Arcot Narayanaswami Mudaliar
| Arcot Narrainsawmy Mudaliar | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
14 May 1827 Arcot, India |
| Died | 9 February 1910 (aged 82) Bangalore, India |
Dharmarathnakara Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainsawmy Mudaliar (14 May 1827 – 9 February 1910) was a philanthropist with a strong affinity for social reform. He founded the R.B.A.N.M.'s Educational Charities and R.B.A.N.M.'s Chattram and other charities.
Narrainswamy Mudaliar was born at Arcot on 14 May 1827. Due to some family misfortune, his father Muniappa Mudaliar migrated to Bangalore with his three sons Narrainswamy, Muniswamy and Muthuswamy. Muniappa Mudaliar died when Narrainswamy was ten years old. The youngster had to support his widowed mother and two younger brothers. He never had an opportunity to study English, but was well versed in his mother-tongue of Tamil. During his formative years he studied and acquired a deep knowledge of ancient Tamil literature, which moulded his character and inspired his thoughts and outlook throughout his life. Mudaliar married Govindammal in 1850 when he was 23.
Mudaliar commenced his commercial activity initially as a travelling salesman transporting vegetables which were available at a low price in Bangalore, and selling them at Madras, where they were in great demand. After gaining considerable profit and experience from this trade, he started transporting salt from Madras and selling it in Bangalore. He earned considerable profit from this two-way trade. With this capital, he opened a grocery shop on Cavalry road and later a branch in the Infantry Barracks. In the year 1859, he was granted the Royal patronage of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the Maharaja of Mysore. As a token of gratitude to his Royal Patron, Mudaliar named his Emporium on Cavalry road as ‘Mysore Hall’. Later, Mudaliar ventured into a new line of business with Messrs. Wallace & Co. in partnership with Rai Bahadur Bansilal-Ramrathan, who had secured from Col.Sankey, Chief Engineer to the Government of Mysore, the contract for the construction of the New Public Offices or the 'Athara Cutcherry'. The contract was a success under the supervision of Munisawmy Mudaliar, the younger brother of Mudaliar. This line of business brought him a large fortune. Mudaliar set up the ‘Bangalore Agency’ at premises No.19 South Parade. This firm dealt with real estate, livestock, auctioneering etc., involving the army as well as the general public. Mudaliar was also engaged in other commercial activities such as excise contracts, banking etc.
Mudaliar believed that wealth was a trust to be utilised for assisting and uplifting the poor, and that diffusion of knowledge is philanthropy at its best - perennial, self-propagating and showering its blessings on future generations. The then prevailing situation impressed on his keen and observant mind that the basic needs of the day were facilities for educating both boys and girls, training youth to enable them to commence their lives as useful members of the society and relieving the distress of the poor and ailing as well as the socially backward and downtrodden. During that period there were no schools for teaching poor children either in their mother tongue or in English, no technical or commerce schools, no schools for Panchamas and other backward classes, no schools for girls, no orphanages for destitute children nor hostels for students in Bangalore.
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