Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar
Encyclopedia
Diwan Bahadur Sir Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, KCSI
(b. October 14, 1887 - d. July 17, 1976) was an India
n lawyer
, politician
and statesman
who served as a senior leader of the Justice Party
and in various administrative and bureaucratic posts in pre-independence and independent India.
Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar was born on October 14, 1887 in the town of Kurnool and had his schooling in Kurnool. He graduated from the Madras Christian College
and studied law at the Madras Law College. On completion of his studies, practised as a lawyer before joining the Justice Party and entering politics. Mudaliar was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council in 1920 and served from 1920 to 1926 and as a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1931 to 1934, losing to S. Sathyamurthy in the 1934 elections. He served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1939 to 1941 and as a part of Winston Churchill
's war cabinet from 1942 to 1945. He was India's delegate to the San Francisco Conference and served as the first President of the United Nations
Economic and Social Council
. He also served as the last Diwan of Mysore kingdom and occupied the seat from 1946 to 1949.
in a Tamil-speaking Tuluva Vellalar family. He was the eldest of a pair of twins
, the other being Arcot Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar
. He studied at Municipal High school, Kurnool
and graduated in arts from Madras Christian College
. On graduation, Mudaliar studied law and was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council
.
and Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
as a part of the Justice Party delegation to argue in favor of communal representation and give evidence before the Reforms Committee. The evidence was taken just before Dr. Nair's death on July 17, 1919.
Ramasamy Mudaliar rose in stature gradually and began to be regarded as the "brain of the Justice Party". He assisted in coordinating between non-Brahmins in different parts of India and organizing non-Brahmin conferences. Mudaliar was a prominent orator and was known for his inspiring speeches.
In the elections to the Madras Legislative Council
held on November 8, 1926, the Justice Party lost the elections winning just 21 of the 98 seats in the Council. Mudaliar was one of the many who met with failure in the elections. Mudaliar took a temporary retirement from politics and replaced P. N. Raman Pillai as the editor of Justice, the mouthpiece of the Justice Party. Under Mudaliar, there was a tremendous growth in circulation and the Justice became widely popular. On March 1, 1929, Mudaliar appeared before the Simon Commission
along with Sir A. T. Paneerselvam another important leader of the Justice Party, to provide evidence on behalf of the Justice Party. Mudaliar served as the mayor of Madras from 1928 to 1930. In 1935, Mudaliar resigned as the Chief Editor of Justice following his appointment to the Tariff Board. Mudaliar was knighted
in the 1937 Coronation Honours List
, by which time he was a member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India. He received the accolade
at Buckingham Palace
on 25 February 1937.
and non-Brahmin leaders from Maharashtra
and parts of North India
and helped in coordinating between and uniting leaders from different parts of India and in organizing non-Brahmin conferences. Mudaliar was a participant in the Satara
non-Brahmin Conference held on December 18, 1922. Rajaram II
presided over this conference. He also participated in the All-India Non-Brahmin Conference held at Belgaum on December 26, 1924 where Mudaliar's oratory was appreciated. At the Seventh Non-Brahmin Conference held on February 8, 1925, he appealed for unity amongst non-Brahmins.
Following the death of Sir P. T. Theagaroya Chetty
in 1925, Ramasamy Mudaliar functioned as the sole link between Shahu Maharaj's Satya Shodhak Samaj and the Justice Party. He assisted the Raja of Panagal in organizing an All-India Non-Brahmin Confederation at Victoria Hall, Madras on December 19, 1925. Mudaliar supported the candidature of B. V. Jadhav who was eventually appointed President. On December 26, 1925, he organized a second conference at Amaravati. The conference comprised two sessions. The Maharaja of Kolhapur presided over the first while the Raja of Panagal presided over the second. In the second session of the Conference, Mudaliar said:
Mudaliar's utterances at this conference became the target of The Hindu
which criticized him by saying that "the Speaker was desiring to produce an effect in another province, forced him to draw rather freely on his imagination".
