K. M. Panikkar

Kavalam Madhava Panikkar, a renowned historian, professor, diplomat, and author, was born in Kavalam, Thiruvananthapuram in 1895. He received his education in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Madras before earning a History degree from the University of Oxford. Later, he became a professor at Aligarh Muslim University. Panikkar was an influential figure in the Indian independence movement, and one of his earliest works, published in 1922, was an analysis of imperialism, which explored its causes and highlighted the common struggles of oppressed Asian countries against it. He entered politics soon after the publication of this work and became an editor of the English newspaper Swarajya. He was also actively involved in the Vaikom Satyagraha and presented it at the All India Congress Committee meeting in Kakinada alongside T. K. Madhavan. In 1924, he became the first editor of The Hindustan Times. Panikkar wrote several noteworthy historical works, including A Survey of Indian History and India and the Indian Ocean, which demonstrated his nationalist attitude and the preservation of national integrity. He served as the secretary of the Indian States' delegation to the round table conferences, which helped gain a better understanding of the struggle for independence in India. In 1944, he was appointed as the Prime Minister of Bikaner, earning him the title of Sardar. Post-independence, Panikkar was a member of India's first United Nation delegation and served as the first ambassador to China. He passed away in 1963.