Who wrote the novel 'Coolie'?

"Coolie" is an English novel by Mulk Raj Anand, published in 1936. It is one of the earliest Indian English novels dealing with social injustice and the exploitation of the poor.

About the novel:

• It tells the story of Munoo, a 14-year-old orphan boy from a hill village in Kangra, who leaves home to find work.
• He works as a domestic servant, in a pickle factory, as a coolie (porter) in Bombay, in a cotton mill, and finally as a rickshaw puller in Shimla.

Through his experiences, the novel shows how child labour, poverty, caste, class and colonial capitalism crush the lives of ordinary people. Munoo dies of tuberculosis at a young age.

About Mulk Raj Anand (1905-2004):

• He was born in Peshawar (now in Pakistan).
• He studied in London and Cambridge and was associated with the Bloomsbury Group of writers.

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

His first novel, "Untouchable" (1935), describes a day in the life of Bakha, a young sweeper boy; its preface was written by E. M. Forster.

His other works include "Two Leaves and a Bud" (1937, on tea plantation workers), "The Sword and the Sickle", and the autobiographical series beginning with "Seven Summers" (1951).

He received the Sahitya Akademi Award (1971) for "Morning Face" and the Padma Bhushan (1968).

He founded the art magazine "Marg" (1946).

Other early Indian English novelists:

• K. Narayan: "Swami and Friends" (1935), "The Guide", "Malgudi Days".
• Raja Rao: "Kanthapura" (1938), "The Serpent and the Rope" (Sahitya Akademi Award, 1964).
• Ahmed Ali: "Twilight in Delhi" (1940).

Why not the other options?

• ✗K. Narayan created the fictional town of Malgudi.
• ✗Raja Rao wrote "Kanthapura", about the Gandhian movement in a village.
• ✗Ahmed Ali wrote "Twilight in Delhi".