The Press law

The incident where Dewan Mr. Rajagopalachari sought to employ the Press Act, crafted in the blacksmi...

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November 18, 1908

Travancore State Administration – 1

Most of India is under British rule. While there are numerous princely states in India not directly...

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August 08, 1906

Parliament and India

We all know how delighted the people of India were to welcome the victory of the Labour Party in Eng...

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August 25, 1909

Miscellaneous News

We had earlier stated in these columns that consumption of liquor in India had been increasing with...

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August 31, 1910

The Lightning-tongued Clown!

Those who have watched the dance-drama called Ramanattam will not forget a peculiar clownish charact...

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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.