Moyinkutty Vaidyar
Encyclopedia
Moyinkutty Vaidyar often referred to as Mahakavi (great poet), is historically considered as one of the most renown and authentic poets of the Mappila pattu genre of Malayalam language
songs in Kerala state, South India
.
district. Unni Mammad was famous practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine and a poet too. He lived longer than his son and completed his unfinished work titled "Hijra" from the 27th Ishal onwards.Moyinkutty continued his family tradition of Ayurvedic medical practice and learnt Sanskrit and Arabic languages. He died at the age of 40 in 1892 leaving behind two sons and a daughter. No known photograph or painting of the poet exists today and none of his descendants survived after his children.
s.
by Prophet Muhammed and his companions.
in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1763, a local landlord named Para Nambi had a dispute with one of his officers named Ali Marakkar. The dispute escalated to a major battle between the landlord's men and the Mappilas and the lower caste Hindus amongst the tenants. 44 Mappilas and a lower caste Hindu of the Thattaan (goldsmith) caste lost their lives in the battle. They were eulogized later by the Mappilas. Some time later, the Nambi felt remorse at his deed and decided to make up with the Mappilas. This was the theme of the Malappuram Padappattu. The work was composed with 68 ishals, four vambus and a kuthirachaattam. It also makes references to the story of the King Cheraman Perumal
who is said to have journeyed to Makkah and converted to Islam
.
His poems depicted the emotional manifestation of Muslims of the day, using literary forms such as romanticism, devotionalism and social realism.
The vivid portrayal of the movements of the horses in the battlefield in Vaidyar's Badar Padappattu is a particular example of the poet's style. The galloping of the stallions, their hoof-falls, their lightning speed, the tails fluttering and flying in the wind, the excitement of the riders pulling the bridle and the horses rearing up - together provide the reader a very peculiar effect.
, E. K. Nayanar
inaugrated the Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smarakam at the poet's birth place in Kondotty
as a cultural centre to attract research into the annotations of Badar pattu, and its studies and interpretations in Malayalam. The centre runs certificate courses in Mappilappattu and Mappila kali. It also has a folklore study centre, reference library and a historical museum attached to it. Each year it conducts the Vaidyar Mahotsavam , a two or three day festival that includes cultural and literary programmes related to all Mappila
art forms.The Vaidyar Memorial Lecture is also delivered during the festival.
In 2005, a two volume compilation of his works were released as a book Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar, Sampoorna Krithikal by the Kondotty
based Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smaraka Samithi under the aegis of the Culture Department, Government of Kerala
. The songs were compiled by historians K.K. Mohammed Kareem and K. Abubacker.
In 2010, a biographical work titled Ishal Chakravarthy Moyinkutty Vaidyar authored by Basheer Chunkathara was published by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi
.
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
songs in Kerala state, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
.
Personal life
Moyinkutty was born to Unni Mammad and Kunjamina in 1857 at Ottupara, near Kondotti in MalappuramMalappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
district. Unni Mammad was famous practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine and a poet too. He lived longer than his son and completed his unfinished work titled "Hijra" from the 27th Ishal onwards.Moyinkutty continued his family tradition of Ayurvedic medical practice and learnt Sanskrit and Arabic languages. He died at the age of 40 in 1892 leaving behind two sons and a daughter. No known photograph or painting of the poet exists today and none of his descendants survived after his children.
Early works
At a very young age of seventeen, he composed the romantic epic Badarul Munir - Husnul Jamal (1872) . It narrates a fictional love story between Prince Badarul Muneer, the son of the King Mahazin of Ajmeer and Husnul Jamal, daughter of his minister Mazmir. Most of the events narrated are pure fantasy, with plots involving the transformation of the hero into a bird and back, and frequent interactions with JinnJinn
Jinn are supernatural beings in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings.Jinn may also refer to:* Jinn , a Japanese band* Qui-Gon Jinn, a character in the Star Wars universe...
s.
Padappattu
Later works by the poet followed a very different pattern. These works were essentially war songs in nature. The Badar Padappattu and Malappuram Padappatt are the most popular songs of this genre.Badar Padappattu
Shabvathul Badarul Kubra , more popularly known as the Badar Padappattu is considered one of the finest compositions of Mappilappattu. It narrates the tale of the Battle of BadrBattle of Badr
The Battle of Badr , fought Saturday, March 13, 624 AD in the Hejaz region of western Arabia , was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca...
by Prophet Muhammed and his companions.
