T. Muthuswamy Iyer

Sir Thiruvarur Muthuswamy Iyer KCIEcite book | title=Reminiscences and Anecdotes of Great Men of India:Both Official and Non-Official| last=Sanyal| first=Ram Copal| date=1894| location=India] (1832-1895) was an Indian lawyer who became the first Indian to be appointed to the bench of the Madras High Court when he was made a High Court judge in 1877. He also functioned as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court for a brief period.

Early life

Muthuswamy Iyer was born in a poor Brahmin family in Madras Presidency, British India.Encounter and Identities in Modern India] He studied Sanskrit and law. He graduated in law from the Presidency College, Madras.cite book | title=The Golden Book of India| url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=hIPy0LpPm9oC&pg=PA360&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0vXO6xD_silFnliX_rQytOk9kdxw| last=Lethbridge| first=Robert| date=2001| pages=360| publisher=Adamant Media Corporation| id=ISBN 1402193289]

Legal career

Muthuswamy Iyer commenced his legal career immediately after graduation. He, eventually, entered the Indian Civil Service and became Deputy Collector in 1859. He functioned as the Principal Sadr Amin from 1865 to 1868 and was appointed Police Magistrate in 1868. He was appointed a judge of the Court of Small Causes in 1871. The very next year, he was made Fellow of Madras University. In 1877, the Madras Government took the controversial decision to appoint him as the first Indian judge of the High Court of Madras. cite book | title=G. Subramania Iyer | last=Govindarajan| first=S. A.| date=1969| publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India| pages=14] cite book | title=Madras Tercentenary Celebration Committee Commemoration Volume| url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=pwMk4FIcpuUC&pg=RA1-PA454&lr=&sig=ACfU3U2Wmvs1LcwprF-5q8Vf19Yb1xztkg| last=Tercentenary Madras Staff| date=1939| pages=454| publisher=Indian Branch, Oxford Press] Cite web|url=http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/lawday.pdf|title=Report of the High Court of Madras|accessdate=2008-07-19]

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. However, Muthuswamy's appointment was vehemently condemned by a Madras newspaper called "The Native Public Opinion".cite book | title=The Press in Tamil Nadu and the Struggle for Freedom, 1917-1937| last=Ganesan| first=A.| date=1988| pages=6| publisher=Mittal Publications| id=ISBN 8170990823] cite book | title=A history of the press in India | last=Natarajan| first=Swaminath| date=1962| pages=124| publisher=Asia Publishinbg House] This prompted a strong reaction from Indian nationalists who founded The Hindu newspaper to voice public opinion against the outrage.

Later career

Muthuswami Iyer served as a judge of the Madras High Court from 1877 to 1895. During the later part of his life, he even served as the Acting Chief Justice, the first Indian to do so. cite book | title=Mahāmanā Madan Mohan Malaviya: An Historical Biography | last=Paramanand| date=1985| publisher=Malaviya Adhyayan Sansthan, Banaras Hindu University]

Reforms

During his early career, Muthuswamy Iyer also served as the President of the "Malabar Marriage Commission".cite book | title=Matrilineal System in Malabar | last=Balakrishnan| first=P. V. | date=1981| pages=107| publisher=Satyavani Prakashan] 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. In 1872, Muthuswamy Iyer established the Widow Remarriage Association in Madras and advocated remarriage of Brahmin widows.cite book | title=A. Madhaviah: A Biography and a Novel | last=Anantha Raman| first=Sita| coauthors=Vasantha Surya, A. Mātavaiyā| date=2005| pages=87| publisher=Oxford University Press| id=ISBN 0195670213]

Honors

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

Death

Muthuswami Iyer died in January 1895 after an illness of ten days.cite book | title=The Hindu Speaks| date=1978| pages=53| publisher=Interpress] On his death, Sir S. Subramania Iyer took the seat in the bench of the Madras High Court left vacant by his death.cite book | title=The Legal Profession in Colonial South India | last=Jeya Paul| first=John| date=1991| pages=235| publisher=Oxford University Press| location=Madras| id=ISBN 0195625587] cite book | title=Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law| url=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| last=Martin Derrett| first=John Duncan| date=1977| pages=177| publisher=BRILL| id=ISBN 9004048081]

A statue of Muthuswami Iyer was erected in the precints of the Madras High Court campus cite book | title=The Tamils and Their Culture | last=Sastri| first=K. S. Ramaswami| date=1967| pages=153| publisher=Annamalai University] cite book | title=Thapar's Madras Pocket Guide: Madras State, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala State | date=1960| pages=73| publisher=Indian Industrial Directory] cite book | title=Round about Madras: A Comprehensive Reference and Directory to Madras| date=1962| pages=47| publisher=Export India Publications| location=Madras] cite book | title=History of the City of Madras: Written for the Tercentenary Celebration Committee| last=Dewan Bahadur S. Srinivasachari| first=Chidambaram| date=1939| pages=278| publisher=P. Varadachary and Co| location=Madras] on May 23, 1895.cite book | title=President Radhakrishnan's Speeches and Writings: May 1962-may 1964| last=Radhakrishnan| first=Sarvepalli| date=1965| pages=61| publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India]

Controversial stand on temple entry

Being a devout Brahmin, Muthuswami Iyer literally interpreted the dharma-shastras and Hindu religious texts and rigorously followed them.Chidambaram Pillai, Page 2] As a result, some of his speeches on caste and temple-entry have been controversial.

Muthuswami Iyer once said :

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

See also

* The Hindu
* G. Subramania Iyer
* S. Subramania Iyer

Notes

References

* Cite web|url=http://www.evrperiyar-bdu.org/downloads/templeentry.pdf|title=THE RIGHT OF TEMPLE ENTRY|accessdate=2008-07-19|author=P. Chidambaram Pillai
* cite book | title=Religion and Public Culture: Encounter and Identities in Modern India| coauthors=Keith E. Yandell, John J. Paul| date=2000| publisher=Routledge| id=ISBN 0700711015