‘Saraswati Vijayam’ by Potheri Kunjambu

‘Saraswativijayam’ (1892) is a malayalam novel by Pother Kunhambu (1857 – 1919)

Saraswativijayam begins with the attempted killing of a Pulayan for daring to sing in the vicinity of a proud Nambudiri landlord. Although believed to be dead, the Pulayan survives, and the rest of the novel follows the two protagonists – the master and the slave – as each of them seeks out his particular salvation. The Brahmin goes to Kashi and cleanses himself of pride and ignorance, the Pulayan, through the space opened up by colonial education and Christianity, becomes a judge. At the end of the novel, the Pulayan presides over the trial of the Nambudiri and also marries his granddaughter Saraswati. The novel has the epigraph: Education is the greatest of all wealth.

Source: Hindu