HungHay8926976 at 00:47, 30 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian author and journalist (1882–1939)}}
{{Distinguish|Chengalath Valiya Kunhirama Menon}}
{{Given name hatnote|Cheriya Kunhirama Menon|Chengalath|lang=Malayali}}

'''Chengalath Cheriya Kunhirama Menon''' (1882–1939), also known by his nom de plume '''M. R. K. C.''', was a [[Malayalam|Malayalam–language]] author and journalist from [[Kerala]], India.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot |editor=[[Amaresh Datta]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hc5jAAAAMAAJ |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |date=1987 |page=4054|isbn=9780836422832 }}</ref> He was associated with prominent newspapers and periodicals such as ''[[Kerala Pathrika]]'' and ''Mangalodayam''. Some of his famous books include ''Velluva Kammaran Allenkil Sardar Sheikh Ayaz Khan'' and ''M. R. K. C. yude Cherukathakal''. M. R. K. C. along with [[Moorkoth Kumaran]], [[Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar]], [[Oduvil Kunhikrishna Menon]], [[C. S. Gopala Panicker]] and [[Ambadi Narayana Poduval]] are regarded as the pioneers of the short story in [[Malayalam literature]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=A Brief Survey of Malayalam Literature: History of Literature |author=[[K. M. Tharakan]] |publisher=National Books |date=1990 |page=72 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3nhkAAAAMAAJ |quote=The pioneers of the short-story in Malayalam were Vengayil Kunju Raman Nayanar, Oduvil Kunjukrishna Menon, C. S. Gopala Panikkar, Ambadi Narayana Poduval, Chakulath Kunjirama Menon (M. R. K. C.) and Murkoth Kumaran.}}</ref>

==Early life==
Chengalath Kunhirama Menon was born in 1882 in [[Valapattanam]] near [[Cannanore]] in [[Malabar District|Malabar]].<ref name="Ulloor">{{Cite book |title=Kerala Sahithya Charithram |author=[[Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer]] |chapter= 63.3 |url=https://archive.org/details/kerala-sahitya-charitram-vol-1-ulloor-1953-ku |chapter-url= http://ax.sayahna.org/ulloor/ulloor-5-63.html |publisher=University of Travancore |date=1953 |language=ml}}</ref><ref name="Bio1">[http://keralamediaacademy.org/archives/?q=content/kunjirama-menon-chenkulath "KUNJIRAMA MENON, CHENKULATH"]. Kerala Media Academy. Retrieved 15 January 2023.</ref> His mother was Chengalath Narayani Amma. Kunhirama got his family name, ''Chengalath'', through [[matrilineal succession]]. His maternal uncle, is [[Chengalathu Kunhirama Menon|Chengalath Kunhirama Menon]] who founded one of the earliest Malayalam newspapers ''[[Kerala Pathrika]]'' in 1885. He was called Cheriya Kunhirama Menon to distinguish him from his uncle who was referred to as Valiya Kunhirama Menon, the equivalent of junior and senior generational titles in Malayalam. Menon assumed the nom de plume M. R. K. C., a combination of all four initials of his name written in English (Cheriya-Kunhi-Rama-Menon, C. K. R. M.) and reversed.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A Many Branched Tree: Perspectives of Indian Literary Tradition |author=[[K. M. George (writer)|K. M. George]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-4tlAAAAMAAJ |page=221 |date=1991 |publisher=Ajanta|isbn=9788120203341 }}</ref>

Menon received his primary education from the Ezhuthupalli run by Kunhikannan Gurukkal at Puzhathi near his home. After passing 4th class, he studied Sanskrit for two years. At the age of 12, he started studying English at Cannanore Municipal School.<ref name="Ulloor"/> In 1899 he passed the Upper Secondary Examination from [[Madras]] and joined as a clerk in Malabar Birth Registration Office in 1900.<ref name="Ulloor"/> Then he worked in Revenue Department in Calicut for four years. During this time he learned shorthand, typewriting, bookkeeping, commercial correspondence, and land surveying. By that time he had also acquired the necessary skills to write articles in English and Malayalam.<ref name="Ulloor"/>

==Career==
In 1904, he became a head clerk for the land reforms work of the [[Punnathurkotta|local ruler of Punnathur]]. During this time, he published English articles in ''West Coast Spectator'', a newspaper based in Calicut. He also wrote essays on various topics in Malayalam newspapers. He adopted the pen name M. R. K. C.<ref name="Ulloor"/>

It was a time when the ''[[Kerala Pathrika]]'' newspaper, which was run by his uncle, was in financial trouble. Menon took leave from government service and took charge of ''Kerala Pathrika''.<ref name="Ulloor"/> Later he resigned from government services and shifted to [[Trichur]], accepting the position of manager of Mangalodayam Company which run the ''Mangalodayam'' magazine. He married Rayirath Ammukkuttiyamma in 1913 when he was based in Trichur.<ref name="Ulloor"/> He was associated with ''Mangalodayam'' from 1912 to 1930. During this time, Menon was injured in an accident when a part of the Mangalodayam building which was under construction collapsed. One leg had to be amputated.<ref name="Ulloor"/>

