Administrative changes in Travancore

The relationship between the king and the subjects is the most sacred. No worldly event has the powe...

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October 06, 1909

Our unemployed youth - 2

In the current state of the Nair community, the number of unemployed youth is increasing. It has bee...

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August 10, 1910

Popular assembly statutes

The government's recent publication in the gazette, along with the revised Popular Assembly Statutes...

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April 30, 1909

News in a Nutshell

Foreign News:The great countries of Great Britain, France, and Russia have agreed to freedom being g...

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May 27, 1908

News Round-Up

We believe that Land Revenue Order No. 22 will bring relief to the tenants of Travancore. The number...

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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.