Vakkom Moulavi Biography 
Vakkom Moulavi, often referred to as, "father of muslim renaissance" was a social reformer, teacher, prolific writer, Muslim scholar, journalist, freedom fighter from Travancore princely state, Kerala. He was the founder and publisher of the newspaper Swadeshabhimani. This newspaper was banned and confiscated by the Government of Travancore in 1910 due to its poen criticisms against the government and the Diwan of Travancore. Its editor, Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai was arrested and exiled from Travancore the same year also. Vakkom Moulavi’s full name is Vakkom Muhammed Abdul Khadir Moulavi. His sons are Vakkom Abdul Kadar and Mohammed Eeza, noted writers. P. Habeeb Mohamed, the first Muslim judge of the Travancore High Court of Kerala is his nephew.
Moulavi was born in 1873 in Vakkom of Travancore kingdom. Maulavi was proficient in several languages including English and Arabic. His father was a prominent merchant. Maulavi started the Swadeshabhimani newspaper on January 19, 1905 declaring that it will expose social injustice of any forms. When it openly criticized the bad administrative system of Travancore and raised its fingers against Diwan, the newspaper was sealed within 5 years in 1910. Later Moulavi concentrated more on social and cultural activities and authored several books as well. Daussabah and Islam Matha Sidantha Samgraham are his noted works and he has also done a few translation works.
Maulavi was considered one of greatest reformers in the Kerala Muslim community. He emphasized the religious and socioeconomic aspects and gave less preference to its religious rituals. He also campaigned for the need for modern education, the education of women, and the elimination of potentially bad customs among the Muslim community. Moulavi started journals in Arabi-Malayalam. The Muslim (1906), Al-Islam (1918) and Deepika (1931) are among his initiated journals. It was his life's ambition to produce a translation of the Quran in Malayalam and write its commentary in his own words. But he died before the completion of the work.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 20, 2014
