The novel is divided into two distinct parts that trace the transformation of Madurai:
The second part focuses on the British colonial era, detailing how the administration dismantled the Kaval system and labeled the community as "criminals" under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 . Kaval Kottam Pdf
The first half dramatizes the fall of the Pandiyan dynasty, the Muslim invasions, and the subsequent retrieval of the kingdom by the Vijayanagar chieftains, particularly Viswanatha Nayakkar. The novel is divided into two distinct parts
An English version titled The Bastion , translated by Pattu M. Bhoopathi, has been published by the Sahitya Akademi. Reading "Kaval Kottam" PDF the Muslim invasions
A sub-plot of the novel served as the basis for the 2012 Tamil period film Aravaan , directed by Vasanthabalan.