Rai Bahadur Valaiyattur Venkayya (1 July 1864 - 21 November 1912) was an Indian epigraphist and historian

Historian

A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

. He served as the Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

 from 1908 to 1912.

Early life

Venkayya was born on July 1, 1864 in the town of Valaiyattur near Arni

Arni

Arni may refer to:*the Wild Asian Water Buffalo*in Switzerland:**Arni, Aargau, a municipality of the canton of Aargau**Arni, Bern, a municipality of the canton of Bern**Arni, Uri, a settlement above Amsteg, location of the lake Arnisee...

 in the then North Arcot

North Arcot

The Indian District of North Arcot was split on 30-09-1989 into Tiruvannamalai-Sambuvarayar and North Arcot Ambedkar .- History :...

 district. His father Appa Sitarama Ayyar, a Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 scholar, was a direct descendant of Advaita savant Appayya Dikshitar

Appayya Dikshitar

Appayya Dikshita , 1520–1593 CE, was a performer of yajñas as well as an expositor and practitioner of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy but however, with a focus on Shiva or Siva Advaita.-Life:...

.Venkayya graduated in Physics

Physics

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

 from the University of Madras

University of Madras

The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...

.

Career

Venkayya's mastery of South Indian languages and scripts was recognised by E. Hultzsch

E. Hultzsch

Euger Julius Theodor Hultzsch was a German Indologist and epigraphist who is known for his work in deciphering the inscriptions of King Ashoka.- Career :...

 who inducted him to the epigraphical department of the Madras government. Venkayya served as Chief Epigraphist to the Government of Madras till 1908, and then succeeded Hultzsch on his retirement, as the Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

.

Venkayya made a pioneering effort in studying inscriptions in Brihadeeswarar Temple

Brihadeeswarar temple

The Peruvudaiyar Koyil , also known as Rajarajeswaram, at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the world's first complete granite temple and a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas kingdom Vishwakarmas in Tamil architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the...

 in Tanjore and temples in the Pallava

Pallava

The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...

 and Pandya countries. He also made significant contributions to Epigraphia Indica.

Venkayya was also one of the champions of the Parthian

Parthia

Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....

-origin theory of the Pallavas.He also tried to decipher the inscriptions on Mankulam Hill.

Death

Venkayya died on November 21, 1912 while in service as Chief Epigraphist to the Indian government. Hultzsch, who edited the eleventh volume of Epigraphia Indica which was published shortly after Venkayya's death, dedicated the volume to him. The correspondence between Hultzsch and Venkayya was also published after his death.