AliciaPaschall at 07:38, 8 April 2026

2026-04-08T07:38:59Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}{{Short description|Indian children's writer and publisher (1905-1974)}}
{{for|Indian biblical scholar|Kuzhivelil Mathew}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Mathew M. Kuzhiveli
| image = M M KuzhuveliKuzhivelil Mathew Indian stamp.png
| imagesize =
| caption = commemorative postage stamp released in honor of Mathew M. Kuzhiveli
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1905|4|20}}
| birth_place = [[Pala, Kerala|Pala]], [[Travancore]], British India (present-day [[Kottayam district]], [[Kerala]])
| death_place = [[Thiruvananthapuram]], Kerala
| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|10|27|1905|4|20}}
| citizenship = {{flag|Travancore}} (1905–1947)<br />{{flag|India}} (1947–1974)
| alma_mater =
| occupation = children's writer and publisher
| movement =
| notableworks = ''Vijnjanam'' (first Malayalam encyclopedia)
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| awards = {{bullet list|[[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship]]|[[Padma Shri]] (posthumously)}}
| influences =
| signature =
}}
'''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, Kerala|Pala]] in present-day [[Kottayam district]] of [[Kerala]].<ref name="Keralaliterature">{{cite web |title=മാത്യു. എം. കുഴിവേലി |url=https://keralaliterature.com/malayalam-writers-%e0%b4%ae%e0%b4%b2%e0%b4%af%e0%b4%be%e0%b4%b3%e0%b4%82-%e0%b4%8e%e0%b4%b4%e0%b5%81%e0%b4%a4%e0%b5%8d%e0%b4%a4%e0%b5%81%e0%b4%95%e0%b4%be%e0%b4%b0%e0%b5%8d/mathew-m-kuzhiveli-%e0%b4%ae%e0%b4%be%e0%b4%a4%e0%b5%8d%e0%b4%af%e0%b5%81-%e0%b4%8e%e0%b4%82-%e0%b4%95%e0%b5%81%e0%b4%b4%e0%b4%bf%e0%b4%b5%e0%b5%87%e0%b4%b2%e0%b4%bf/ |website=Keralaliterature.com |date=14 October 2017}}</ref> He was born in Kuzhiveli family, which was one of the founding families of the Pala Lalam Old Church, to Mathai Kuzhiveli and Maria.<ref name="deepanalam">{{Cite web |title=പാലായുടെ പത്മശ്രീ |url=https://deepanalam.org/read_article.php?article_id=4589 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=deepanalam.org |language=ml}}</ref> He studied at Pala St. Thomas School and Changanassery S.B. College.<ref name="deepanalam" /> He later completed an L.T. Degree from the Government Training College, Thiruvanthapuram.<ref name="Mintage World">{{cite web |title=India Post honors Mathew M. Kuzhiveli |url=https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/11047-india-post-honors-mathew-m-kuzhiveli/ |website=Mintage World |language=en}}</ref> He was also studied at [[University of Madras]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=W7YmqHveh-EC&q=kuzhiveli+1905&dq=kuzhiveli+1905&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiA0pfuk6uTAxU-Q2cHHU1IJbMQ6AF6BAgHEAM#kuzhiveli%201905 |title=Famous India, Nation's Who's who |date=1975 |publisher=Famous India Publications |language=en}}</ref>

After studies, Kuzhiveli became a teacher at Pala St. Thomas High School and later, he became the headmaster of St. Thomas Training School there.<ref name="deepanalam" /> At that time, he also published a magazine called ''School Master'' from Pala.<ref name="deepanalam" />

Later, when the Travancore University (now [[Kerala University]]) was established, Mathew M. Kuzhiveli became the head of the Publications Department there.<ref name="deepanalam" /> 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.<ref name="deepanalam" />

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.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="post">{{cite web |title=M. M. Kuzhiveli |url=https://dn720005.ca.archive.org/0/items/india-armenia-joint-issue/M_M_Kuzhiveli_text.pdf}}</ref> He retired from service in 1962 as the Director of Publications Department, Kerala University.<ref name="post"/>

Kuzhiveli died on October 27, 1974.<ref name="Keralaliterature" />

===Personal life===
Kuzhiveli was married to Annamma of [[Angamaly]] Parakkal family.<ref name="deepanalam" /> They had four boys and five girls.<ref name="deepanalam" /> He gave the name Balan, the name of one of his sons, to his children's literature publishing venture.<ref name="deepanalam" />

==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''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v7YSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%B4%AE%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%81+%E0%B4%8E%E0%B4%82+%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%81%E0%B4%B4%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%B5%E0%B5%87%E0%B4%B2%E0%B4%BF&pg=PA13 |title=Yojana January 2021 (Malayalam)(Special Edition): A Development Monthly |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |language=ml}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Children's Literature in Kerala: Traces and Trajectories |url=http://www.sahapedia.org/childrens-literature-kerala-traces-and-trajectories |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=Sahapedia |language=en}}</ref> He also wrote about sixty books himself.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":1" />

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].<ref name="Keralaliterature"/>

''Vijnjanam'' was considered as the first encyclopedia in the Malayalam language.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Datta |first=Amaresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&dq=Mathew+M.+Kuzhiveli&pg=PA1167 |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti |date=1988 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=978-81-260-1194-0 |language=en}}</ref> It contains 1622 entries and 1603 pictures in 10376 pages.<ref name=":2" /> Unlike other encyclopaedias that time, his encyclopedia has been written in the form of essays covering different topics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cris |date=2019-11-02 |title=Meet the Kerala man who helped craft the first Malayalam encyclopedias |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/meet-kerala-man-who-helped-craft-first-malayalam-encyclopedias-111606 |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref>

The first volume of the encyclopedia was formally released by the then ruler of [[Travancore–Cochin|Thiru-Cochin]], [[Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma|Sree Chithira Thirunal]] Maharaja, in 1956 at the Kawadiyar Palace in the presence of his mother, Amma Maharani, his daughter [[Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi|Karthika Thirunal]], and Colonel [[G. V. Raja|Godavarma Raja]].<ref name="deepanalam" /> 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.<ref name="deepanalam" />

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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2024-09-01 |title=Sanskrit Education in Historical Perspective [Chapter 1] [page 10] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/history/essay/informal-education-of-sanskrit-in-kerala/ocr/1457308/10 |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

While in Thiruvananthapuram, he continued to publish an English magazine called ''Trivandrum Letters'' and a Malayalam publication called ''Kuzhiveli Patrika''.<ref name="deepanalam" />

==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.<ref name="Keralaliterature"/>

On November 22, 2019, [[India Post]] honored M.M. Kuzhiveli by releasing a commemorative postage stamp in his memory.<ref name="Mintage World"/> The Pala Municipality has paid tribute to him by naming the Municipal Library in Pala as the Padmashri Mathew M. Kuzhiveli Memorial Library.<ref name="deepanalam" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuzhiveli, Mathew M.}}

{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
{{Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship}}
{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian children's writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature and education]]

Mathew M. Kuzhiveli - Revision history

AliciaPaschall at 07:38, 8 April 2026