Pandit Karuppan was a poet, dramatist, and social reformer who lived in Kerala, India.
Pandit Karuppan emerged from Ernakulam of Cochin State as a relentless crusader against untouchability and social evils. He was called the "Lincoln" of Kerala for steering socio-economically and educationally backward communities to the forefront. Hailing from a community of inland fishermen who engaged in localised fishing in backwaters and rivers, Karuppan became a Sanskrit scholar, poet and dramatist of repute. As the first human rights activist of the Cochin State, he used his literary skill and organizational ability to combat illiteracy, social injustice, casteism, and superstitions. He campaigned for the empowerment of backward caste people, who at that time were not even permitted to enter Ernakulam.
Early life
K.P. Karuppan (Kandathiparambil Paapu Karuppan) was born on 24 May 1885, at Cheranelloor, near Ernakulam into a lower middle class family of Dheevara fishermen community to Paapu (locally known as Atho Poojari) and Kochu Pennu. the family was known for its skills in toxicology and for treating snakebite victims.
The Malayalam meaning of Karuppan is "person of black colour", but Karuppan had a very fair complexion. The name Karuppan was given to him by a Tamil Gosai who was a family friend. He predicted that the boy would become a great scholar and suggested the name Karpan (meaning a learned person in Tamil), which later turned into Karuppan.
Karuppan's formal education began at the age of five under Azheekkal Velu Vaidyan, a relative. Subsequently, Vadakke Valath Appu Asan, a local guru, taught him Amarakosham, Sidhdharoopam and Sreeramodantham, the basics of Sanskrit. A prolific reader, Karuppan also read the Itihasas and Puranas. His first poem was Sthothramandaaram. The prodigy took his gurus by surprise when he wrote Lankamardanam at the age of 12 with slokas styled in Shardoolavikreeditham.
Karuppan studied Sanskrit Kavyas under Mangalappillil Krishnan Asan of Cherai and returned to Cheranelloor to study with Annamanada Rama Pothuval. There, as was the prevailing custom, upper-caste Hindu students did not allow him to sit along with them and hence he sat alone in a corner. He studied the Kavyas Makham and Nyshadham and Bhoja Chambu from Rama Pothuval. The most significant period of his education was at Kodungalloor. The Kodungallur Kovilakam was a place of learning, due to the resident luminaries.
Adult life
Karuppan's famous work Jathikummi, which criticised the prevailing caste system, was written in 1904 during the period of his study at Kodungallur Kovilakam and it became popular among the poor. Jaathikkummi is a pioneering attempt in Malayalam literature questioning the caste system and untouchability. While Sree Narayana Guru, Kumaran Asan and Ayyankali worked for social changes in the Travancore State, the presentation of Jaathikkummi was the first step initiated in that direction in Cochin State by Karuppan, who was then a 19-year-old student. Kumaran Asan's Duravastha was published 10 years later. Though most of Karuppan's writings were in scholarly Sanskrit, Jaathikkummi employs simple, everyday Malayalam that illiterate people from the local communities were able to understand and propagate.
Teaching career
Karuppan's talents in Sanskrit came to the notice of Rajarshi Ramavarma Raja, the Maharaja of Cochin, who visited Kodungalloor to worship at the famous Thiruvanchikkulam Siva Temple. Bhattan Thampuran introduced Karuppan to the King. The Maharaja was impressed and invited Karuppan to his palace in Tripunithura. The meeting was a turning point for Karuppan. The Maharaja arranged for Karuppan's advanced study of Sanskrit under 'Sahridayathilkan' Rama Pisharody, the principal guru of the royal family. Karuppan studied 'Sidhantha Koumudi', 'Manorama' and 'Sahithee Darpanam' from Rama Pisharody. Soon Karuppan was appointed Sanskrit teacher at the St. Theresa's Convent Girls' High School in Ernakulam.