Ponnambalam Ramanathan
Encyclopedia
Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, KCMG
, KC (15 April 1851 - 30 November 1930) was a Solicitor-General and Tamil political leader in Sri Lanka
.
Arunachalam Ponnambalam and mother was Sellachchi Ammaiyar, both belonging to the Vellalar
caste. He was the elder brother of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam
who was another famous Sri Lankan Tamil leader. Ramanathan was educated at the Colombo Academy (Royal College, Colombo), and enrolled as an Advocate
from 1873 to 1886.
of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
from 1879 to 1892 representing the Tamil-speaking people. He positioned himself as a representative of all communities in the Island
. About 1890, Ramanathan had several conferences with the American Theosophist Col. Henry Steele Olcott about the feasibility of founding a Hindu
-Buddhist College for the benefit of the Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus. He was then appointed by the Governor of Ceylon as Solicitor-General in 1892 and functioned as such until 1906, and acted as Attorney-General on several occasions during this period.
Ramanthan was steeped in Hindu
and Christian
mysticism
, and became active in the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon. He was closely associated with Col. Henry Olcott, the co-founder of the Theosophical Society
, in promoting Buddhist education in schools. He was also responsible for the Government declaring Vesak
a public holiday.
Ramanathan was nominated by the Government to represent Ceylon as a delegate to the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897 at London
. He was described by Lord Salisbury as the most accomplished speaker in the British Empire
and the Queen awarded him a gold medal on the occasion.
Ramanathan was elected representing the educated Ceylonese to the Legislative Council of Ceylon by a sweeping majority in 1911. It was an historic event, as he was the very first candidate to be elected to the Legislature of the country by an all-Ceylon electorate, prior to the introduction of universal franchise in 1931. He was re-elected to this seat in the Legislative Council in 1916 and held it until 1921.
He was the founder of Uduvil Ramanathan Girls College and Parameshwara College Parameshwara College
of Jaffna which later became the University of Jaffna
.
-Muslim
Riots of 1915 (from May 28—June 5, 1915) the British Governor came down with a heavy hand on the Sinhalese community. The Governor declared Martial Law (June 2—August 30, 1915) and ordered the Police and the Army to arrest and imprison several prominent Sinhalese leaders. Among those imprisoned were D. S. Senanayake, D. R. Wijewardena, Dr. Cassius Pereira, E. T. De Silva, F.R. Dias Bandaranaike, H. Amarasuriya, A.H. Molamure and several others. It was reported that other leaders were shot without trial. On the request of Anagarika Dharmapala
, Ramanathan came to the rescue of the Sinhalese community and fought hard and long against the tyranny of the British Government.
D. S. Senanayake, the first Sri Lankan prime minister, called Ramanathan ‘the greatest Ceylonese of all times’, while Sir Baron Jayatilaka, the Head of the Cabinet in the State Council
, referred to him as ‘the greatest man Ceylon has produced during the past 50 years.’]
K.G.Dilana Sandaruwan.
, née
R. L. Harrison in 1906.He was considered a very stubborn man of western ideals, and this identity was changed by Mr Ilakanam Ramaswami Pillai, the Tamil teacher for the Tanjavur Raja, whom he considered his guru. After his meeting with Mr Ramaswami Pillai he gave up liquor, smoking and became a vegetarian. He became a Spiritual man and wrote great books on Hinduism, some translated by his wife Mrs Leelawaty Ramanathan). In return for Mr Ramaswami Pillai's help, he decided to take his great grand son Mr S Natesan to Ceylon, and gave him a job as a teacher in Parameswara College, Jaffna which was founded by him. (Mr S Natesan was a Lawyer by profession, but followed Mr Ponnambalam Ramanathan to become a political leader in Ceylon). He also got his only daughter (Through Leelawathy Ramanathan) Sivagamisundhari married to him. His direct descendants end with Sivagamisundhari. Because Mr S Natesan and Sivagamisundhari did not have any children, they adopted Mr S Natesan's niece Devi (Padmini).
and Hindu
spiritual themes.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, KC (15 April 1851 - 30 November 1930) was a Solicitor-General and Tamil political leader in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Early life
His father was Gate MudaliyarSri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
Arunachalam Ponnambalam and mother was Sellachchi Ammaiyar, both belonging to the Vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
caste. He was the elder brother of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam
Ponnambalam Arunachalam
Sir Ponnambalam Arunachchalam, CCS was a Tamil political leader in Ceylon and a member of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council.-Early life:...
who was another famous Sri Lankan Tamil leader. Ramanathan was educated at the Colombo Academy (Royal College, Colombo), and enrolled as an Advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
from 1873 to 1886.
Political career
Ramanathan was nominated as an unofficial MemberUnofficial member
An unofficial member was a member of a colonial legislative council or an executive council, appointed by a governor to sit in the council alongside with ex officio members. A senior unofficial member would be appointed by the governor from among the unofficial members...
of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
Legislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of representative government in the island...
from 1879 to 1892 representing the Tamil-speaking people. He positioned himself as a representative of all communities in the Island
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. About 1890, Ramanathan had several conferences with the American Theosophist Col. Henry Steele Olcott about the feasibility of founding a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
-Buddhist College for the benefit of the Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus. He was then appointed by the Governor of Ceylon as Solicitor-General in 1892 and functioned as such until 1906, and acted as Attorney-General on several occasions during this period.