. In June 1942, he was knighted again as a KCSI
. In July 1942, Ramasamy Mudaliar was appointed to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's War Cabinet, one of the two Indians nominated to the post,with equal rights and privileges as representatives from Britain's dominions. I
at the San Francisco Conference between April 25 and June 26, 1945 where he chaired the committee which discussed economic and social problems. Mudaliar was elected as the First President of the Economic and Social Council
during its session at Church House, London
, on January 23, 1946. Under his presidency, the Economic and Social Council passed a resolution in February 1946 calling for an international health conference. At the health conference which was eventually held on June 19, 1946, inaugurated by Sir Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, the World Health Organization
came into being and the constitution for the new organization was read out and approved by delegates from 61 nations. On the expiry of his one-year term, he returned to India and took over as the Chief Minister of Mysore.
's samadhi or tomb at Tiruvaiyaru.
in 1954 and the Padma Vibhushan
in 1970. In his later years, Mudaliar served as the Chairman of the India Steamship Company and of the Tube Investments of India, until his death in 1976;
VARIOUS POSITIONS HELD:
01. 1911 Enrolled as the member of the Madras Bar Council.
02. 1917 Joined with the Justice Party.
03. 1921 Secretary to the Parliament Education Minister.
04. 1920 Elected as the Member of the Madras Legislative Council.
05. 1927 Honorary Editor, "Justice" News Paper.
-1935
06. 1928 Mayor, Corporation of Madras.
-1930
07. 1936 Member, Council of the Reserve Bank of India.
-1937
08. 1942 Chairman, C.S.I.R.(Madras).
09. 1945 President, Indian Delegation to the U.N. Council Meeting at Sanfrancisco.
10. 1946 Chairman, United Nation's Economic & Social Council.
11. 1946 Divan, Mysore State.
-1949
12. 1947 Chairman, Indian Shipping Corporation.
13. 1950 Chairman, Sethu Samudram Plan
14. 1951 Vice Chancellor, University of Travancore (Kerala).
-1957
15. 1952 Member, Delhi Legislative Council.
-1962
TITLES:
01. 1937 "SIR" title from George V, King of England.
02. 1942 K.C.S.I.(England)
03. 1945 L.L.D. from Usmania University, Hydrabad.
04. 1946 D.C.L. from Oxford University, London.
05. 1946 D.C.L. from Universities of Mysore and Tiruvancore.
06. 1953 D.C.L. from Durham University.
07. 1957 Doctor of Law, from University of Madras.
08. 1970 Padma Vibhushan, from the President, Govt. of India.
-Natesan Kailasam, Biograher of Arcot Twins in Tamil, "Agilam Viyakkum Atralmigu Irattaiyar" (2001).
He was nomonated as a member, later he became the Chairman of the above council.
Natesan Kailasam
(Biographer of Arcot Twins in Tamil titled
"AGILAM VIYAKKUM ATRALMIGU IRATTAIYAR" (2001)
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(b. October 14, 1887 - d. July 17, 1976) was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
who served as a senior leader of the Justice Party
Justice Party
Justice Party is the name of several different political parties around the world:*Indian Justice Party*Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party...
and in various administrative and bureaucratic posts in pre-independence and independent India.
Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar was born on October 14, 1887 in the town of Kurnool and had his schooling in Kurnool. He graduated from the Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
and studied law at the Madras Law College. On completion of his studies, practised as a lawyer before joining the Justice Party and entering politics. Mudaliar was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council in 1920 and served from 1920 to 1926 and as a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1931 to 1934, losing to S. Sathyamurthy in the 1934 elections. He served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1939 to 1941 and as a part of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's war cabinet from 1942 to 1945. He was India's delegate to the San Francisco Conference and served as the first President of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Economic and Social Council
Economic and Social Council
Economic and Social Council might refer to one of the following:* United Nations Economic and Social Council* French Economic and Social Council* Economic and Social Council * European Economic and Social Committee...
. He also served as the last Diwan of Mysore kingdom and occupied the seat from 1946 to 1949.
Early life
Ramasamy Mudaliar was born on October 14, 1887 in KurnoolKurnool
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
in a Tamil-speaking Tuluva Vellalar family. He was the eldest of a pair of twins
TWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
, the other being Arcot Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar
A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar
Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar B.A., M.D., D.Sc., F.R.C.O.G., F.A.C.S. was an Indian educationist and physician with notable international and academic roles.A.L.Mudaliar pursued his education from the prestigious Madras Christian College. He was the twin brother of Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar...
. He studied at Municipal High school, Kurnool
Kurnool
Kurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
and graduated in arts from Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
. On graduation, Mudaliar studied law and was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
.
