T. Muthuswamy Iyer

Sir Thiruvarur Muthuswamy Iyer

A portrait of T. Muthuswamy Iyer
Born January 28, 1832(1832-01-28)
Vuchuwadi,
Madras Presidency,
British India
Died January 25, 1895(1895-01-25) (aged 62)
Madras,
British India
Occupation lawyer, civil servant, administrator

Sir Thiruvarur Muthuswamy Iyer KCIE (Tamil: திருவாரூர் முத்துசவாமி அய்யர்) (January 28, 1832 – January 25, 1895) was an Indian lawyer who, in 1877, became the first native Indian to be appointed as judge of the Madras High Court. He also acted as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in 1893.

Muthuswamy Iyer was born in a poor Brahmin family of Vuchuwadi in the Tanjore district of the Madras Presidency. He lost his father when he was young and completed his schooling in Madras with the assistance of the tahsildar Muthuswami Naicken.

On completion of his schooling, Muthuswamy served in subordinate posts in the civil service even while continuing his education. Muthuswamy Iyer graduated in law from the Presidency College, Madras while serving as the magistrate of police and served as a judge in mofussil centres from 1871 to 1877, when he was appointed to the bench of the High Court of Madras. Muthuswamy Iyer served as a judge of the Madras High Court from 1877 till his death in 1895, even acting as the Chief Justice for three months in 1893.

Muthuswamy Iyer was acclaimed for his sharp intellect, memory and legal expertise. He advocated social reform and campaigned in support of women's education, widow re-marriage and the legal recognition of sambandham. However, he was criticized for his alleged remarks on temple entry and views on Varnashrama Dharma. In 1893, Muthuswamy Iyer was made a Knight Commander of the Indian Empire in recognition of his services.

Contents

Early life

Muthuswamy Iyer was born in a poor Vadama Brahmin[1] family in Vuchuwadi, Madras Presidency, British India on January 28, 1832.[2] Muthuswamy Iyer's father, Venkata Narayana Sastri died when Muthuswamy was young and he moved with his mother to Thiruvarur to make a living. At Thiruvarur, Muthuswamy Iyer found employment as village accountant. However, his mother died soon afterward leaving Muthuswamy Iyer with little support. Around this time, Muthuswamy Iyer's talents were recognized by the tahsildar Muthuswamy Naicken who arranged for the former to study in Madras as a companion to his young nephew. In 1854, Muthuswamy Iyer won a prize of 500 rupees offered to the students of the Madras presidency by the council of education for the best English essay. This success brought him to the notice of Sir Alexander John Arbuthnot and Mr. Justice Holloway. He was offered help to proceed to England and compete for the civil service, but being a Brahmin and married, he declined to cross the ocean. Instead he entered the subordinate government service, and was employed in such various posts as school-teacher, record-keeper in Tanjore, and in 1856 deputy-inspector of schools.

Legal career

About this time, the Madras government instituted an examination for pleaders known as "Pleader's Test". In the examination held at Kumbakonam in February 1856, only three succeeded, Muthuswamy Iyer and R. Raghunatha Rao emerging first and second. On successfully passing the Pleader's Test, Muthuswamy was appointed District Munsiff of Tranquebar. On July 2, 1859, Muthuswamy was appointed Deputy Collector of Tanjore.On July 9, 1865, Muthuswamy was appointed Sub-Judge of South Canara and served till July 1868, when he was appointed District Magistrate of police at Madras.[3]

While serving as the magistrate of police, Muthuswamy Iyer obtained his law degree law from the Presidency College, Madras.[3] He also held a degree in Sanskrit at that time.[2]

Muthuswamy Iyer commenced his legal career immediately after graduation. He was appointed a judge of the Court of Small Causes in 1871.[3] The very next year, he was made Fellow of Madras University.[3] In 1877, the Madras Government took the controversial decision to appoint him as the first Indian judge of the High Court of Madras.[4][5][6]

Appointment to the bench of Madras High Court and controversy

In 1877, Muthuswamy Iyer was appointed to the bench of the High Court of Madras. He was the first Indian to be appointed to this prestigious post.[6] However, Muthuswamy's appointment was vehemently condemned by a Madras newspaper called The Native Public Opinion.[5][7][8] This prompted a strong reaction from Indian nationalists who founded The Hindu newspaper to voice public opinion against the outrage.[4][7]

Later career

Muthuswami Iyer served as a judge of the Madras High Court from 1877 to 1895. He acted for three months in 1893 as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, the first Indian to do so.[9]

Reforms

During his early career, Muthuswamy Iyer also served as the President of the Malabar Marriage Commission.[10] During his tenure as President of the Commission, he campaigned for the legal recognition of Sambandham and other forms of marriage practised in the Malabar.[10] In 1872, Muthuswamy Iyer established the Widow Remarriage Association in Madras and advocated remarriage of Brahmin widows.[11]

In 1872, he was nominated fellow of the Madras University. He became a syndic in 1877. He was also invited to attend the Coronation Durbar at Delhi in 1877.