Ramanthan was steeped in Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, and became active in the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon. He was closely associated with Col. Henry Olcott, the co-founder of the Theosophical Society
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
, in promoting Buddhist education in schools. He was also responsible for the Government declaring Vesak
Vesak
Vesākha is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the South East Asian countries of Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, and Indonesia...
a public holiday.
Ramanathan was nominated by the Government to represent Ceylon as a delegate to the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897 at 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...
. He was described by Lord Salisbury as the most accomplished speaker in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and the Queen awarded him a gold medal on the occasion.
Ramanathan was elected representing the educated Ceylonese to the Legislative Council of Ceylon by a sweeping majority in 1911. It was an historic event, as he was the very first candidate to be elected to the Legislature of the country by an all-Ceylon electorate, prior to the introduction of universal franchise in 1931. He was re-elected to this seat in the Legislative Council in 1916 and held it until 1921.
He was the founder of Uduvil Ramanathan Girls College and Parameshwara College Parameshwara College
Parameshwara College, Jaffna
Parameshwara College, Jaffna is one of the oldest Hindu Schools in Sri Lanka. It was founded by Sir Ponnampalam Ramanathan in 1921. His idea was to make the school a University, at the start it started with Teachers Training school and later conducted classes for London Matriculation & Cambridge...
of Jaffna which later became the University of Jaffna
University of Jaffna
Jaffna University is a public university in the city of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.- Overview :Jaffna University has four campuses; Thirunelveli, Marathanamadam, Kaithady and Vavuniya...
.
Riots of 1915
During the widespread and prolonged SinhaleseSinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
-Muslim
Sri Lankan Moors
The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries...
Riots of 1915 (from May 28—June 5, 1915) the British Governor came down with a heavy hand on the Sinhalese community. The Governor declared Martial Law (June 2—August 30, 1915) and ordered the Police and the Army to arrest and imprison several prominent Sinhalese leaders. Among those imprisoned were D. S. Senanayake, D. R. Wijewardena, Dr. Cassius Pereira, E. T. De Silva, F.R. Dias Bandaranaike, H. Amarasuriya, A.H. Molamure and several others. It was reported that other leaders were shot without trial. On the request of Anagarika Dharmapala
Anagarika Dharmapala
Anagarika Dharmapala was a leading figure of Buddhism in the twentieth century. He was one of the founding contributors of Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism and Protestant Buddhism...
, Ramanathan came to the rescue of the Sinhalese community and fought hard and long against the tyranny of the British Government.
D. S. Senanayake, the first Sri Lankan prime minister, called Ramanathan ‘the greatest Ceylonese of all times’, while Sir Baron Jayatilaka, the Head of the Cabinet in the State Council
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
, referred to him as ‘the greatest man Ceylon has produced during the past 50 years.’]
K.G.Dilana Sandaruwan.
Family
Ponnambalam Ramanathan married Miss Sellachchi Ammal, daughter of Mudaliyar E. Nannithamby of Manipay. Later, when his first wife died, he was remarried to Leelawathy RamanathanLeelawathy Ramanathan
Leelawathy Ramanathan was the Australia-born wife of Ponnambalam Ramanathan.-Hinduism:She studied Hindu scriptures, and converted to Hinduism upon marrying Ponnambalam Ramanathan in 1906. She wrote many Hindu books, including a version of the Ramayana in English. She also published many of...
, née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
R. L. Harrison in 1906.He was considered a very stubborn man of western ideals, and this identity was changed by Mr Ilakanam Ramaswami Pillai, the Tamil teacher for the Tanjavur Raja, whom he considered his guru. After his meeting with Mr Ramaswami Pillai he gave up liquor, smoking and became a vegetarian. He became a Spiritual man and wrote great books on Hinduism, some translated by his wife Mrs Leelawaty Ramanathan). In return for Mr Ramaswami Pillai's help, he decided to take his great grand son Mr S Natesan to Ceylon, and gave him a job as a teacher in Parameswara College, Jaffna which was founded by him. (Mr S Natesan was a Lawyer by profession, but followed Mr Ponnambalam Ramanathan to become a political leader in Ceylon). He also got his only daughter (Through Leelawathy Ramanathan) Sivagamisundhari married to him. His direct descendants end with Sivagamisundhari. Because Mr S Natesan and Sivagamisundhari did not have any children, they adopted Mr S Natesan's niece Devi (Padmini).
Selected writings
Ramanathan availed himself of this period of service as a senior Law Officer of the Crown to introspect and produce very illuminating writings on ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
spiritual themes.
- An Eastern Exposition of the Gospel of Jesus According to St. Matthew (1898)
- An Eastern Exposition of the Gospel of Jesus According to St. John (1902)
- The Culture of the Soul Among Western Nationals (1907))
- The Spirit of the East Contrasted with the Spirit of the West (1905)
- On Faith or Love of God (1897)
- Tamil translation of Bhagavat Gheetha (1914)
- Tirukkural (1919)
- Shri Ramanatha Dharmasastra (lesson)