Seshayya Sastri

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix = Sir
name = Amaravati Seshayya Sastri
honorific-suffix =


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caption = "Portrait of Sir A. Seshayya Sastri"
order = Dewan of Travancore
office =
term_start = May 1872
term_end = 1877
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viceprimeminister =
deputy =
lieutenant =
monarch = Ayilyam Thirunal of Travancore
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primeminister =
governor =
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succeeding =
predecessor =T. Madhava Rao
successor =
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majority =
order2 =
office2 = Dewan of Pudukkottai
term_start2 = 1878
term_end2 = 1894
vicepresident2 =
viceprimeminister2 =
deputy2 =
lieutenant2 =
monarch2 = Ramachandra Tondaiman (1878-1886), Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman (1886-1894)
president2 =
primeminister2 =
governor2 =
succeeding2 =
predecessor2 =
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birth_date = birth date|1828|03|22|mf=y
birth_place =
death_date = 1903
death_place =
nationality =
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residence =
alma_mater =Madras University
occupation =lawyer, Administrator
profession =Statesman
religion =Hindu


website =
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Sir Amaravati Seshayya Sastri KCSI ( _ta. அமராவதி சேஷையா சாஸ்திரி) (March 22, 1828 – 1903) was an Indian administrator who served as the Dewan of Travancore from May 1872 to May 4, 1877 and as the Dewan of Pudukkottai from 1878 to 1894.

Early life

Seshayya Sastri was born on March 22, 1828cite book | title=Visakhavijaya, a Study| last=Pillai| first=Poovattoor Ramakrishna| date=1990| pages=85| publisher=Anitha Publications] in the village of Amaravati in Tanjore district cite book | title=Tanjore District Handbook | date=1957| pages=419| publisher=Madras (India : State) Record Office, Tamil Nadu, India, B. S. Ranga Record Office] in a Vathima Iyer family.cite book | title=Castes and Tribes of Southern India| last=Thurston| first=Edgar| coauthors=K. Rangachari| date=1909| pages=337] His parents were poor and Seshayyah Sastri had a troubled upbringing. He studied in Tanjore and graduated in law from Madras University. In May 1872, he succeeded his classmate Madhava Rao as the Dewan of Travancore.cite book | title=In Quest of Kerala| last=Nayar| date=1974| pages=98| publisher=Accent Publications]

As Dewan of Travancore

During the tenure of Seshayya Sastri as Dewan, the Varkala Tunnel connecting two lakes in Varkala, forty kilometres from Tiruvananthapuram city was opened for traffic. The first systematic census of Travancore state was taken on May 18, 1875. Cite web|url=http://www.prokerala.com/kerala/population.htm|title=Kerala Population and Census - Districtwise and religious population density|accessdate=2008-07-13|publisher=prokerala.com]

Seshayya Sastri became Dewan at a time when Travancore was gripped by political intrigues. Sastri's predecessor Madhava Rao had tried to overrule the king and was dismissed.cite book | title=A History of Malayalam Literature | last=Chaitanya| first=Krishna| date=1971| pages=167| publisher=Orient Longman] Sastri, too, was dominant and uncompromising as Madhava Rao and had frequent clashes with the king.cite book | title=Kerala Varma | last=Pillai| first=P. K. Narayana| date=1988| pages=33| publisher=Sahitya Academy] Notwithstanding this strained relationship, Kerala Varma, the ruler of Cochin, wrote a letter to Seshayya Sastri warning him about the designs of Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal but the letter fell into the hands of the Raja of Travancore. cite book | title=Keralodaya: An Epic Kāvya on Kerala History | publisher=University of Calicut]

As Dewan of Pudukkottai

In 1878, when Ramachandra Tondaiman was the ruler of Pudukkottai, Seshayya Sastri was appointed Dewan.Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1908, Pg. 232] He brought forth a number of reforms. He remodelled the town and rebuilt it incorporating modern principles of town planning.Cite web|url=http://www.pudukkottai.org/places/pudukkottai/01pudukkottai.html#HISTORY|title=Modern History of Pudukkottai|accessdate=2008-07-13] Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1908, Pg. 241] The Pudukkottai administrative office building was constructed during the tenure of Seshayya Sastri.Cite web|url=http://pudukkottai.nic.in/history.htm|title=Official website of Pudukottai District|accessdate=2008-07-13] The famous Pudukkulam Lake in Pudukkottai was a creation of Seshayya Sastri. Under Seshayya Sastri's advice, Ramachandra Tondaiman renovated many temples in the state. At the suggestion of his Tanjore-born wifecite book | title=Criminal Gods and Demon Devotees: Essays on the Guardians of Popular Hinduism| url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=CLmuJhU3wC8C&pg=PA405&lpg=PA405&dq=pudukkottai+dewans&source=web&ots=fm72DqAC1C&sig=nqCifuw--ishZH9Ucb8eYs5Wr4U&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result| last=Hiltebeitel| first=Alf| date=1989| pages=405| publisher=SUNY PRESS| id=ISBN:0887069819] , Ramachandra Tondaiman adopted the name "Brihadambaldas" with consent of Dewan Seshayya Sastri.

In 1886, Ramachandra Tondaiman died and Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman, then a minor, succeeded to the throne of Pudukkottai. Seshayya Sastri, who was the Dewan, ruled Pudukkottai as Regent till Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman came of age. His tenure as dewan came to an end in 1894 and he returned to private life.

Later life

In 1902, Seshayya Sastri was knighted for his services to the Crown.cite book |title=The Knights of England |last=Shaw| first=William Arthur |year=1971 |pages=6 |publisher=Genealogical Publishing Company |isbn=080630443X]

Seshayya Sastri died in 1903.

Notes

References

* Cite book|url=|title=The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol XX (1908)|accessdate=2008-07-13|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1908