Madan Mohan Malaviya
Encyclopedia
Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861–1946) was an India
n educationist, and freedom fighter notable for his role in the Indian independence movement
and his espousal of Hindu nationalism
. Later in life, he was also addressed as 'Mahamana'.
He was the President of the Indian National Congress on four occasions and today is most remembered as the founder of the largest residential university in Asia and one of the largest in the world, having over 12,000 students across arts sciences, engineering and technology, Banaras Hindu University
(BHU
) at Varanasi in 1916, of which he also remained the Vice Chancellor, 1919–1938 Pandit Malviya was one of the founders of Scouting in India
. He also founded a highly influential, English
-newspaper, The Leader
published from Allahabad
in 1909.
He was also the Chairman of Hindustan Times
from 1924 to 1946. His efforts resulted in the launch of its Hindi
edition in 1936.
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
on 25 December 1861, in a Brahmin family of Brijnath and Moona Devi. He was the fifth child in a family of five brothers and two sisters. His ancestors, known for their Sanskrit
scholarship, originally hailed from Malwa and hence came to be known as 'Malaviyas'. His father Pandit Brijnath was also a learned man in Sanskrit
scriptures, and used to recite the Bhagvat Katha to earn a living.
Pandit Malviya's education began at age five in Sanskrit, when he was sent to Pandit Hardeva's Dharma Gyanopadesh Pathshala, where he completed his primary education and later another school run by Vidha Vardini Sabha. He then joined Allahabad Zila School (Allahabad District School), where he started writing poems under the pen name Makarand which were published in journals and magazines. Pandit Malviya matriculated in 1879 from the Muir Central College, now known as Allahabad University
. Harrison College's Principal provided a monthly scholarship to Pandit Malviya, whose family had been facing financial hardships, and he was able to complete his B.A.
at the University of Calcutta
.
session in Calcutta under chairmanship of Dadabhai Naoroji
, where he spoke on the issue of representation in Councils. His address not only impressed Dadabhai but also Raja Rampal Singh, ruler of Kalakankar estate near Allahabad
, who started a Hindi weekly Hindustan but was looking for a suitable editor to turn it into a daily. Thus in July 1887, he left his school job and joined as the editor of the nationalist
weekly, he remained here for two and a half years, and left for Allahabad to join L.L.B., it was here that it was offered co-editorship of The Indian Union, an English daily. After finishing his law degree, he started practicing law at Allahabad District Court in 1891, and moved to Allahabad High Court
by December 1893
Malviya Ji became the president of the Indian National Congress
in 1909, 1918, 1930 and 1932. Like many of the contemporary leaders of Indian National Congress
he was a Moderate
.
Though, Scouting in India
was officially founded in British India
in 1909, at the Bishop Cotton's Boys School in Bangalore
, Scouting for native Indians was started by Justice Vivian Bose
, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Pandit Hridayanath Kunzru, Girija Shankar Bajpai
, Annie Besant
and George Arundale
, in 1913, he also started a Scouting inspired organisation called Seva Samithi.
It was a unique and rare combination in him that he was a political leader of mass acceptance, together with being a widely respected educational luminary. To redeem his resolve to serve the cause of education and social-service he renounced his well established practice of law in 1911, for ever. In order to follow the tradition of Sannyasa
throughout his life, he pursued the avowed commitment to live on the society's support. But when 177 freedom fighters were convicted to be hanged in the Chouri-choura case he appeared before the court, despite his vow and got acquitted 156 freedom fighters.
In April 1911, Annie Besant
met him and they decided to unite their forces and work for a common Hindu University at Varanasi. Annie and fellow trustees of the Central Hindu College
, which she has founded in 1898 also agreed to Government of India's precondition that the college should become a part of the new University. Thus Banaras Hindu University
(BHU) was established in 1916, through under the Parliamentary legislation, 'B.H.U. Act 1915', today it remains a prominent institution of learning in India.
He remained a member of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1912 and when in 1919 it was converted to the Central Legislative Assembly
it remained its member as well, till 1926.