Justice Party
Ramasamy Mudaliar was a part of the Justice Party ever since its inception in 1917 and served as its General Secretary. In July 1918, Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar went to England along with Dr. T. M. NairT. M. Nair
Taravath Madhavan Nair was an Indian politician and political activist of the Self-Respect Movement from the Madras Presidency. He founded the Justice Party along with Theagaroya Chetty and C. Natesa Mudaliar.- Early life :...
and Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Rao Bahadur Sir Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu KCSI was an Indian lawyer, professor, politician and Justice Party leader who served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from April 1, 1937 to July 14, 1937...
as a part of the Justice Party delegation to argue in favor of communal representation and give evidence before the Reforms Committee. The evidence was taken just before Dr. Nair's death on July 17, 1919.
Ramasamy Mudaliar rose in stature gradually and began to be regarded as the "brain of the Justice Party". He assisted in coordinating between non-Brahmins in different parts of India and organizing non-Brahmin conferences. Mudaliar was a prominent orator and was known for his inspiring speeches.
In the elections to the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
held on November 8, 1926, the Justice Party lost the elections winning just 21 of the 98 seats in the Council. Mudaliar was one of the many who met with failure in the elections. Mudaliar took a temporary retirement from politics and replaced P. N. Raman Pillai as the editor of Justice, the mouthpiece of the Justice Party. Under Mudaliar, there was a tremendous growth in circulation and the Justice became widely popular. On March 1, 1929, Mudaliar appeared before the Simon Commission
Simon Commission
The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon...
along with Sir A. T. Paneerselvam another important leader of the Justice Party, to provide evidence on behalf of the Justice Party. Mudaliar served as the mayor of Madras from 1928 to 1930. In 1935, Mudaliar resigned as the Chief Editor of Justice following his appointment to the Tariff Board. Mudaliar was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1937 Coronation Honours List
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
, by which time he was a member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India. He received the accolade
Accolade
In the Middle Ages, the accolade was the central act in the rite-of-passage ceremonies conferring knighthood.-Ceremony:...
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
on 25 February 1937.
All India Non-Brahmin Movement
Mudaliar maintained friendly relations with Shahu MaharajShahu Maharaj
Shahu IV was the first Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Kolhapur between 1894 and 1922...
and non-Brahmin leaders from Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and parts of North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
and helped in coordinating between and uniting leaders from different parts of India and in organizing non-Brahmin conferences. Mudaliar was a participant in the Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
non-Brahmin Conference held on December 18, 1922. Rajaram II
Rajaram II
Rajaram II was the Maharaja of Kolhapur from 1922–1940, succeeding his father Maharaja Shahu IV. A benevolent ruler, he was instrumental in the uplifting of the dalits and depressed castes in his state...
presided over this conference. He also participated in the All-India Non-Brahmin Conference held at Belgaum on December 26, 1924 where Mudaliar's oratory was appreciated. At the Seventh Non-Brahmin Conference held on February 8, 1925, he appealed for unity amongst non-Brahmins.
Following the death of Sir P. T. Theagaroya Chetty
Theagaroya Chetty
Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty KCSI was an eminent lawyer, industrialist and a prominent political leader from the erstwhile Madras province. He was one of the founders of the Justice Party in 1916 along with C. Natesa Mudaliar, Dr. T. M. Nair...
in 1925, Ramasamy Mudaliar functioned as the sole link between Shahu Maharaj's Satya Shodhak Samaj and the Justice Party. He assisted the Raja of Panagal in organizing an All-India Non-Brahmin Confederation at Victoria Hall, Madras on December 19, 1925. Mudaliar supported the candidature of B. V. Jadhav who was eventually appointed President. On December 26, 1925, he organized a second conference at Amaravati. The conference comprised two sessions. The Maharaja of Kolhapur presided over the first while the Raja of Panagal presided over the second. In the second session of the Conference, Mudaliar said:
Mudaliar's utterances at this conference became the target of The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
which criticized him by saying that "the Speaker was desiring to produce an effect in another province, forced him to draw rather freely on his imagination".
