Who is the author of the novel 'Kanthapura'?

"Kanthapura" is the first novel of Raja Rao, published in 1938. It is one of the most important early Indian novels in English.

About the novel:

• It is set in Kanthapura, a small village in the Kara district of southern Karnataka, during the Gandhian freedom movement of the 1930s.
• It is narrated by Achakka, an old woman of the village, in the style of an Indian "sthala-purana" (a traditional legend of a place), with long, flowing sentences.

The young Brahmin Moorthy brings Gandhi's ideas of non-violence, Swadeshi and the removal of untouchability to the village. The villagers, including women, join the struggle against British rule, and face police violence.

The novel shows how the freedom movement touched the lives of ordinary villagers and blended with their religious traditions.

In its famous preface, Raja Rao wrote about the challenge of expressing Indian thought and rhythm in the English language ("One has to convey in a language that is not one's own the spirit that is one's own").

About Raja Rao (1908-2006):

• He was born in Hassan, Karnataka.
• He studied in India and France, and later taught philosophy at the University of Texas, USA.

Along with Mulk Raj Anand and R. K. Narayan, he is regarded as one of the founding "trio" of Indian English fiction.

His other works include "The Serpent and the Rope" (1960), which won the Sahitya Akademi Award (1964), "The Cat and Shakespeare" and "The Chessmaster and His Moves".

He received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature (1988) and the Padma Vibhushan (2007).

Other early Indian English novels:

• K. Narayan: "Swami and Friends" (1935).
• Mulk Raj Anand: "Untouchable" (1935).
• V. Desani: "All About H. Hatterr" (1948).

Why not the other options?

• ✗K. Narayan created the fictional town of Malgudi.
• ✗Mulk Raj Anand wrote "Untouchable".
• ✗V. Desani wrote "All About H. Hatterr".