K. Seshadri Iyer
Encyclopedia
Sir Kumarapuram Seshadri Iyer KCIE
(Tamil
: குமரபுரம் சேஷாத்திரி ஐயர், Kannada
: ಶೇಷಾದ್ರಿ ಅಯ್ಯರ್), b. June 1, 1845 - d.September 13, 1901), or Sheshadri Aiyar was an advocate who served as the Dewan
of Mysore from 1883 to 1901. He was the second Dewan of Mysore state since the reinstation of the Wodeyar family on its throne in 1881 and was the longest serving Dewan of the princely state as well. He is regarded by most as the "maker of modern Bangalore"
Seshadri Iyer was born in a Kerala Iyers family from Palghat in Malabar district, Madras Presidency. He had his early education in Calicut and graduated in arts from Presidency College, Madras in 1868. He was also a qualified lawyer.
Seshadri Iyer joined the services of the Mysore kingdom in 1868 and served as a district magistrate and later as Personal Secretary to the Diwan, Rungacharlu before being appointed Diwan himself. Seshadri Iyer was the longest serving Diwan of Mysore kingdom and served from 1883 to 1901.
Seshadri Iyer established the Kolar gold fields
and Victoria Hospital
and commissioned the Sivanasamudra hydel-electric power project and Lal Bagh
. He was also responsible for the founding of the Indian Institute of Science
. Seshadri Iyer had to deal with a devastating plague which afflicted Bangalore in 1898 and was responsible for the decongestion of streets and reconstructing the city in the aftermath of the plague.
(Brahacharanam) family of Palghat (Modern Kerala) in Madras Presidency
in 1845. He did his early schooling in Calicut and graduated from the Presidency College, Madras in 1866. He stood first in the B. A. examinations. After working for sometime in Madras, he moved to the Mysore kingdom in 1868.
He obtained his B. L. degree from the University of Madras in 1874. From 1881 to 1883, he served as an officer on special duty in Mysore. In 1883, when Rangacharlu's period of service came to an end, Seshadri Iyer was appointed Diwan of Mysore.
which were put into work after his death in 1901.
, at Shivanasamudra
, which began generating power in 1902 for the Kolar gold fields, and in 1905 for Bangalore
. The gold fields were 147 km away, making the transmission line the longest in the world at the time. Later on, when construction of the Mettur
dam in Tamil Nadu
began in the 1930s, power was supplied from Shivanasamudra. The Sir Sheshadri Hydel Station was granted the status of a National Heritage Centre in May 2006.
Seshadri Iyer started the Chamarajendra Water Works to supply water to the city from Hesaraghatta Lake, 18 km away, in 1894. He began the extensions of Basavanagudi and Malleswaram
in 1898. The extensions served to alleviate the congestion of the city, which was just recovering from plague
. He commissioned the glass house in Lal Bagh
in 1889. The Victoria Hospital
was begun by him in 1900. He persuaded the then monarch of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, to donate 372 acres (1.5 km²) of free land to an institution that was finally to become the Tata Institute of Science, now known as the Indian Institute of Science
in 1911. The private residence of Seshadri Iyer, Kumara Krupa, is now the State Guest House. The city remembers him through the names of Sheshadripuram (a city extension created in 1892), Sheshadri Road, Sheshadri Memorial Library, and a statue in Cubbon Park
.
had been often criticized for inducting over a hundred men from Madras in the Mysore civil service.
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: குமரபுரம் சேஷாத்திரி ஐயர், Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
: ಶೇಷಾದ್ರಿ ಅಯ್ಯರ್), b. June 1, 1845 - d.September 13, 1901), or Sheshadri Aiyar was an advocate who served as the Dewan
Dewan
The originally Persian title of dewan has, at various points in Islamic history, designated various differing though similar functions.-Etymology:...
of Mysore from 1883 to 1901. He was the second Dewan of Mysore state since the reinstation of the Wodeyar family on its throne in 1881 and was the longest serving Dewan of the princely state as well. He is regarded by most as the "maker of modern Bangalore"
Seshadri Iyer was born in a Kerala Iyers family from Palghat in Malabar district, Madras Presidency. He had his early education in Calicut and graduated in arts from Presidency College, Madras in 1868. He was also a qualified lawyer.
Seshadri Iyer joined the services of the Mysore kingdom in 1868 and served as a district magistrate and later as Personal Secretary to the Diwan, Rungacharlu before being appointed Diwan himself. Seshadri Iyer was the longest serving Diwan of Mysore kingdom and served from 1883 to 1901.
Seshadri Iyer established the Kolar gold fields
Kolar Gold Fields
Kolar Gold Fields is a town in Bangarpet Taluk, in the Kolar District of Karnataka state, India. It includes the township of the same name, viz. KGF, where reside mainly the families of the employees of BGML. To the east of KGF is a ridge of hills of which Dod Betta hill, 3195 feet above sea...
and Victoria Hospital
Victoria Hospital
Victoria Hospital may refer to:Australia:* Queen Victoria Hospital, MelbourneCanada:* Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie, Ontario* Victoria Hospital * Royal Victoria Hospital , Quebec...
and commissioned the Sivanasamudra hydel-electric power project and Lal Bagh
Lal Bagh
- History :Hyder Ali commissioned the building of this garden in 1760 but his son, Tipu Sultan, completed it. Hyder Ali decided to create this garden on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were gaining popularity during his time. Hyder Ali laid out these famous botanical gardens and his son added...
