English Translations

June 12, 1907

We have seen that people in many places in India are alarmed over the exile of Mr. Lala Lajpat Rai....

Read

September 05, 1910

Amazing Products (Advertisement)

A total of 56 items will be given as gifts to those who make a purchase of a watch worth Rs 6/- It...

Read

April 30, 1909

Employees of the Collectorate

It may be recalled that in one of our earlier editorials we had pointed out that people would lose t...

Read

December 20, 1909

Is this Journalistic ethics?

We are saddened and surprised to see that some of our fellow newspapers, who are reputed to have mor...

Read

April 04, 1910

Community reform

Although the stretch from Kanyakumari to Gokarnam is said to be Malayalam land, the main parts of it...

Read

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.