Honors

In 1878, Muthuswami Iyer was created a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire.[3] In 1893, he was knighted for his services to the Crown.[12]

Death

Muthuswami Iyer died in January 1895 after an illness of ten days.[13] On his death, Sir S. Subramania Iyer took the seat in the bench of the Madras High Court left vacant by his death.[14][15]

A statue of Muthuswami Iyer was erected in the precincts of the Madras High Court campus [6][16][17][18][19] on May 23, 1895.[20]

Controversial stand on temple entry

Being a devout Brahmin, Muthuswami Iyer literally interpreted the dharma-shastras and Hindu religious texts and rigorously followed them.[21] As a result, some of his speeches on caste and temple-entry have been controversial.

Muthuswami Iyer once said :

“ Religious institutions founded, endowed and maintained for the benefit of those sections of the Hindu Community who conform to certain recognized usages as those of the castes for whose benefit the temples are by immemorial usage dedicated as places of worship[21][22] ”

Another remark of his is regarded by the intellectuals of the Dravidar Kazhagam as blatantly casteist:

“ Hindu temples were neither founded nor are kept up for the benefit of Mahomedans, outcastes and others who are outside the scope of it[21] ”

Notes

  1. ^ Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya (1896). Hindu Castes and Sects: An Exposition on the Origins of Hindu caste system. Thacker, Spink & Co.. pp. 77. 
  2. ^ a b Encounter and Identities in Modern India
  3. ^ a b c d e Lethbridge, Robert (2001). The Golden Book of India. Adamant Media Corporation. pp. 360. ISBN 1402193289. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=hIPy0LpPm9oC&pg=PA360&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0vXO6xD_silFnliX_rQytOk9kdxw. 
  4. ^ a b Govindarajan, S. A. (1969). G. Subramania Iyer. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. pp. 14. 
  5. ^ a b Tercentenary Madras Staff (1939). Madras Tercentenary Celebration Committee Commemoration Volume. Indian Branch, Oxford Press. pp. 454. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=pwMk4FIcpuUC&pg=RA1-PA454&lr=&sig=ACfU3U2Wmvs1LcwprF-5q8Vf19Yb1xztkg. 
  6. ^ a b c "Report of the High Court of Madras". http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/lawday.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-19. 
  7. ^ a b Ganesan, A. (1988). The Press in Tamil Nadu and the Struggle for Freedom, 1917-1937. Mittal Publications. pp. 6. ISBN 8170990823. 
  8. ^ Natarajan, Swaminath (1962). A history of the press in India. Asia Publishinbg House. pp. 124. 
  9. ^ Paramanand (1985). Mahāmanā Madan Mohan Malaviya: An Historical Biography. Malaviya Adhyayan Sansthan, Banaras Hindu University. 
  10. ^ a b Balakrishnan, P. V. (1981). Matrilineal System in Malabar. Satyavani Prakashan. pp. 107. 
  11. ^ Anantha Raman, Sita; Vasantha Surya, A. Mātavaiyā (2005). A. Madhaviah: A Biography and a Novel. Oxford University Press. pp. 87. ISBN 0195670213. 
  12. ^ Sanyal, Ram Copal (1894). Reminiscences and Anecdotes of Great Men of India:Both Official and Non-Official. India. 
  13. ^ The Hindu Speaks. Interpress. 1978. pp. 53. 
  14. ^ Martin Derrett, John Duncan (1977). Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law. BRILL. pp. 177. ISBN 9004048081. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=yH8eAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&source=web&ots=cxqprrVqfn&sig=YChVqXV2xX7RtNBQgxEXmOw906Q&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result. 
  15. ^ Sastri, K. S. Ramaswami (1967). The Tamils and Their Culture. Annamalai University. pp. 153. 
  16. ^ Thapar's Madras Pocket Guide: Madras State, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala State. Indian Industrial Directory. 1960. pp. 73. 
  17. ^ Round about Madras: A Comprehensive Reference and Directory to Madras. Madras: Export India Publications. 1962. pp. 47. 
  18. ^ Dewan Bahadur S. Srinivasachari, Chidambaram (1939). History of the City of Madras: Written for the Tercentenary Celebration Committee. Madras: P. Varadachary and Co. pp. 278. 
  19. ^ Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli (1965). President Radhakrishnan's Speeches and Writings: May 1962-may 1964. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. pp. 61. 
  20. ^ a b c Chidambaram Pillai, Page 2
  21. ^ Chidambaram Pillai, Page 1

References

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Aiyar, Sir Tiruvarur Mutuswamy.