. He was also responsible for the founding of the Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
. Seshadri Iyer had to deal with a devastating plague which afflicted Bangalore in 1898 and was responsible for the decongestion of streets and reconstructing the city in the aftermath of the plague.
Early life
Seshadri Iyer was born in a Tamil BrahminTamil Brahmin
Tamil Brahmins are Tamil-speaking Brahmins from Tamil Nadu who have settled in other South Indian states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka...
(Brahacharanam) family of Palghat (Modern Kerala) in Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
in 1845. He did his early schooling in Calicut and graduated from the Presidency College, Madras in 1866. He stood first in the B. A. examinations. After working for sometime in Madras, he moved to the Mysore kingdom in 1868.
Service in the Mysore Kingdom
In 1868, Seshadri Iyer was appointed Judicial Secretary in the Ashtagram division of the Mysore kingdom. He later served as Head Sheristadar of the Court of the Judicial Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner of Mysore, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Tumkur and District and Sessions Judge of Ashtagram division.He obtained his B. L. degree from the University of Madras in 1874. From 1881 to 1883, he served as an officer on special duty in Mysore. In 1883, when Rangacharlu's period of service came to an end, Seshadri Iyer was appointed Diwan of Mysore.
As Dewan
Seshadri Iyer succeeded Rangacharlu as Dewan of Mysore in the year 1883 and administered Mysore for a span of eighteen years. He remains the longest serving Diwan of the princely state. He worked to improve the transport, irrigation and mining sectors in the kingdom. Seshadri Iyer extended the railway lines in the kingdom by 270 kilometres (167.8 mi)The Kolar gold fields of Karnataka were established during his tenure. He constructed the famous Glass House at Lalbagh in 1889 and the Victoria Hospital at Bangalore in the year 1900. He also formulated the plans for the establishment of the Indian Institute of ScienceIndian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
which were put into work after his death in 1901.
Sir Sheshadri Hydel Station
Seshadri Iyer was responsible for initiating the first hydro-electric project in AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, at Shivanasamudra
Shivanasamudra
Shivanasamudra is a small town in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka, India. It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri and is the location of the first Hydro-electric Power station in Asia, which was set up in the year 1902.-Waterfalls:The Shivanasamudra Falls is on the Kaveri...
, which began generating power in 1902 for the Kolar gold fields, and in 1905 for Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The gold fields were 147 km away, making the transmission line the longest in the world at the time. Later on, when construction of the Mettur
Mettur
Mettur is an industrial Town municipality in Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for the Mettur Dam.However in recent years it has been associated with rampant industrial polluting, with the Chennai-based Community Environmental Monitoring arguing in their report...
dam in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
began in the 1930s, power was supplied from Shivanasamudra. The Sir Sheshadri Hydel Station was granted the status of a National Heritage Centre in May 2006.
"The Maker of Modern Bangalore"
In 1898, a devastating plague in Bangalore city wiped out most of its population. As a result of this, streets were decongested, roads were widened and sanitation was improved. Hotels made their appearance and many new industrial units came to be established and people got more employment opportunities.Seshadri Iyer started the Chamarajendra Water Works to supply water to the city from Hesaraghatta Lake, 18 km away, in 1894. He began the extensions of Basavanagudi and Malleswaram
Malleswaram
Malleswara or Malleshwaram, located in the north-west of Bangalore, derives its name from the famous Kaadu Malleswara temple. Originally a village named Mallapura, Malleswaram was developed as a suburb during the great plague of 1898, which caused many people to move out from the city center...
in 1898. The extensions served to alleviate the congestion of the city, which was just recovering from plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. He commissioned the glass house in Lal Bagh
Lal Bagh
- History :Hyder Ali commissioned the building of this garden in 1760 but his son, Tipu Sultan, completed it. Hyder Ali decided to create this garden on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were gaining popularity during his time. Hyder Ali laid out these famous botanical gardens and his son added...
in 1889. The Victoria Hospital
Victoria Hospital
Victoria Hospital may refer to:Australia:* Queen Victoria Hospital, MelbourneCanada:* Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie, Ontario* Victoria Hospital * Royal Victoria Hospital , Quebec...
was begun by him in 1900. He persuaded the then monarch of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, to donate 372 acres (1.5 km²) of free land to an institution that was finally to become the Tata Institute of Science, now known as the Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
in 1911. The private residence of Seshadri Iyer, Kumara Krupa, is now the State Guest House. The city remembers him through the names of Sheshadripuram (a city extension created in 1892), Sheshadri Road, Sheshadri Memorial Library, and a statue in Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park is a landmark 'lung' area of the Bangalore city, located within the heart of city in the Central Administrative Area. Originally created in 1870, when Major General Richard Sankey was the then British Chief Engineer of Mysore state, it covered an area of and subsequent expansion has...
.
Legacy
Sir K.Seshadri Iyer is regarded as one of the greatest Dewans of Mysore. Robert H.Elliot in his book 'Gold,Sport and Coffee Planting in Mysore' says:Criticism
Seshadri Iyer, a Tamil BrahminTamil Brahmin
Tamil Brahmins are Tamil-speaking Brahmins from Tamil Nadu who have settled in other South Indian states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka...
had been often criticized for inducting over a hundred men from Madras in the Mysore civil service.