Mathew M. Kuzhiveli
Mathew M. Kuzhiveli | |
|---|---|
commemorative postage stamp released in honor of Mathew M. Kuzhiveli | |
| Born | April 20, 1905 |
| Died | October 27, 1974 (aged 69) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Occupation | children's writer and publisher |
| Citizenship | Travancore (1905–1947) India (1947–1974) |
| Notable works | Vijnjanam (first Malayalam encyclopedia) |
| Notable awards |
|
Mathew M. Kuzhiveli is an Indian teacher, educationalist, publisher, children's writer, and the first encyclopedia author in Malayalam. He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship and the Padma Shri (posthumously). In 2019, India Post has honored him by releasing a commemorative postage stamp.
Biography
Mathew M. Kuzhiveli was born on April 20, 1905, at Pala in present-day Kottayam district of Kerala.[1] He was born in Kuzhiveli family, which was one of the founding families of the Pala Lalam Old Church, to Mathai Kuzhiveli and Maria.[2] He studied at Pala St. Thomas School and Changanassery S.B. College.[2] He later completed an L.T. Degree from the Government Training College, Thiruvanthapuram.[3] He was also studied at University of Madras.[4]
After studies, Kuzhiveli became a teacher at Pala St. Thomas High School and later, he became the headmaster of St. Thomas Training School there.[2] At that time, he also published a magazine called School Master from Pala.[2]
Later, when the Travancore University (now Kerala University) was established, Mathew M. Kuzhiveli became the head of the Publications Department there.[2] There was even an attempt to take disciplinary action against him for being willing to publish a language encyclopedia on his own without asking permission from the authorities while he was working at the university.[2]
Kuzhiveli held several important positions including Deputy Director of Kerala University Publications (1942–48), the first Text Books Officer of the Travancore–Cochin state (1950–1952), Extension Education Officer of Kerala University (1957–1959), Member of Text Book Committee formed by Kerala Government, Senator of Kerala University and Convenor of different Committees on Education.[4][5] He retired from service in 1962 as the Director of Publications Department, Kerala University.[5]
Kuzhiveli died on October 27, 1974.[1]
Personal life
Kuzhiveli was married to Annamma of Angamaly Parakkal family.[2] They had four boys and five girls.[2] He gave the name Balan, the name of one of his sons, to his children's literature publishing venture.[2]
Literary contributions
Kuzhuveli founded the publishing house Balan in 1941 in Thiruvananthapuram, and published about three hundred books in the genre children's literature, along with a periodical for children titled Balan.[6][7] He also wrote about sixty books himself.[7] The books were written in four categories according to the age of the children. He also took care to include various scientific disciplines in all categories. Balan Publishing House stopped functioning after Kuzhiveli's death in 1974.[6]
Kuzhiveli has also written around sixty works. Important works he has written include Adhunika Kandupiduthangal [meaning:Modern Inventions], Everestarohanam [meaning:Everest Climbing], Shanta Tharam [meaning:peaceful star], Adhunika vidyabhyasam [meaning :Modern Education], Charthra Bodhanam [meaning:Historical Education], and an 8-volume encyclopedia titled Vijnjanam [meaning: Knowledge].[1]
Vijnjanam was considered as the first encyclopedia in the Malayalam language.[8] It contains 1622 entries and 1603 pictures in 10376 pages.[8] Unlike other encyclopaedias that time, his encyclopedia has been written in the form of essays covering different topics.[9]
The first volume of the encyclopedia was formally released by the then ruler of Thiru-Cochin, Sree Chithira Thirunal Maharaja, in 1956 at the Kawadiyar Palace in the presence of his mother, Amma Maharani, his daughter Karthika Thirunal, and Colonel Godavarma Raja.[2] In 1972, the then Indian President V. V. Giri formally released the remaining volumes of the encyclopedia, and the then Governor V. Viswanathan presided over the event.[2]
In his book Prachina Kerala Vidhyabhyasam [meaning: Ancient Kerala education] published in 1956, he wrote about the history of Kerala education methods of education, types of institutions etc.[10]
While in Thiruvananthapuram, he continued to publish an English magazine called Trivandrum Letters and a Malayalam publication called Kuzhiveli Patrika.[2]
Awards and honors
Kuzhiveli has received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship and the Padma Shri (posthumously), one of the highest civilian awards given by the Government of India.[1]
On November 22, 2019, India Post honored M.M. Kuzhiveli by releasing a commemorative postage stamp in his memory.[3] The Pala Municipality has paid tribute to him by naming the Municipal Library in Pala as the Padmashri Mathew M. Kuzhiveli Memorial Library.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d "മാത്യു. എം. കുഴിവേലി". Keralaliterature.com. 14 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "പാലായുടെ പത്മശ്രീ". deepanalam.org (in Malayalam). Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ a b "India Post honors Mathew M. Kuzhiveli". Mintage World.
- ^ a b Famous India, Nation's Who's who. Famous India Publications. 1975.
- ^ a b "M. M. Kuzhiveli" (PDF).
- ^ a b Yojana January 2021 (Malayalam)(Special Edition): A Development Monthly (in Malayalam). Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
- ^ a b "Children's Literature in Kerala: Traces and Trajectories". Sahapedia. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ a b Datta, Amaresh (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.
- ^ Cris (2 November 2019). "Meet the Kerala man who helped craft the first Malayalam encyclopedias". The News Minute. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (1 September 2024). "Sanskrit Education in Historical Perspective [Chapter 1] [page 10]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 18 March 2026.