In early 1920s, he became one of the important figures in the Non-cooperation movement
of Mahatma Gandhi
, and was subsequently arrested on 25 April 1932, along with 450 other Congress volunteers in Delhi, only a few days after he was appointed the President of Congress after the arrest of Sarojini Naidu
. Then in 1928 he joined Lala Lajpat Rai
, Jawaharlal Nehru
and many others in protesting against the Simon Commission
, which had been set up by the British
to consider India's future. Just as the "Buy British" campaign was sweeping England, he issued, on 30 May 1932, a manifesto
urging concentration on the "Buy Indian" movement in India.
Totally opposed to the politics of appeasement, Malviya had opposed the separate electorates for Muslims under the Lucknow Pact
of 1916 and also opposed the participation of Congress in the Khilafat movement
in early 20's. Giving his clear verdict against the division of the country, he cautioned Gandhiji against bargaining for freedom at the cost of division of the country.
He also represented India at the First Round Table Conference in 1931. In 1939, he left the Vice chancellorship of BHU and was succeeded by none other than S. Radhakrishnan, who went on to become the President of India.
Malviya Ji popularised the slogan Satyameva Jayate
(Truth alone will triumph).
Malaviya ji also graced the position of Chairman of Hindustan Times
from 1924 to 1946. His efforts resulted in the launch of its Hindi
edition in 1936. The paper was saved from an untimely demise when he stepped in to realise his vision of a newspaper in Delhi
." Malaviya raised Rs. 50,000 rupees to acquire the Hindustan Times along with the help of nationalist leaders Lala Lajpat Rai
and M. R. Jayakar
and industrilist Ghanshyam Das Birla
, who paid most of the cash. The paper is now owned by the Birla family.
on a Rath Yatra
day. All those who participated in this event took a dip in the Godavari River
and chanted Hindu mantras. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya made massive efforts for the entry into any Hindu temple.
in Allahabad
, Lucknow
, Delhi
, Bhopal and Jaipur
are named after him. A postage stamp
has been printed in India in his honour.
Malaviya National Institute of Technology
(MNIT) at Jaipur
is named after him, as is Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College
in Gorakhpur
, UP. He started the tradition of Arati at Har ki Pauri
Haridwar
to the sacred Ganges river
which is performed till date, the Malviya Dwipa, a small island across the ghat, named after him. This was inline with the Ganesha Festival started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak
in Maharashtra to organize the masses.
Mahamana's life size portrait was unveiled in the Central Hall of India's Parliament by the then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and his life-size statue was unveiled in 1961 by the then President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in front of the BHU main gate on the occasion of his birth centenary. This year 2011 is being celebrated as his 150th birth centenary by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
In front of the main Gate leading to the Assembly Hall and outside the porch, there exists a bust of Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, which was inaugurated by the former Lt. Governor of Delhi, Dr. A.N. Jha on 25 December 1971.Pt. On 25 December 2008, on his birth anniversary, the national memorial of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya was inaugurated by the then president A P J Abdul Kalam at 53, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, in Delhi
.
As was the tradition in those days, he was married in 1878, when he was about sixteen years of age to Kundan Devi of Mirzapur
. The couple had five sons and five daughters, out of which four sons, Ramakant, Radhakant, Mukund, Govind and two daughters Rama and Malati survived.
Mahamana's youngest son Pt. Govind Malaviya (1902-1961)(Freedom Fighter), was a Member of India's Parliament till his death in 1961. He was the only one from Mahamana's family who became Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University. One of Madan Mohan Malaviya's grand daughter in-law Smt Saraswati Malviya (Freedom Fighter), wife of Late Shri Shridhar Malaviya (Freedom Fighter, and eldest son of Mahamana's eldest son Shri Ramakant Malviya) lives in Allahabad with her daughters. The house in which she currently resides has hosted numerous political luminaries including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Feroz Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu
, Late Shri Rajeev Gandhi to name a few.
