T. N. Sivagnanam Pillai
Encyclopedia
Diwan Bahadur Sir Tinnevely Nelliappa Sivagnanam Pillai (b. April 1, 1861- d. 1936) was an Indian lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

, civil servant and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from the 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...

. He belonged to the Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...

. He served as the Minister of Development in the government of the Raja of Panagal from 1923 to 1926.

Early life and education

Sivagnanam Pillai was born on April 1, 1861 to Nelliappa Pillai. He belonged to a Saiva Vellalar
Saiva Vellalar
Saiva Velaalar is a Tamil community in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They trace their lineage to the ancient Velir tribeSaiva Velaalars have the title of Mudaliar and Pillai...

 family from Tinnevely. He graduated in law from Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...

 in 1882 and practised as an advocate.

Sivagnanam Pillai was selected for the Provincial Civil Service and served as a Deputy Collector for sometime. On his retirement as deputy collector, he joined the Justice Party. In 1919, he was elected to the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...

 from Tinnevely. He replaced Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Rao Bahadur Sir Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu KCSI was an Indian lawyer, professor, politician and Justice Party leader who served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from April 1, 1937 to July 14, 1937...

 as Minister of Development on November 19, 1923.

As Minister of Development

Sivagnanam Pillai was appointed Minister of Development on 1923 replacing Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Rao Bahadur Sir Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu KCSI was an Indian lawyer, professor, politician and Justice Party leader who served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from April 1, 1937 to July 14, 1937...

. Critics often opine that this was a move planned by the Raja of Panagal to appease the Tamil-speaking people of the Presidency.

During his tenure as the Minister of Development, Sivagnanam Pillai participated in the 9th All-India Non-Brahmin Conference held at Madras on December 19, 1925.

Freemasonry

Sivagnanam Pillai was a prominent freemason and was a member of the Carnatic
Carnatic region
The Carnatic coast is the region of South India lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Coromandel Coast, in the modern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, south eastern Karnataka and southern Andhra Pradesh....

Lodge from 1905 to 1914 and 1925 to 1929.
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