakavadhaб№Ѓ, 1877) by Rev. Joseph Peet Hana Catherine Mullens's Bengali novel Fulmoni O Korunar Biboron, is a novel printed and released in Malayalam in 1858. 1.1 List of Malayalam-language novels before the 1900sДЇulmoni Ennum Koruna Ennum Peraya Randu Sthreekalude Katha (PhulmЕЌni ennuб№Ѓ kЕЌruб№‡a ennuб№Ѓ pД“rДЃya ranб№u strД«kaбё·uб№e katha), a translation of Rev.

Malayalam novels british raj