Among his eminent grandsons are Pt. Shashidhar Malaviya, who resides in the USA and has to his credit many IBM inventions, Pt. Prem Dhar Malaviya who served in the Indian Police Service and worked as Director-General of Police for the state of Madhya Pradesh and the National Police Academy of India, Pt. Lakshmi Dhar Malaviya who lives in Japan and worked as Professor in the Osaka International University, and Pt. Justice Giridhar Malaviya who lives in Allahabad and worked as an Hon'ble Judge of the Allahabad High Court, and is President of many social and educational institutions, and is a patron of the All-India Mahamana Malaviya Mission. One of Mahamana's ten great grandson Shri Rajeev Malaviya, has a doctorate in International Relations and has represented the country at World Forums. Shri Rajeev Malaviya is currently the President of a private organization Mahamana Malaviya Foundation.
Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya's grand-daughter Dr. Manju Malviya Sharma a Ph.D. botanist, from his daughter Rama , who is a former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. She is a fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and Third World Academy of Sciences. She is recipient of many awards and distinctions and has also received Padma Bhushan. Presently she is President and Executive Director of Indian Institute of Advanced Research at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which she has established .
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n educationist, and freedom fighter notable for his role in the Indian independence movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
and his espousal of Hindu nationalism
Hindu nationalism
Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expressions of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of historical India...
. Later in life, he was also addressed as 'Mahamana'.
He was the President of the Indian National Congress on four occasions and today is most remembered as the founder of the largest residential university in Asia and one of the largest in the world, having over 12,000 students across arts sciences, engineering and technology, Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
(BHU
BHU
BHU is a three-letter acronym that can refer to*Banaras Hindu University, at Varanasi*The Kingdom of Bhutan*Baltimore Hebrew University*Bhavnagar Airport, the IATA code for the airport in India*Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay Uruguay Mortgage Bank...
) at Varanasi in 1916, of which he also remained the Vice Chancellor, 1919–1938 Pandit Malviya was one of the founders of Scouting in India
The Bharat Scouts and Guides
The Bharat Scouts and Guides is the national Scouting and Guiding association of India.Scouting was founded in India in 1909 as an overseas branch of the Scout Association and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1938...
. He also founded a highly influential, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-newspaper, The Leader
The Leader (Allahabad newspaper)
The Leader was one of the most influential English-language newspapers in India during British Raj. Founded by Madan Mohan Malviya, the paper was published in Allahabad. Under C. Y. Chintamani, a dynamic editor from 1909 to 1934, it acquired a large readership in North India...
published from Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
in 1909.
He was also the Chairman of Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
from 1924 to 1946. His efforts resulted in the launch of its Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
edition in 1936.
Early life and education
Pandit Malaviya was born in AllahabadAllahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on 25 December 1861, in a Brahmin family of Brijnath and Moona Devi. He was the fifth child in a family of five brothers and two sisters. His ancestors, known for their Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholarship, originally hailed from Malwa and hence came to be known as 'Malaviyas'. His father Pandit Brijnath was also a learned man in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scriptures, and used to recite the Bhagvat Katha to earn a living.
Pandit Malviya's education began at age five in Sanskrit, when he was sent to Pandit Hardeva's Dharma Gyanopadesh Pathshala, where he completed his primary education and later another school run by Vidha Vardini Sabha. He then joined Allahabad Zila School (Allahabad District School), where he started writing poems under the pen name Makarand which were published in journals and magazines. Pandit Malviya matriculated in 1879 from the Muir Central College, now known as Allahabad University
Allahabad University
Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...
. Harrison College's Principal provided a monthly scholarship to Pandit Malviya, whose family had been facing financial hardships, and he was able to complete his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
.
Career
Though he wanted to pursue an M.A. in Sanskrit, his family conditions didn't allowed it and his father wanted him to take his family profession of Bhagavat recital, thus in July 1884 Madan Mohan Malviya started his career as teacher in Allahabad District School. In December 1886, he attended the IInd CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
session in Calcutta under chairmanship of Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji , known as the Grand Old Man of India, was a Parsi intellectual, educator, cotton trader, and an early Indian political leader. His book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India brought attention to the draining of India's wealth into Britain...
