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S. A. Saminatha Iyer

January 01, 1970

Rao Bahadur[1] S. A. Saminatha Iyer (died 1899), also known as Thanjavur Saminatha Iyer, was an Indian lawyer, landlord, politician and theosophist who served as Chairman of the Tanjore municipality and a delegate to the 1885, 1886, 1887, 1889 and 1894 sessions of the Indian National Congress. He spoke against salt tax in the first session conducted in 1885 and in 1887, was a part of a 32-member team that wrote the constitution of the Congress. Christopher Baker and D. A. Washbrook describe him as the "most celebrated spokesman of the Tanjore gentry".

S. A. Saminatha Iyer
A portrait of Iyer
Died1899
Kumbakonam
NationalityBritish Indian
Occupationlawyer
TitleRao Bahadur
Political partyIndian National Congress

Early life edit

S. A. Swaminatha Iyer was born in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. He was the eldest of four sons of Sankaranarayana Dikshitar, the others being S. A. Subramania Iyer, S. A. Ayyaswami Iyer and S. A. Ananthanarayana Iyer. On completion of his education, Saminatha Iyer practised as a pleader in Negapatam.[2][3][4][5] Around 1887, Saminatha Iyer migrated to Tanjore where he served as Public Prosector at the Tanjore district court.

Politics edit

Saminatha Iyer took an interest in politics during his practise as a pleader in Negapatam. During the early 1880s, he was elected to the Negapatam municipality and served as a member.[3] In 1882, Saminatha Iyer took the lead in organizing the Madras Native Association branch in the district.[3] He also set up a Negapatam branch of the Theosophical Society in 1883 and served as its Secretary. When the Madras Mahajana Sabha was formed in 1884, Saminatha Iyer became a corresponding member.[3][6]

In September 1885, Saminatha Iyer moved to Kumbakonam and succeeded Sir A. Seshayya Sastri as President of the Tanjore People's Association.[3] He was the association's sole delegate to the first session of the Indian National Congress held in Bombay between December 25 and 28, 1885.[7][8] Saminatha Iyer was subsequently made a "Rao Sahib".

At the session, Saminatha Iyer vehemently criticized the Salt Tax[9][10][11]

It would be unjust and unrighteous if the tax on salt should be increased. It is a necessary article both for human as well as animal well-being... it would be bad policy and a retrograde movement to raise the tax, especially at a time when the poor millions of India are anxiously looking forward for a further reduction of the tax.... As any increase, therefore, of this tax will fall heavily upon the masses of the people of the land, I would strongly urge upon the attention of this Congress the necessity of its entering its strong protest against any attempt on the part of Government to raise the tax on salt

[12][13]

During the third session of the Indian National Congress held at Madras in 1887, S. A. Swaminatha Iyer was appointed member of the 35-member committee which framed the constitution of the Indian National Congress.[14][15] He also participated in the 1886, 1889 and 1894 sessions, in the last along with his younger brother, S. A. Anantanarayanan, a High Court vakil.

In April 1888, serious disturbances broke out in the Madras Presidency when there were rumours that a Brahmin student in the Madras Christian College had expressed willingness to embrace Christianity[16] In June 1888, Brahmin students in the town of Nannilam in Tanjore district began to agitate for the missionary school in the town to be shut down.[17][18] A meeting was held in the district and presided over by Swaminatha Iyer in which he gave a brief description of the Indian National Congress and exhorted the people to boycott the Christian school and instead start a national school for the education of children.[17][18] Swaminatha Iyer criticised the liberal spendings of the faculty of the missionary colleges while the people of the Presidency suffered from poverty.[19] The Christian school, eventually, became empty of students, a month before the inspection by the Madras government, thereby depriving it of a government grant of Rs. 200.[17][18] Swaminatha Iyer prepared a list of prices of food items to illustrate the comparative poverty of the masses with regard to the affluent lifestyle of the missionaries.[19] This was later supplied as evidence by Rev. Henry Simpson Lunn during the hearing of the Madras Christian College controversies.[19][20]

Saminatha Iyer was elected to the District Board of Tanjore in 1886 and nominated Chairman of the Tanjore municipal council in 1887. The same year he was made a "Rao Bahadur". As Chairman, Saminatha Iyer presided over the golden jubilee celebrations of the reign of Queen Victoria in Tanjore city. He was also elected Secretary of the Rajah Mirasdar Hospital, Tanjore. In 1892, he became the President of the Tanjore branch of the Theosophical Society.[21] In 1893, Saminatha Iyer was succeeded as Chairman of the Tanjore municipal council by K. Kalyanasundaramier.