Malappuram Padappattu
The Malappuram Padappattu (1883), also known as the Madhinidhi Mala describes the undercurrents of peasant life and struggles in MalappuramMalappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1763, a local landlord named Para Nambi had a dispute with one of his officers named Ali Marakkar. The dispute escalated to a major battle between the landlord's men and the Mappilas and the lower caste Hindus amongst the tenants. 44 Mappilas and a lower caste Hindu of the Thattaan (goldsmith) caste lost their lives in the battle. They were eulogized later by the Mappilas. Some time later, the Nambi felt remorse at his deed and decided to make up with the Mappilas. This was the theme of the Malappuram Padappattu. The work was composed with 68 ishals, four vambus and a kuthirachaattam. It also makes references to the story of the King Cheraman Perumal
Cheraman Perumal
Rama Varman Kulashekhara was the last King of the Later Chera Dynasty and the first ruler of the independent Venad state from 1102 A.D to 1122 A.D, according to the Rameswarathukoil Inscription. Kotha Varman Marthandam succeeded him as the ruler of Venad.-The end of the Chera dynasty:Rama Varman...
who is said to have journeyed to Makkah and converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Other works
Other major works of the poet include:- Salaseel
- Elippada (The battle of the rats, based on a PanchatantraPanchatantraThe Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
tale ) - Ottakathinteyum maaninteyum katha ( The story of the camel and the deer)
- Baithila
- Hijra
- Kilathimala
- Moolapuranam
- Uhad Padappattu
- Theevandichinth
- Swaleeqath
- Mullappoocholayil
- Karamath Mala
Style
The songs of Moyinkutty Vaidyar are distinguished by their depth of imagination, the beauty of the metaphors used, the creativity comparisons involved and the variety of their ishals (tunes/modes).His poems depicted the emotional manifestation of Muslims of the day, using literary forms such as romanticism, devotionalism and social realism.
The vivid portrayal of the movements of the horses in the battlefield in Vaidyar's Badar Padappattu is a particular example of the poet's style. The galloping of the stallions, their hoof-falls, their lightning speed, the tails fluttering and flying in the wind, the excitement of the riders pulling the bridle and the horses rearing up - together provide the reader a very peculiar effect.
Legacy
In 1999, then Chief Minister of KeralaChief Minister of Kerala
The Chief Minister of Kerala is the elected head of government of the state of Kerala, India. By the Constitution of India, the Chief minister is appointed by the Governor of the state....
, E. K. Nayanar
E. K. Nayanar
Erambala Krishnan Nayanar was a prominent Indian political leader of the Communist Party of India . He held the post of Chief Minister of Kerala three times; during 1980-81, 1987–91 and 1996-2001. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala, having been in office for a total of 4009 days,...
inaugrated the Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smarakam at the poet's birth place in Kondotty
Kondotty
Kondotty is a growing town in Malappuram district, Kerala, South India. Kondotty is located near the Calicut Airport.Kondotty is famous for the Nercha in the Pazhayangadi Mosque. Kondotty is the birthplace of the great Mappila poet, Moyinkutty Vaidyar. He popularised Mappilapattu by his poems...
as a cultural centre to attract research into the annotations of Badar pattu, and its studies and interpretations in Malayalam. The centre runs certificate courses in Mappilappattu and Mappila kali. It also has a folklore study centre, reference library and a historical museum attached to it. Each year it conducts the Vaidyar Mahotsavam , a two or three day festival that includes cultural and literary programmes related to all Mappila
Mappila
Mappila or Moplah refers to a Muslim community of Kerala, primarily in the northern region called Malabar, which arose in Malabar as a result of the pre and post Islamic Arab contacts. Significant numbers of the community are also present in the southern districts of Karnataka and western parts of...
art forms.The Vaidyar Memorial Lecture is also delivered during the festival.
In 2005, a two volume compilation of his works were released as a book Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar, Sampoorna Krithikal by the Kondotty
Kondotty
Kondotty is a growing town in Malappuram district, Kerala, South India. Kondotty is located near the Calicut Airport.Kondotty is famous for the Nercha in the Pazhayangadi Mosque. Kondotty is the birthplace of the great Mappila poet, Moyinkutty Vaidyar. He popularised Mappilapattu by his poems...
based Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smaraka Samithi under the aegis of the Culture Department, Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
. The songs were compiled by historians K.K. Mohammed Kareem and K. Abubacker.
In 2010, a biographical work titled Ishal Chakravarthy Moyinkutty Vaidyar authored by Basheer Chunkathara was published by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
.
See also
- Mappila songsMappila SongsMappila Paattu or Mappila Song is a folklore Muslim song genre rendered to lyrics in colloquial Mappila dialect of Malayalam laced with Arabic, by the Mappilas of Malabar. Mappila songs have a distinct cultural identity, while at the same time, remain closely linked to the cultural practices of...
- KondottyKondottyKondotty is a growing town in Malappuram district, Kerala, South India. Kondotty is located near the Calicut Airport.Kondotty is famous for the Nercha in the Pazhayangadi Mosque. Kondotty is the birthplace of the great Mappila poet, Moyinkutty Vaidyar. He popularised Mappilapattu by his poems...