He founded a literary association named Samastha Kerala Pusthakalaya Samithi in Trichur and was also instrumental in setting up the All Kerala Library Association also based in Trichur.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Library Movement and Library Development in Kerala and Lakshadweep |author= Pogula Sesha Giri Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cpLAQAAIAAJ |publisher=B.R. Publishing Corporation |date=2008 |page=377|isbn= 9788176465564 }}</ref> He started a monthly magazine ''Bharathi'' in 1933 in Trichur. This was converted into a weekly called ''Kudumbapatrika'' in 1934. However, it stopped due to financial difficulties.<ref name="Ulloor"/> He also served as an editor in the Trichur-based ''Keralan'' newspaper.<ref name="Ulloor"/> He resigned from ''Keralan'' due to poor health but took up the editorship of the magazine ''Sahakaranaprabodhini'', published by Cochin Central Cooperative Society, for some time. After a while, he resigned from there too owing to poor health.<ref name="Ulloor"/> However, he wanted to continue writing and even the day before he died, he wrote an article for ''Sahakaranaprabodhini''. He died on 20 August 1939.<ref name="Ulloor"/>

==Writing==
Menon was a major writer during the early stages of short stories in [[Malayalam literature]].<ref>{{Cite journal |author=[[Sukumar Azhikode]] |title=The Short Story in Malayalam |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24157289 |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |journal=Indian Literature |volume=20 |issue=2|date=1977|pages=5–22|doi=|jstor=24157289 }}</ref> His first published book was a collection of essays titled ''Malayalathile Janmikal''. This included the essays on estate administration which he published in [[Kottakkal]]-based magazines ''Janmi'' and ''Lakshmivilasam''.<ref name="Ulloor"/> He wrote the book ''George Pattabhishekam'' at the behest of the then Malabar Collector C. A. Innes. The theme for this book was the [[1911 Delhi Durbar Honours|1911 Coronation of Emperor George in Delhi]].<ref name="Ulloor"/> ''Raghuvamsacharitram'' is a prose translation of the first six cantos of ''[[Raghuvamsa]]''.<ref name="Ulloor"/> ''Velluva Kammaran'' is a historical story and the translation of a story originally written by M. Othenamenon in English. This is perhaps one of Menon's most noted works. Appan Thampuran's play ''Munnattuveeran'' was based on this story.<ref name="Ulloor"/> Menon wrote several stories based on historical characters. Stories like ''[[Edachena Kunkan]]te Parakramam'', ''Machattumalayile Bhootham'' and ''Tiruvalayam'' are popular.<ref name="Ulloor"/> Menon was better known for his historical stories than his social stories.<ref name="Ulloor"/> He published a number of short stories in magazines such as ''Mangalodayam''. Many of them are compiled and published in two volumes of short stories.<ref name="Ulloor"/> His works also include ''Kambaramayana'' and ''Bhargavaraman''. He also wrote a biography of the Maharajah of Cochin [[Rama Varma XV]] (''Sir Rama Varma: Vazhchayozhinja Kochi Rajavu'' or ''Sir Ramavarma: The Abdicated Highness'').<ref name="Ulloor"/>

M. R. K. C.'s stories are similar in style to that of his contemporary [[Oduvil Kunhikrishna Menon]] but M. R. K. C. based his stories on history rather than on contemporary society.<ref>{{cite book |title= A Survey of Malayalam Literature |author=[[K. M. George (writer)|K. M. George]] |url= |year=1968 |location=[[Bombay]] |publisher=Asia Publishing House|page=183}}</ref> Though the background is history, the characters and events were mostly imaginary and the author was not concerned about the historical accuracy of the narrative.<ref>{{Cite book|title=History of Malayalam Literature|author=[[P. K. Parameswaran Nair]]|publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]]|location=[[New Delhi]]|year=1967|translator=E. M. J. Venniyoor|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofmalayal0000unse|page=141}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
!! style=width:15em | Title
!! style=width:15em | Publisher
!! style=width:20em | Notes
|-
| 1908 || ''Malayalathile Janmikal'' || Lakshmi Sahayam, Kottakkal || Collection of essays
|-
| 1912 || ''George Pattabhishekam'' || Vidya Vilasam, Calicut || Based on [[Coronation of George V and Mary]]
|-
| 1919 || ''Kochi Valiya Thampuran Thirumanassukondu'' || Mangalodayam, Trichur || Biography of [[Rama Varma XV]]
|-
| 1921 || ''M. R. K. C. yude Cherukathakal'' || Mangalodayam, Trichur || Collection of short stories in two volumes: 10 stories in Volume 1 and 4 stories in Volume 2
|-
| 1921 || ''Raghuvamsacharitram'' || Vidya Vilasam, Calicut || Stories from ''[[Raghuvamsa]]''
|-
| 1927 || ''Velluva Kammaran Allenkil Sardar Sheikh Ayaz Khan'' || Mangalodayam, Trichur || Historical novel
|-
| 1931 || ''Bhargavaraman'' || Bharatha Vilasa, Trichur || Mythological stories
|}

==References==
<references />

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=M. R. K. C. |author-link= |date=1921 |title=M. R. K. C. yude Cherukathakal: Part 1 |url=https://ksaorg.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/uploads/2022/04/34979.pdf |location=Trichur |publisher=Mangalodayam |page=238 |isbn=}}
* {{cite journal |author=V. T. Induchudan |date=1982 |title=A Note on M. R. K. C. |url=https://ksaorg.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/uploads/2022/04/MLS1982.pdf |journal=Malayalam Literary Survey |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=30–32 |doi= |access-date=7 April 2024}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Chenkulath Cheriya Kunhirama}}
[[Category:Indian newspaper editors]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:1882 births]]
[[Category:1939 deaths]]
[[Category:Journalists from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian journalists]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language journalists]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:Malayalam short story writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian short story writers]]
[[Category:Indian male short story writers]]
[[Category:Indian male essayists]]
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male journalists]]

Chengalath Cheriya Kunhirama Menon - Revision history

HungHay8926976 at 00:47, 30 April 2026