In 1892, when the mirasidars of Thanjavur district agitated against the rise of the land revenue from rupees 3.9 million to 5.6 million as per the newly introduced scientific settlement, Swaminatha Iyer led the movement.[22] Saminatha Iyer unsuccessfully stood for election to the Madras Legislative Council for the Municipalities seat.[23]

Temple politics edit

Swaminatha Iyer showed an active interest in the administrative affairs of Hindu temples right from the time of his election to the Kumbakonam Temple Committee, which administered Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam division of Tanjore district comprising the taluks of Kumbakonam, Mayavaram and Shiyali.[21][24] Iyer was a member of the committee from 1885 till his death in 1899.

Death edit

Swaminatha Iyer died on 12 August 1899.[25]

Family edit

Saminatha Iyer did not have natural offspring of his own. He adopted S. A. Venkatarama Iyer (1894–1961). His granddaughter is the noted ethnomusicologist, S. A. K. Durga.[26]

References edit

  1. ^ Zaidi, A. Moin; Shaheda Gufran Zaidi (1976). The Encyclopaedia of Indian National Congress. S. Chand. p. 610.
  2. ^ Majumdar, Bimanbehari (1967). Congress and Congressmen in the Pre-Gandhian Era 1885–1917. p. 312.
  3. ^ a b c d e Suntharalingam, R. (1974). Politics and Nationalist Awakening in South India, 1852–1891. Association for Asian Studies by the University of Arizona Press. pp. 218. ISBN 0816504474.
  4. ^ Zaidi, A. Moin; Shaheda Gufran Zaidi (1976). The Encyclopaedia of Indian National Congress. S. Chand. p. 595.
  5. ^ Mehrotra, S. R. (1995). A History of the Indian National Congress: 1885–1918. Vikas Publishing House. p. 372. ISBN 0706980719.
  6. ^ Narasimhan, V. K. (1963). Kasturi Ranga Iyengar. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. p. 18.
  7. ^ Sivagnanam, M. P. (1988). History of Freedom Movement in Tamil Nadu: Vidutalai poril Tamilakam. Tamil University. p. 67. ISBN 8170901146.
  8. ^ Saroja Sundararajan (1997). Madras Presidency in Pre-Gandhian Era: A Historical Perspective, 1884–1915. Lalitha Publications. p. 60.
  9. ^ Bakshi, Shiri Ram (1989). Indian National Movement and the Raj. India: Criterion Publications. p. 56.
  10. ^ Chandra, Bipan (1966). The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism in India: Economic Policies of Indian National leadership, 1880 to 1905. India: People's Publication House. p. 232.
  11. ^ Bakshi, S R (1994). Struggle for Independence. India: Anmol Publications. pp. 181 & 182. ISBN 8170417147.
  12. ^ "Defiance of Salt Tax". mkgandhi.org. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  13. ^ Singh, Hari; S Gajrani, S.R. Bakshi (2005). Early Aryans to Swaraj. Sarup & Sons. p. 16. ISBN 8176255378.
  14. ^ Besant, Annie (1915). How India Wrought for freedom. Adyar, Madras: Theosophical Publishing House. p. 52.
  15. ^ Saroja Sundararajan (1997). Madras Presidency in Pre-Gandhian Era: A Historical Perspective, 1884–1915. Lalitha Publications. p. 72.
  16. ^ Oddie, p 204
  17. ^ a b c Missionary controversy: Discussion, Evidence and Report, 1890. London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room. 1890. p. 163.
  18. ^ a b c Missionary controversy: Discussion, Evidence and Report, 1890. London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room. 1890. p. 176.
  19. ^ a b c Missionary controversy: Discussion, Evidence and Report, 1890. London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room. 1890. p. 114.
  20. ^ Missionary controversy: Discussion, Evidence and Report, 1890. London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room. 1890. p. 117.
  21. ^ a b Oddie, p 255
  22. ^ The Indian Review. G.A. Natesan & Co. 1937. p. 535.
  23. ^ Markandan, K. C. (1964). Madras Legislative Council: Its Constitution and Working Between 1861 and 1909: Being a Report, Submitted to the Madras University, as a Fellow in the Politics Department Between October 1952 and October 1953. S. Chand. p. 53.
  24. ^ Oddie, p 237
  25. ^ A. Oddie, Geoffrey (1991). Hindu and Christian in South-east India: Aspects of Religious Continuity and Change, 1800–1900. Routledge. p. 72. ISBN 0913215554.
  26. ^ Krishnamachari, Suganthy (12 December 2008). . The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008.

