Commission on the System of Matrilineal Inheritance

(“Marumakkathayam” is defined as the system of inheritance in which descent is traced through the fe...

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August 29, 1906

Two great men of India

Close to the demise of W. C. Banerjee, who worked with a deep passion for the welfare and developmen...

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February 28, 1910

Religious Rivalry

It was with the aim of curbing newspapers from further publishing news and articles with sinister...

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July 21, 1909

Reforming the Temple dining hall -2

Addressing the irregularities within this institution is pivotal to the contemplation of reforming t...

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August 10, 1910

From the Reporter's Notebook

A piece in the series of articles about the turmoil in Turkey being published in the Maratha Gazette...

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About the Collection

The Svadesabhimani was a weekly Malayalam language newspaper founded by the noted writer and journalist Vakkom Abdul Khader Moulavi (1873-1932), who was the owner and publisher and its managing editor. This digital collection contains the original Malayalam and their English translations.

Throughout its existence, it was funded through the personal funds of Vakkom Moulavi, who imported a modern press from Britain. The newspaper began publication in Anjengo, a small village in the princely state of Travancore, on 19 January 1905. Chirayinkeezhu C.P Govinda Pillai was the first editor for one year, after which Sri. K. Ramakrishna Pillai became the editor. The newspaper ceased publication on 26 September 1910, when it was banned by a Royal Proclamation, the editor Ramakrishna Pillai was exiled and the press was confiscated.

The Svadesabhimani served to inform the public in Travancore, as well as in the Malayalam speaking regions, about local, national and international issues. It stood apart from other Malayalam newspapers of the time in exposing corruption in the government, analysing and critiquing government policies, discussing important issues of social and religious reform and bringing news of the national anti-colonial movement and international developments. It is considered a trailblazer in Malayalam journalism, contributing to the development of a new political consciousness in the state.