MOYIN KUTTY VAIDYAR- THE GREAT POET MALABAR
Dr. HUSSAIN RANDATHANI
Alungal Kandi Moyinkutty known as Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar, is the poet laureate of Malabar, in Kerala, India . He flourished in the nineteenth century at the court of Ishtiyaq Shah , the spiritual leader , known as faqir, at Kondotty , in the south Malabar. Vaidyar had to his credit a number of poems written in multitalented styles in multifarious languages combining Tamil, Persia, Kannada, Sanskrit, Arabic and Malayalam. His poems were mostly his own version of Persian tales and Islamic traditions and very few ones appeared with local ambiance. He lived in a turbulent period in which Malabar witnessed a number of peasant struggles and his war songs often brought inspiration to the fighting warrior Mappilas against the British, though Ishtiyaq Shah, who patronized Vaidyar was a British supporter.
The predecessors of Vaidyar belonged to Velan community, migrated from Ottuparakkal, Thrissur. They settled at Kondotty as the traditional physicians of the area. The family later converted to Islam and Unni Mammad, father of Moyin Kutty Vaidyar continued as the physician of the faqir. The faqir was fond of music and he patronized UnniMammad who was also a poet and musician in his court called Takiyya. Kunhamina, the wife of Unni Mammad gave birth to Moyin Kutty in 1852-53. Father Unni Mammad was well versed in Sanskrit and Arabic and he also studied Persian from Takiyya, where the faqir and his associates knew Persian. Besides, the faqir had brought poet luminaries from the Deccan to his headquarters.
Vaidyar had his early education from the traditional madrasa called Othupalli and studied Malayalam from Velu Ezhuthachan and Neyyunni Ezhuthachan and Sanskrit from his on father. Nizamuddin another court poet of the faqir taught him Persian and one Chullian Veeran Kutty, the Tamil language. He also studied Malayalam master pieces like Sree Krishna Vilapam and Kumara Sambhavam and the medicinal works like Charaka Samhitha, Sushrutha and Ashtanga Hridaya. He studied Malyalam poetical works like Adyathama Ramayanam, Krishna Gadha, Maha Bharatham kilippattu,RamaCharitham, Ramakatha Pattu etc. Later Vaidyar moved to Tengapatanam and Kayalpatanam in Tamil Nadu to study Pulavar songs. Here he became acquainted with the Tamil songs of GunamKudi Masthan, Abubakkar Pulavar, Hamza Labba, Abdul Qadir Masthan, Abdul Majeed Pulavar and others. He wrote poems with the pen name Thabeeb Payyal (Son of Physician) since his father and his family were physicians. He married Pathummakkutty daughter of Thalayancheri Mammad and after her death Pathutty who bore for him three children. He died at the age of forty, 12 March 1892 (13 Shaban 1309).
Mr.M.T Vasudevan Nair, the noted literature of Kerala, pointing to the Nobel laureate Ishak Bal Shevik a singer who wrote in Hebrew language from the small country of Iceland. stated that Moyin Kutty Vaidyar cannot be degraded as a poet of minority and the poets are above such depictions.( Speech at the Foundation Stone Laying ceremony of Mahakavi Moyin Kutty Vaidyar Smarakam on 24 December 94) Noted writer C. P Sreedharan gives the credit of bringing romanticism in Malaylam literature to Moyin Kutty Vaidyar. His poems also acted as the tongue of the working class against landlordism and imperialism.
His genealogy
Kunhahammad Ali Vaidyar Said Vaidyar Unni Mammad
Kunhamina
1- Pathumma Kutty (wife) Moyin Kutty 2-Pathutty (wife)
 |
Unni
Mammad (Wife Thithikkutty) Ahamad Kutty Kunhamina
1. Kunhutty (spouse) Pathutty Umma 2. Kunnambra Veeran Kutty Haji (
spouse)
(No children)
His Compositions
Vaidyar spent his time in composing poems from his child hood. We have lost most of his early poems because they were not written down but many of those poems remained orally transmitted. We are not sure that many of these poems spread in the name of Vaidyar actually belonged to him. Mr. K.K.Abdul Kareem, the native historian had collected a number of his early poems with broken lines which he heard from the elders. Many of the early poems were spontaneous with humorous lines. He had to his credit two early letter songs (message songs ) written to his beloved girls. Elippada, Kilathi Mala, Moolappuranam, Salathil Qissappattu, Elippada and Saliqath Padappattu are among his early compositions. These songs were written before he reached seventeen years of age. Most of these songs were taken from Persian tales and romantic stories. Most of these stories may have narrated to him by one Nizamuddin, a courtier of Kondotty Tangals. Nizamuddin was well versed in Persian language and literature.
Badarul Munir Husnul Jamal is his master piece which is based on a Persian romantic story of deep routed love of a princess Husnul Jamal with Badarul Munir, son of the minister. The work was composed when he reached twenty years old. The story is originally written by Muinuddin Shah in Persian language. The composition includes ninety nine songs written in different modes prevailed in Malabar and Tamil language. In 1876 he composed the Badar Padappattu (Badar War Song) narrating the events of the Battle of Badar, the first battle waged by Prophet Muhammad and his men. After few years he composed the Uhd Padappattu , on the second battle of the prophet Muhammad. The story was revealed to him by the eminent scholar of Calicut Kilsingantakath Abu Bakkar Kunhi Qazi. Vaidyar stayed at the famous Muchunthi mosque of Calicut to compose this war song. His Malappuram War song is on the exploits of Mappila Muslims against the arrogant ruler of the locality Para Nambi, a chieftain of the Zamorin of Calicut. In his last days Vaidyar was composing his Hijrah compendium, but unfortunately he died after completing 27 songs. It is the biography of Prophet Muhammad. The work was completed by his father and one Ambayathingal Kunhamutty.
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