Sources edit

  • A. Oddie, Geoffrey (1991). Hindu and Christian in South-east India: Aspects of Religious Continuity and Change, 1800–1900. Routledge. p. 255. ISBN 0913215554.

January 01, 1970
saminatha, iyer, bahadur, died, 1899, also, known, thanjavur, saminatha, iyer, indian, lawyer, landlord, politician, theosophist, served, chairman, tanjore, municipality, delegate, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1889, 1894, sessions, indian, national, congress, spoke, agai. Rao Bahadur 1 S A Saminatha Iyer died 1899 also known as Thanjavur Saminatha Iyer was an Indian lawyer landlord politician and theosophist who served as Chairman of the Tanjore municipality and a delegate to the 1885 1886 1887 1889 and 1894 sessions of the Indian National Congress He spoke against salt tax in the first session conducted in 1885 and in 1887 was a part of a 32 member team that wrote the constitution of the Congress Christopher Baker and D A Washbrook describe him as the most celebrated spokesman of the Tanjore gentry S A Saminatha IyerA portrait of IyerDied1899KumbakonamNationalityBritish IndianOccupationlawyerTitleRao BahadurPolitical partyIndian National Congress Contents 1 Early life 2 Politics 3 Temple politics 4 Death 5 Family 6 References 6 1 SourcesEarly life editS A Swaminatha Iyer was born in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu He was the eldest of four sons of Sankaranarayana Dikshitar the others being S A Subramania Iyer S A Ayyaswami Iyer and S A Ananthanarayana Iyer On completion of his education Saminatha Iyer practised as a pleader in Negapatam 2 3 4 5 Around 1887 Saminatha Iyer migrated to Tanjore where he served as Public Prosector at the Tanjore district court Politics editSaminatha Iyer took an interest in politics during his practise as a pleader in Negapatam During the early 1880s he was elected to the Negapatam municipality and served as a member 3 In 1882 Saminatha Iyer took the lead in organizing the Madras Native Association branch in the district 3 He also set up a Negapatam branch of the Theosophical Society in 1883 and served as its Secretary When the Madras Mahajana Sabha was formed in 1884 Saminatha Iyer became a corresponding member 3 6 In September 1885 Saminatha Iyer moved to Kumbakonam and succeeded Sir A Seshayya Sastri as President of the Tanjore People s Association 3 He was the association s sole delegate to the first session of the Indian National Congress held in Bombay between December 25 and 28 1885 7 8 Saminatha Iyer was subsequently made a Rao Sahib At the session Saminatha Iyer vehemently criticized the Salt Tax 9 10 11 It would be unjust and unrighteous if the tax on salt should be increased It is a necessary article both for human as well as animal well being it would be bad policy and a retrograde movement to raise the tax especially at a time when the poor millions of India are anxiously looking forward for a further reduction of the tax As any increase therefore of this tax will fall heavily upon the masses of the people of the land I would strongly urge upon the attention of this Congress the necessity of its entering its strong protest against any attempt on the part of Government to raise the tax on salt 12 13 During the third session of the Indian National Congress held at Madras in 1887 S A Swaminatha Iyer was appointed member of the 35 member committee which framed the constitution of the Indian National Congress 14 15 He also participated in the 1886 1889 and 1894 sessions in the last along with his younger brother S A Anantanarayanan a High Court vakil In April 1888 serious disturbances broke out in the Madras Presidency when there were rumours that a Brahmin student in the Madras Christian College had expressed willingness to embrace Christianity 16 In June 1888 Brahmin students in the town of Nannilam in Tanjore district began to agitate for the missionary school in the town to be shut down 17 18 A meeting was held in the district and presided over by Swaminatha Iyer in which he gave a brief description of the Indian National Congress and exhorted the people to boycott the Christian school and instead start a national school for the education of children 17 18 Swaminatha Iyer criticised the liberal spendings of the faculty of the missionary colleges while the people of the Presidency suffered from poverty 19 The Christian school eventually became empty of students a month before the inspection by the Madras government thereby depriving it of a government grant of Rs 200 17 18 Swaminatha Iyer prepared a list of prices of food items to illustrate the comparative poverty of the masses with regard to the affluent lifestyle of the missionaries 19 This was later supplied as