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Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India Postcolonialism and Religions

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Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India Postcolonialism and Religions Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India Postcolonialism and Religions The Postcolonialism and Religions series by its very name bridges the secular with the sacred through hybrid, interstitial, and contrapuntal inquiries. The series features the scholarship of indigenous scholars working at the intersections of postcolonial theories, theologies, and religions. The editors welcome authors around the world in an effort to move beyond and interrogate a historical North American and Euro-centric postcolonial studies disciplinary dominance. The series seeks to foster subaltern voices especially from Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the liquid continent. J. Jayakiran Sebastian is a Presbyter of the Church of South India and H. George Anderson Professor of Mission and Cultures at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He has served as Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Theology and Ethics at the United Theological College in Bangalore. Joseph F. Duggan is a Presbyter in The Episcopal Church and an Episcopal Church Foundation Academic Fellow. He is the founder of Postcolonial Networks and the Journal of Postcolonial Networks. Decolonizing the Body of Christ: Theology and Theory after Empire? Edited By David Joy and Joseph Duggan A Postcolonial African American Re-reading of Colossians: Identity, Reception, and Interpretation under the Gaze of Empire Annie Tinsley Caste, Gender and Christianity in Colonial India: Telugu Women in Mission James Elisha Taneti Indigenous Australia and the Unfinished Business of Theology: Cross-Cultural Engagement Edited by Jione Havea Historic Engagements with Occidental Cultures, Religions, Powers: Perceptions from Europe and Asia Edited By Anne R. Richards and Iraj Omidvar Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India: Socio-Political and Religious Thought of Vakkom Moulavi Jose Abraham Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India Socio-Political and Religious Thought of Vakkom Moulavi Jose Abraham ISLAMIC REFORM AND COLONIAL DISCOURSE ON MODERNITY IN INDIA Copyright © Jose Abraham, 2014. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-3 -8313 6 All rights reserved. First published in 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States— a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-48040-1 ISBN 978-1-137-37884-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781137378842 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Abraham, Jose, 1970– author. Islamic reform and colonial discourse on modernity in India : socio-political and religious thought of Vakkom Moulavi / Jose Abraham. pages cm.—(Postcolonialism and religions) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Maulavi, Vakkam, 1873–1932. 2. Moplahs—India—Kerala— Biography. 3. Social reformers—India—Kerala—Biography. I. Title. DS432.M65M383 2014 954.035092—dc23 2014024870 [B] A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Knowledge Works (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: December 2014 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Preface vii Notes on Transliteration xiii Quranic Quotations xv Introduction 1 1 Vakkom Moulavi: Biographical Details 21 2 Swadeshabhimani and Identity Politics in Kerala 43 3 Contributions to Educational Reform 65 4 Promotion of Islamic Reform 89 5 Representing Islamic Modernity 115 6 Community Mobilization 137 Conclusion 167 Notes 175 Bibliography 225 Index 237 This page intentionally left blank Preface The story of this book, which is a revised version of my doctoral dissertation, began in 2002 when I joined the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University as a PhD candidate hoping to study Muslim nationalism in the Indian subcontinent, which was then a topic of interest in the wake of the debate on the Hindu national- ism of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Professor Sajida Alvi who was my advisor suggested, after learning that I hail from Kerala, that I would be able to make a better contribution by studying about the his- tory and religion of the Muslims of Kerala, known as Mappilas, who are, in all probability, the oldest Muslim community of the South Asian subcontinent. 