, where he spoke on the issue of representation in Councils. His address not only impressed Dadabhai but also Raja Rampal Singh, ruler of Kalakankar estate near Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, who started a Hindi weekly Hindustan but was looking for a suitable editor to turn it into a daily. Thus in July 1887, he left his school job and joined as the editor of the nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
weekly, he remained here for two and a half years, and left for Allahabad to join L.L.B., it was here that it was offered co-editorship of The Indian Union, an English daily. After finishing his law degree, he started practicing law at Allahabad District Court in 1891, and moved to Allahabad High Court
Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court or the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is a high court having jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh since 1950...
by December 1893
Malviya Ji became the president of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in 1909, 1918, 1930 and 1932. Like many of the contemporary leaders of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
he was a Moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
.
Though, Scouting in India
The Bharat Scouts and Guides
The Bharat Scouts and Guides is the national Scouting and Guiding association of India.Scouting was founded in India in 1909 as an overseas branch of the Scout Association and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1938...
was officially founded in British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in 1909, at the Bishop Cotton's Boys School in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Scouting for native Indians was started by Justice Vivian Bose
Vivian Bose
Justice Vivian Bose Judge of the Supreme Court of India, served as the National Commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides from November 1957 to November 1959....
, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Pandit Hridayanath Kunzru, Girija Shankar Bajpai
Girija Shankar Bajpai
Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai, KCSI, KBE, CIE was an eminent Indian civil servant, diplomat and Governor. He entered the ICS in 1915, and was appointed a CBE in 1922. In 1926, he was appointed a CIE and was knighted in 1935 with the KBE....
, Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
and George Arundale
George Arundale
Dr. George Sidney Arundale was a theosophist, freemason, president of the Theosophical Society Adyar and bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church...
, in 1913, he also started a Scouting inspired organisation called Seva Samithi.
It was a unique and rare combination in him that he was a political leader of mass acceptance, together with being a widely respected educational luminary. To redeem his resolve to serve the cause of education and social-service he renounced his well established practice of law in 1911, for ever. In order to follow the tradition of Sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
throughout his life, he pursued the avowed commitment to live on the society's support. But when 177 freedom fighters were convicted to be hanged in the Chouri-choura case he appeared before the court, despite his vow and got acquitted 156 freedom fighters.
In April 1911, Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
met him and they decided to unite their forces and work for a common Hindu University at Varanasi. Annie and fellow trustees of the Central Hindu College
Central Hindu College
Central Hindu School, formerly known as Central Hindu College, is one of India's largest schools which is situated in the heart of the city at Kamachha Varanasi in India. This school provides the education to all societies of people having highly qualified faculties and aboratory and a SARGA HALL...
, which she has founded in 1898 also agreed to Government of India's precondition that the college should become a part of the new University. Thus Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
(BHU) was established in 1916, through under the Parliamentary legislation, 'B.H.U. Act 1915', today it remains a prominent institution of learning in India.
He remained a member of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1912 and when in 1919 it was converted to the Central Legislative Assembly
Central Legislative Assembly
The Central Legislative Assembly was a legislature for India created by the Government of India Act 1919 from the former Imperial Legislative Council, implementing the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms...
it remained its member as well, till 1926.
In early 1920s, he became one of the important figures in the Non-cooperation movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, and was subsequently arrested on 25 April 1932, along with 450 other Congress volunteers in Delhi, only a few days after he was appointed the President of Congress after the arrest of Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
. Then in 1928 he joined Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian author, freedom fighter and politician who is chiefly remembered as a leader in the Indian fight for freedom from the British Raj. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari or Sher-e-Punjab meaning the samem and was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio...
, Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
and many others in protesting against the Simon Commission
Simon Commission
The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon...
, which had been set up by the British
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
to consider India's future. Just as the "Buy British" campaign was sweeping England, he issued, on 30 May 1932, a manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
urging concentration on the "Buy Indian" movement in India.
Totally opposed to the politics of appeasement, Malviya had opposed the separate electorates for Muslims under the Lucknow Pact
Lucknow Pact
Lucknow Pact refers to an agreement between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League...
of 1916 and also opposed the participation of Congress in the Khilafat movement
Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
in early 20's. Giving his clear verdict against the division of the country, he cautioned Gandhiji against bargaining for freedom at the cost of division of the country.
