Personalities [Benjamin Beily]

Rev. Benjamin Beily is considered as the founder of Malayalam type foundry. He founded a printing press, the CMS press, at Kottayam and published Malayalam translation of the Bible (1842) and a Malayalam- English Dictionary (1846). In 1848, Biley started a magazine Gjananikshepam from this press.

In 1850 Bailey returned to Europe.Maharaja Swathi Thirunal gave him assistance to establish the press at Kottayam and also to bring out the dictionary. Beily dedicated the dictionary to the Maharaja.The following is a letter written by Bailey to the Maharaja:

“To
His Highness The rajah of Travancore

Sir,
I beg to acknowledge my grateful obligations to Your Highness, not only for permitting me to dedicate the following work to you , and thus to present it to the public under the auspices of so great a name , but also for the very liberal aid you have so kindly offered me and the deep interest you have taken in the work. It exhibits another instance of Your Highness’ readiness to encourage and patronize general education and the promotion of literature among your subjects.
The great difficulty and labour attending such an undertaking , and the attention which I have been necessarily obliged to pay to my other important duties, have contributed to retard the publication of the work much longer than I anticipated.
That the life of Your Highness may belong spared , and that you may be permitted to witness the beneficial results of the efforts nowmade to promote good and sound education in this country, based on the best principles is the sincere wish of
You Highness’ most obliged,
Humble servant,

(Signed) B.Bailey

Kottayam
July 1846”