Kerala Renaissance: THE ROLE OF MISSIONARIES

The first printing in Malayalam was done at Goa by a Spanish missionary Jovanas Gonsalvez.
The Portuguese had started printing presses at Vaipin and at Cochin.
The Hortus Malabaricus was prepared by the Dutch with the help of the traditional medical practitioners of Kerala.
The name of each plant was given in Latin, Arabic,Sanskrit and in the Malayalam script also.
This was published from Amsterdam during the period between 1678 and 1703 in twelve volumes.
Apart from Leelathilakam, the first grammar work in Malayalam language was prepared by Dr. Anjelos Francis.
The first complete printed book in the Malayalam language is the Samkshepavedartham. It was written by Father Clement explaining the doctrines of Christianity.
Father Kariyattil Ousep wrote Malayalam book Vedatharkkam in 1768 to find a solution to the internal differences in the church. This book introduced the European style of prose writing.
Varthamanapusthakam is the first travelogue in Malayalam written by Paramekal Thoma Kathanar published in 1780.
Dr.Herman Gundert and Benjamin Baiely had shown so much of interest in the printing and publishing of Malayalam books during the 19th century.
Bailey started the CMS press in 1821 and he published an English-Malayalam dictionary in 1846.
The most famous and important English-Malayalam dictionary was written and published by in 1872
The first newspaper in Malayalam, Rajyasamacharam and Paschimodayam were published form Thalasseri by Gundert.
The Basel Mission started educational activities in Malabar from 1848 onwards.
The Victoria College at Palakkad in 1866 and the Zamorin’s college at Kozhikkode in 1877 began as schools
Ringle Tab was a Spanish missionary who gave admission to both boys and girls irrespective of their casts.
The first girls school was started at Kottayam in 1821 by the women of CMS.
English Missionary School at Mattancheri 1818 was started by Basel Evangelical Mission.
The first Western education school of Malabar was started at Kannur in 1841.
The Basel Mission started a primary school at Kallai and Thalassery
The Basel Mission started the Brennan School at Thalassery in 1862.
This school was later takin over by the government and it was developed in to the present Brennan College of Thalasseri.