He also represented India at the First Round Table Conference in 1931. In 1939, he left the Vice chancellorship of BHU and was succeeded by none other than S. Radhakrishnan, who went on to become the President of India.
Malviya Ji popularised the slogan Satyameva Jayate
Satyameva Jayate
"Satyameva Jayate" is a Hindu mantra from the ancient scripture Mundaka Upanishad. Upon independence of India, it was adopted as the national motto of India. It is inscribed in Devanagari script at the base of the national emblem. The emblem and words 'Satyameva Jayate' are inscribed on one side...
(Truth alone will triumph).
Malaviya ji also graced the position of Chairman of Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
from 1924 to 1946. His efforts resulted in the launch of its Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
edition in 1936. The paper was saved from an untimely demise when he stepped in to realise his vision of a newspaper in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
." Malaviya raised Rs. 50,000 rupees to acquire the Hindustan Times along with the help of nationalist leaders Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian author, freedom fighter and politician who is chiefly remembered as a leader in the Indian fight for freedom from the British Raj. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari or Sher-e-Punjab meaning the samem and was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio...
and M. R. Jayakar
M. R. Jayakar
Dr Mukund Ramrao Jayakar was former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Poona.Mr. Jayakar had studied LL.B. in Bombay in 1902 and become barrister in 1905 at London. In 1905 he was enrolled as advocate of the Bombay High Court...
and industrilist Ghanshyam Das Birla
Ghanshyam Das Birla
Ghanshyam Das "G.D." Birla was an Indian businessman and member of the influential Birla Family.Birla's grandfather Shiv Narayana Birla wanted to diversify from the traditional marwari business of lending money against pawned items. He left Pilani, his hometown in Rajasthan with a modest capital...
, who paid most of the cash. The paper is now owned by the Birla family.
Social work
He worked for the eradication of caste barrier in temples and other social barriers. He is believed to have undergone a Kayakalpa. Also, he organized a mass of 200 Dalit peoples, including the Hindu Dalit (Harijan) leader P. N. Rajbhoj to demand entry at the Kalaram TempleKalaram Temple
The Kalaram temple is an old Hindu shrine dedicated to Rama in the Panchavati area of Nasik city in Maharashtra, India. It is probably the most important Hindu shrine in the city. The temple derives its name from the statue of Lord Rama that is black in color.The literal translation of Kalaram...
on a Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra
Ratha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June or July. Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area...
day. All those who participated in this event took a dip in the Godavari River
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
and chanted Hindu mantras. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya made massive efforts for the entry into any Hindu temple.
Legacy
Malviya NagarMalviya Nagar
Malviya Nagar is the name of a number of residential colonies mainly in some metro cities India:*Malviya Nagar *Malviya Nagar *Malviya Nagar *Malviya Nagar *Malviya Nagar...
in Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Bhopal and Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
are named after him. A postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
has been printed in India in his honour.
Malaviya National Institute of Technology
Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur
Malviya National Institute of Technology at Jaipur is a higher education institute for technical education in India located at Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. It is one of the National Institutes of Technology and an Institute of National Importance. It was established in 1963. The institute is fully...
(MNIT) at Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
is named after him, as is Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College
Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College
Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College, , is a state funded autonomous engineering institute in the city of Gorakhpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India...
in Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
, UP. He started the tradition of Arati at Har ki Pauri
Har ki Pauri
Har Ki Pauri is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in Uttarakhand state in India. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, "Har" means "Lord Shiva", "ki" means "of" and "paudi" means "steps". Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are believed to...
Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
to the sacred Ganges river
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
which is performed till date, the Malviya Dwipa, a small island across the ghat, named after him. This was inline with the Ganesha Festival started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called the great leader "Father of the Indian unrest"...
in Maharashtra to organize the masses.