evidence by Rev Henry Simpson Lunn during the hearing of the Madras Christian College controversies 19 20 Saminatha Iyer was elected to the District Board of Tanjore in 1886 and nominated Chairman of the Tanjore municipal council in 1887 The same year he was made a Rao Bahadur As Chairman Saminatha Iyer presided over the golden jubilee celebrations of the reign of Queen Victoria in Tanjore city He was also elected Secretary of the Rajah Mirasdar Hospital Tanjore In 1892 he became the President of the Tanjore branch of the Theosophical Society 21 In 1893 Saminatha Iyer was succeeded as Chairman of the Tanjore municipal council by K Kalyanasundaramier In 1892 when the mirasidars of Thanjavur district agitated against the rise of the land revenue from rupees 3 9 million to 5 6 million as per the newly introduced scientific settlement Swaminatha Iyer led the movement 22 Saminatha Iyer unsuccessfully stood for election to the Madras Legislative Council for the Municipalities seat 23 Temple politics editSwaminatha Iyer showed an active interest in the administrative affairs of Hindu temples right from the time of his election to the Kumbakonam Temple Committee which administered Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam division of Tanjore district comprising the taluks of Kumbakonam Mayavaram and Shiyali 21 24 Iyer was a member of the committee from 1885 till his death in 1899 Death editSwaminatha Iyer died on 12 August 1899 25 Family editSaminatha Iyer did not have natural offspring of his own He adopted S A Venkatarama Iyer 1894 1961 His granddaughter is the noted ethnomusicologist S A K Durga 26 References edit Zaidi A Moin Shaheda Gufran Zaidi 1976 The Encyclopaedia of Indian National Congress S Chand p 610 Majumdar Bimanbehari 1967 Congress and Congressmen in the Pre Gandhian Era 1885 1917 p 312 a b c d e Suntharalingam R 1974 Politics and Nationalist Awakening in South India 1852 1891 Association for Asian Studies by the University of Arizona Press pp 218 ISBN 0816504474 Zaidi A Moin Shaheda Gufran Zaidi 1976 The Encyclopaedia of Indian National Congress S Chand p 595 Mehrotra S R 1995 A History of the Indian National Congress 1885 1918 Vikas Publishing House p 372 ISBN 0706980719 Narasimhan V K 1963 Kasturi Ranga Iyengar Ministry of Information and Broadcasting p 18 Sivagnanam M P 1988 History of Freedom Movement in Tamil Nadu Vidutalai poril Tamilakam Tamil University p 67 ISBN 8170901146 Saroja Sundararajan 1997 Madras Presidency in Pre Gandhian Era A Historical Perspective 1884 1915 Lalitha Publications p 60 Bakshi Shiri Ram 1989 Indian National Movement and the Raj India Criterion Publications p 56 Chandra Bipan 1966 The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism in India Economic Policies of Indian National leadership 1880 to 1905 India People s Publication House p 232 Bakshi S R 1994 Struggle for Independence India Anmol Publications pp 181 amp 182 ISBN 8170417147 Defiance of Salt Tax mkgandhi org Retrieved 28 September 2008 Singh Hari S Gajrani S R Bakshi 2005 Early Aryans to Swaraj Sarup amp Sons p 16 ISBN 8176255378 Besant Annie 1915 How India Wrought for freedom Adyar Madras Theosophical Publishing House p 52 Saroja Sundararajan 1997 Madras Presidency in Pre Gandhian Era A Historical Perspective 1884 1915 Lalitha Publications p 72 Oddie p 204 a b c Missionary controversy Discussion Evidence and Report 1890 London Wesleyan Methodist Book Room 1890 p 163 a b c Missionary controversy Discussion Evidence and Report 1890 London Wesleyan Methodist Book Room 1890 p 176 a b c Missionary controversy Discussion Evidence and Report 1890 London Wesleyan Methodist Book Room 1890 p 114 Missionary controversy Discussion Evidence and Report 1890 London Wesleyan Methodist Book Room 1890 p 117 a b Oddie p 255 The Indian Review G A Natesan amp Co 1937 p 535 Markandan K C 1964 Madras Legislative Council Its Constitution and Working Between 1861 and 1909 Being a Report Submitted to the Madras University as a Fellow in the Politics Department Between October 1952 and October 1953 S Chand p 53 Oddie p 237 A Oddie Geoffrey 1991 Hindu and Christian in South east India Aspects of Religious Continuity and Change 1800 1900 Routledge p 72 ISBN 0913215554 Krishnamachari Suganthy 12 December 2008 For intellectual appeal The Hindu Archived from the original on 19 December 2008 Sources edit A Oddie Geoffrey 1991 Hindu and Christian in South east India Aspects of Religious Continuity and Change 1800 1900 Routledge p 255 ISBN 0913215554 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title S A Saminatha Iyer amp oldid 1166836068, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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