R. Raghunatha Rao
Encyclopedia
Diwan Bahadur Rai Raghunatha Rao CSI
(c. February 1831 - May 3, 1912) was an Indian civil servant, administrator, politician and Indian independence activist who served as the Diwan of Indore from 1875 to 1880 and 1886 to 1888. He was related to Indian statesman Sir T. Madhava Rao.
in the year 1831. He was the son of R. Venkata Rao former Diwan of Travancore and a cousin of Sir T. Madhava Rao who later served as Diwan of Travancore
, Indore
and Baroda. Raghunatha Rao had his early schooling in Bangalore
Fort and did his proficient's course at Government High School, Madras (now Presidency College, Madras). However, Raghunatha Rao dropped out of school even before obtaining his proficient's degree.
Rao studied law in private and obtained a pleader's diploma in 1856 but did n ot practise. Instead, he entered the Madras Provincial Civil Service.
and rose to become Sheristadar
and eventually Deputy Collector of Madras District. He was placed on special duty in the Tungabhadra Project for sometime but was later transferred to Trichinopoly and then, Coimbatore districts.
In 1873, Raghunatha Rao met Tukojirao Holkar II, the Raja of Indore
. Two years later, the Holkar requested Rao to serve the state as Special Settlement Officer. Later that same year, Rao replaced his cousin Sir T. Madhava Rao as Diwan of Indore.
and the Indian National Congress
. The Indian National Social Conference, the first of its kind, was inaugurated at Raghunatha Rao's house in Madras in December 1887. The conference was presided over by Sir T. Madhava Rao.
A statue of Lord Krishna was installed in front of the Kumbakonam Town Hall (also called Porter Hall) in 1913 and was dedicated to Raghunatha Rao.
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...
(c. February 1831 - May 3, 1912) was an Indian civil servant, administrator, politician and Indian independence activist who served as the Diwan of Indore from 1875 to 1880 and 1886 to 1888. He was related to Indian statesman Sir T. Madhava Rao.
Early life and education
Raghunatha Rao was born in a Thanjavur Marathi family of KumbakonamKumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
in the year 1831. He was the son of R. Venkata Rao former Diwan of Travancore and a cousin of Sir T. Madhava Rao who later served as Diwan of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
and Baroda. Raghunatha Rao had his early schooling in 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...
Fort and did his proficient's course at Government High School, Madras (now Presidency College, Madras). However, Raghunatha Rao dropped out of school even before obtaining his proficient's degree.
Rao studied law in private and obtained a pleader's diploma in 1856 but did n ot practise. Instead, he entered the Madras Provincial Civil Service.
Madras Civil Service
Raghunatha Rao started his career as a translator in the office of the District CollectorDistrict collector
The District Collector is the district head of administration of the bureaucracy in a state of India. Though he/she is appointed and is under general supervision of the state government, he/she has to be a member of the elite IAS recruited by the Central Government...
and rose to become Sheristadar
Sheristadar
A sheristadar was the chief officer in Indian court entrusted with the tasking of receiving and checking court pleas. The word has been derived from the Persian word sarishta-dār meaning "record keeper"....
and eventually Deputy Collector of Madras District. He was placed on special duty in the Tungabhadra Project for sometime but was later transferred to Trichinopoly and then, Coimbatore districts.
In 1873, Raghunatha Rao met Tukojirao Holkar II, the Raja of Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
. Two years later, the Holkar requested Rao to serve the state as Special Settlement Officer. Later that same year, Rao replaced his cousin Sir T. Madhava Rao as Diwan of Indore.
Diwan of Indore
In 1875, Raghunatha Rao was appointed Diwan of Indore and he took over succeeding his cousin Madhava Rao. Raghunatha Rao's administration is regarded as one of progress and the Diwan is recorded as selecting the most qualified men for judicial positions in the state. Raghunatha Rao returned to Madras in 1880 and returned to Indore in 1886 to serve for a brief span of two years.Social life
Raghunatha Rao was one of the founders of the Madras Mahajana SabhaMadras Mahajana Sabha
Madras Mahajana Sabha was an Indian nationalist organisation based in the Madras Presidency. Along with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Bombay Presidency Association and the Indian Association, it is considered to be a predecessor of the Indian National Congress....
and the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. The Indian National Social Conference, the first of its kind, was inaugurated at Raghunatha Rao's house in Madras in December 1887. The conference was presided over by Sir T. Madhava Rao.
A statue of Lord Krishna was installed in front of the Kumbakonam Town Hall (also called Porter Hall) in 1913 and was dedicated to Raghunatha Rao.