Salem Ramaswami Mudaliar
Encyclopedia
Salem Ramaswami Mudaliar (6 September 1852 - 2 March 1892) was an Indian lawyer, politician and Indian independence activist who campaigned for India's independence.
to Salem Gopalaswami Mudaliar who served as the tahsildar of Namakkal. Ramaswami's great-grandfather Vedachala Mudaliar had been a prominent dubash to the British East India Company
.
Ramaswami had his schooling at Madras High School and Pachaiyappa's School, Madras and graduated in arts from the Presidency College, Madras in 1871 with high marks in Tamil, English composition and history. Ramaswami excelled in studies and stood among the top fifteen in the province in his matriculation examinations and first in the Presidency in his B. A. examinations. On completion of his graduation, Thomson, the Principal of the Presidency College, offered Ramaswami, an Assistant Professorship in English.
Ramaswami worked as Assistant Professor from 1871 to 1873, when he completed his master's degree in history and moral science. Ramaswami, then studied law, clearing his examinations in merit and qualifying for the bar in 1875. After initial training as an apprentice under P. O'Sullivan, Ramaswami enrolled at the Madras High Court
in 1876.
In 1882, Ramaswami Mudaliar resigned as District Munsiff and moved to Madras to practice in the Madras High Court. He was the founder and chief editor of the Law Journal till 1891. In 1892, Ramaswami was appointed fellow of the Madras University.
. During the General Election of 1885, Ramaswami was chosen as a part of a three-member delegation to present the grievances of Indians before the rulers in the United Kingdom. The delegates visited London, Swansea, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Ramaswami halted at Edinburgh on way to Aberdeen to listen to the speech of the liberal leader William Ewart Gladstone
while he regarded the speech given by John Bright
at Birmingham as the best he had ever listened to in life. Ramaswami's delegation was fairly successful as a Public Service Commission was appointed in 1886 to provide Indian's a greater share in the administration of the country. Ramaswami was nominated as a non-official member of the commission. However, little was achieved as the Indian members of the Commission fought among themselves.
and participated in the 1887 Madras Congress and the 1888 Allahabad Congress. Ramaswami Mudaliar functioned as a member of the Madras Municipal Board at the time of his death on March 2, 1892.
Early life
Ramaswami Mudaliar was born in Salem, Madras PresidencyMadras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
to Salem Gopalaswami Mudaliar who served as the tahsildar of Namakkal. Ramaswami's great-grandfather Vedachala Mudaliar had been a prominent dubash to the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
Ramaswami had his schooling at Madras High School and Pachaiyappa's School, Madras and graduated in arts from the Presidency College, Madras in 1871 with high marks in Tamil, English composition and history. Ramaswami excelled in studies and stood among the top fifteen in the province in his matriculation examinations and first in the Presidency in his B. A. examinations. On completion of his graduation, Thomson, the Principal of the Presidency College, offered Ramaswami, an Assistant Professorship in English.
Ramaswami worked as Assistant Professor from 1871 to 1873, when he completed his master's degree in history and moral science. Ramaswami, then studied law, clearing his examinations in merit and qualifying for the bar in 1875. After initial training as an apprentice under P. O'Sullivan, Ramaswami enrolled at the Madras High Court
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
in 1876.
Career
Ramaswami accomplished great successes as a lawyer. In 1876, he was appointed District Munsiff of Trichinopoly. As District Munsiff, he acquired a reputation for impartiality. A. Seshayya Sastri, once remarked:In 1882, Ramaswami Mudaliar resigned as District Munsiff and moved to Madras to practice in the Madras High Court. He was the founder and chief editor of the Law Journal till 1891. In 1892, Ramaswami was appointed fellow of the Madras University.
Indian independence movement
Ramaswami was involved in political activism right from 1882 onwards. There was an attempt to falsely implicate his father in the Salem Riots CaseSalem Riots of 1882
The Salem Riots of 1882 is a term used to refer to serious Hindu-Muslim disturbances which took place in the city of Salem, Tamil Nadu in the then Madras Presidency in August 1882.- Causes :...
. During the General Election of 1885, Ramaswami was chosen as a part of a three-member delegation to present the grievances of Indians before the rulers in the United Kingdom. The delegates visited London, Swansea, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Ramaswami halted at Edinburgh on way to Aberdeen to listen to the speech of the liberal leader William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
while he regarded the speech given by John Bright
John Bright
John Bright , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. He was one of the greatest orators of his generation, and a strong critic of British foreign policy...
at Birmingham as the best he had ever listened to in life. Ramaswami's delegation was fairly successful as a Public Service Commission was appointed in 1886 to provide Indian's a greater share in the administration of the country. Ramaswami was nominated as a non-official member of the commission. However, little was achieved as the Indian members of the Commission fought among themselves.
Indian National Congress
Ramaswami joined the Indian National CongressIndian 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...
and participated in the 1887 Madras Congress and the 1888 Allahabad Congress. Ramaswami Mudaliar functioned as a member of the Madras Municipal Board at the time of his death on March 2, 1892.