As member of the War Cabinet
Shortly before the Second World War broke out in 1939, Ramaswamy Mudaliar was appointed member of the Viceroy's Executive CouncilViceroy's Executive Council
The Viceroy's Executive Council was the cabinet of the government of British India headed by the Viceroy of India. It was transformed from an advisory council into a cabinet run by the portfolio system by the Indian Councils Act 1861.-Indians in the Council:...
. In June 1942, he was knighted again as a KCSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
. In July 1942, Ramasamy Mudaliar was appointed to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's War Cabinet, one of the two Indians nominated to the post,with equal rights and privileges as representatives from Britain's dominions. I
As President of ECOSOC
Mudaliar served as India's delegate to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
at the San Francisco Conference between April 25 and June 26, 1945 where he chaired the committee which discussed economic and social problems. Mudaliar was elected as the First President of the Economic and Social Council
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
during its session at Church House, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on January 23, 1946. Under his presidency, the Economic and Social Council passed a resolution in February 1946 calling for an international health conference. At the health conference which was eventually held on June 19, 1946, inaugurated by Sir Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
came into being and the constitution for the new organization was read out and approved by delegates from 61 nations. On the expiry of his one-year term, he returned to India and took over as the Chief Minister of Mysore.
As Diwan of Mysore
Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar was appointed as the Diwan or Chief Minister of Mysore in 1946. He was the last Diwan of Mysore and presided over its accession to the Indian Union. Though, initially, Arcot Ramaswamy Mudliar was against the accession of Mysore state to the Indian Union and so advised the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, later he changed his mind in face of opposition from the Mysore wing of the Indian National Congress. During his tenure as Diwan of Mysore, Mudaliar organised a number of Tamil music concerts in the Mysore kingdom in order to raise money for the restoration of Carnatic musician TyagarajaTyagaraja
Kakarla Tyagabrahmam , colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music...
's samadhi or tomb at Tiruvaiyaru.
Later years
Mudaliar was awarded the Padma BhushanPadma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1954 and the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 1970. In his later years, Mudaliar served as the Chairman of the India Steamship Company and of the Tube Investments of India, until his death in 1976;
VARIOUS POSITIONS HELD:
01. 1911 Enrolled as the member of the Madras Bar Council.
02. 1917 Joined with the Justice Party.
03. 1921 Secretary to the Parliament Education Minister.
04. 1920 Elected as the Member of the Madras Legislative Council.
05. 1927 Honorary Editor, "Justice" News Paper.
-1935
06. 1928 Mayor, Corporation of Madras.
-1930
07. 1936 Member, Council of the Reserve Bank of India.
-1937
08. 1942 Chairman, C.S.I.R.(Madras).
09. 1945 President, Indian Delegation to the U.N. Council Meeting at Sanfrancisco.
10. 1946 Chairman, United Nation's Economic & Social Council.
11. 1946 Divan, Mysore State.
-1949
12. 1947 Chairman, Indian Shipping Corporation.
13. 1950 Chairman, Sethu Samudram Plan
14. 1951 Vice Chancellor, University of Travancore (Kerala).
-1957
15. 1952 Member, Delhi Legislative Council.
-1962
TITLES:
01. 1937 "SIR" title from George V, King of England.
02. 1942 K.C.S.I.(England)
03. 1945 L.L.D. from Usmania University, Hydrabad.
04. 1946 D.C.L. from Oxford University, London.
05. 1946 D.C.L. from Universities of Mysore and Tiruvancore.
06. 1953 D.C.L. from Durham University.
07. 1957 Doctor of Law, from University of Madras.
08. 1970 Padma Vibhushan, from the President, Govt. of India.
-Natesan Kailasam, Biograher of Arcot Twins in Tamil, "Agilam Viyakkum Atralmigu Irattaiyar" (2001).
Religious Beliefs
Despite his violent tirades against Varnashrama dharma and Hindu scriptures in his writings and editorials in the Justice, Ramasamy Mudaliar was known to be a staunch Vaishnavite. He regularly sported the Vaishnavite namam. Once while offered beef during a visit to England, he refused it with horror.Works
Searchlight was the debates and speeches of A.Lakshmanasamy Mudaliar in the Madras Legislative Assembly.He was nomonated as a member, later he became the Chairman of the above council.
Natesan Kailasam
(Biographer of Arcot Twins in Tamil titled
"AGILAM VIYAKKUM ATRALMIGU IRATTAIYAR" (2001)