Mahamana's life size portrait was unveiled in the Central Hall of India's Parliament by the then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and his life-size statue was unveiled in 1961 by the then President of India Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in front of the BHU main gate on the occasion of his birth centenary. This year 2011 is being celebrated as his 150th birth centenary by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
In front of the main Gate leading to the Assembly Hall and outside the porch, there exists a bust of Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, which was inaugurated by the former Lt. Governor of Delhi, Dr. A.N. Jha on 25 December 1971.Pt. On 25 December 2008, on his birth anniversary, the national memorial of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya was inaugurated by the then president A P J Abdul Kalam at 53, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
As was the tradition in those days, he was married in 1878, when he was about sixteen years of age to Kundan Devi of Mirzapur
Mirzapur
Mirzapur is a city in the heart of North India, nearly 650 km between Delhi and Kolkata and also equidistant from Allahabad and Varanasi. Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur has a population of a little over 205,264 and is renowned for its famous carpet and brassware industry...
. The couple had five sons and five daughters, out of which four sons, Ramakant, Radhakant, Mukund, Govind and two daughters Rama and Malati survived.
Mahamana's youngest son Pt. Govind Malaviya (1902-1961)(Freedom Fighter), was a Member of India's Parliament till his death in 1961. He was the only one from Mahamana's family who became Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University. One of Madan Mohan Malaviya's grand daughter in-law Smt Saraswati Malviya (Freedom Fighter), wife of Late Shri Shridhar Malaviya (Freedom Fighter, and eldest son of Mahamana's eldest son Shri Ramakant Malviya) lives in Allahabad with her daughters. The house in which she currently resides has hosted numerous political luminaries including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Feroz Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
, Late Shri Rajeev Gandhi to name a few.
Among his eminent grandsons are Pt. Shashidhar Malaviya, who resides in the USA and has to his credit many IBM inventions, Pt. Prem Dhar Malaviya who served in the Indian Police Service and worked as Director-General of Police for the state of Madhya Pradesh and the National Police Academy of India, Pt. Lakshmi Dhar Malaviya who lives in Japan and worked as Professor in the Osaka International University, and Pt. Justice Giridhar Malaviya who lives in Allahabad and worked as an Hon'ble Judge of the Allahabad High Court, and is President of many social and educational institutions, and is a patron of the All-India Mahamana Malaviya Mission. One of Mahamana's ten great grandson Shri Rajeev Malaviya, has a doctorate in International Relations and has represented the country at World Forums. Shri Rajeev Malaviya is currently the President of a private organization Mahamana Malaviya Foundation.
Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya's grand-daughter Dr. Manju Malviya Sharma a Ph.D. botanist, from his daughter Rama , who is a former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. She is a fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and Third World Academy of Sciences. She is recipient of many awards and distinctions and has also received Padma Bhushan. Presently she is President and Executive Director of Indian Institute of Advanced Research at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which she has established .
Works
- A criticism of Montagu-Chelmsford proposals of Indian constitutional reform. Printed by C. Y. Chintamani, 1918.
- Speeches and writings of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. Publisher G.A. Natesan, 1919.
Biographies
- Malaviyaji, a brief life sketch of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, by B. J. Akkad. Pub. Vora, 1948.
- Malaviyana: a bibliography of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya by Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library. Ed. Prithvi Nath Kaula. 1962.
- Role of Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya in our national life, by Chandra Prakash Jha. Modern Publications, 1977.
- Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya: a socio-political study, by Sundar Lal Gupta. Pub. Chugh Publications, 1978.
- Mahāmanā Madan Mohan Malaviya: An Historical Biography, by Parmanand. Malaviya Adhyayan Sansthan, Banaras Hindu UniversityBanaras Hindu UniversityBanaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
, 1985. - Struggle for Independence: Madan Mohan Malaviya by Shri Ram Bakshi. Anmol Publications, 1989. ISBN 8170411424.
- Madan Mohan Malaviya: the man and his ideology, by S. R. Bakshi. Anmol Publications, 1991. ISBN 8170414296.
- Madan Mohan Malaviya, by Sitaram Chaturvedi. Publ. Division, Ministry of I & B, Govt. of India, 1996. ISBN 8123004869.
- Visionary of Modern India- Madan Mohan Malaviya, by S K Maini, K Chandramouli and Vishwanath Pandey. Mahamana MalaviyaJi Trust. 2009.