A Demeaning Behaviour

The curiosity to learn about the personal details of the authors of newspaper articles critical of t...

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March 14, 1908

Complaints about an Irascible Officer

We have been receiving many written complaints in recent months about Kollam Division Diwan Peshka...

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October 23, 1907

New Diwan

Even before these lines catch the attention of our readers, Diwan Bahadur P. Rajagopalachari will ha...

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April 30, 1909

Two News Stories

[Text missing] that Mr. Achary has swiftly moved to shut down certain public dining halls consequent...

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August 26, 1908

Arrest

Mr. G. Subrahmaniyar, the editor of "Swadesamithran," a newspaper in Madras, was arrested on warrant...

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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.