1 I was then reminded of the keen observation of Professor Roland Miller, who lived in Kerala for twenty-five years and speaks the Malayalam language fluently, that Mappilas, irrespective of their long history and traditions, are the “the unknown Muslims.”2 Thus, I focused my attention on Mappilas, especially on their colonial past. After one year, I visited Roland Miller, who gave me the idea to research Vakkom Muhammad Abdul Khadir Moulavi (1873–1932), acknowledged as the “father” of the Muslim socio-religious reform movement in Kerala. It was only befitting that both of them served as co-supervisors of my doctoral dissertation titled Modernity, Islamic Reform, and the Mappilas of Kerala: The Contributions of Vakkom Moulavi (1873–1932). Vakkom Muhammad Abdul Khadir Moulavi, popularly known as Vakkom Moulavi, began his career as a journalist—and eventually bought his own printing press—in 1904. He realized the potential of print media to initiate socio-religious reform, spread patriotic think- ing, promote modern education, educate people about civil rights and responsibilities, and mobilize Muslims at the local and state lev- els, articulating their grievances and bringing them to the attention of the ruling authorities. Vakkom Moulavi’s publications included a Malayalam newspaper (Swadeshabhimani), two Malayalam journals (Muslim and Deepika), and an Arabie-Malayalam3 journal (al-Islam). He also published an Arabie-Malayalam book titled Lawh al-Sabah. viii Preface Though he primarily disseminated his ideas of reform through these publications, he also wrote many articles that were published in contemporary journals in Kerala. In addition to authoring original works, he translated valuable works from Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and English into Malayalam and Arabie-Malayalam, including al-Ghazali’s Kimiya-i Sa‘’adat. Unfortunately, we do not have all the works pub- lished by Vakkom Moulavi at our disposal.4 We only have two col- lections of selected articles of Vakkom Moulavi: one compiled by Mohamed Kannu (Vakkom Moulavi: Prabhandhangal, Smaranakal [Vakkom Moulavi: Essays and Obituaries]) and another collected by Mohamed Abda (Vakkom Maulaviyude Thiranjedutha Kruthikal [Selected Writings of Vakkom Maulavi]).5 An article published in Muslim by Vakkom Moulavi on educational development among Muslims of Travancore was later reprinted by K. K. Muhammad Abdulkareem, titled “Thiruvithamkoorile Adyakala Vidyabhasa Pravarthanangal” [Early educational endeavors in Travancore].6 We also have a letter written by Vakkom Moulavi to Rashid Rida, which was originally published in al-Manar.7 Vakkom Moulavi’s newspaper, Swadeshabhimani, was suppressed by the Travancore government, which also destroyed the remaining copies. Therefore, copies of Swadeshabhimani cannot be found in libraries in Kerala. However, selected editorials from the newspaper were published in The Travancore Deportation: A Brief Account of the K. Ramakrishna Pillai and Dewan’s Note Dated 15th August 1912, on the Suppression of the Swadeshabhimani Newspaper.8 This book is coming after a series of books and articles on Vakkom Moulavi, mostly written in the Malayalam language and published in Kerala. It was Mohamed Kannu, one of the students of Vakkom Moulavi and an active participant in his socio-religious reform move- ment,9 who wrote the first brief biography of Vakkom Moulavi (Vakkom Moulavi (Jeevacaritram) [Vakkom Moulavi (Biography)]) in 1981.10 It is significant to note that even though Vakkom Moulavi came to be regarded as the “father of Muslim religious reform” in Kerala, the first collection of his writings was published only 46 years after his death. In addition, Mohamed Kannu also wrote an article on Vakkom Moulavi titled “Samudaya Uthejakanaya Vakkom Moulavi” [Vakkom Moulavi: One who Inspired a Community] in 1970.11 His work titled Vakkom Moulaviyum Navothana Nayakanmaurum (Jeevacarithra Padanangal) [Vakkom Moulavi and Leaders of the Renaissance (Biographical Studies)] is highly significant for under- standing the growth and development of the religious reform move- ment in Kerala as spearheaded by Vakkom Moulavi.12 K. M. Seethi Preface ix Sahib, a close adherent of Vakkom Moulavi, wrote an article detail- ing memories of his mentor titled “Vakkom Moulaviye Patti Chila Smaranakal” [A Few Reminiscences about Vakkom Moulavi]), which is another important source to learn about the life and work of Vakkom Moulavi.13 K. M. Moulavi’s Parethanaya Muhammad Abdul Khadir Moulavi [The Late Muhammad Abdul Khadir Moulavi] is also an authoritative source on Vakkom Moulavi and Islamic reform in Kerala.14 Writings by Vakkom Moulavi’s family members, who had the opportunity to know him firsthand, need to be taken seri- ously as another important category of sources. Abda’s (Vakkom Moulavi’s son-in-law) article titled “Vakkukale Padavalakkiya Vakkom Moulavi” [The
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