National Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development

ISSN: 2455-9040
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Volume 2; Issue 3; September 2017; Page No. 117-119

Nationalism and early nationalist movements in Tamil Nadu

Dr. C Swaminathan
MA, M Phil, Ph. D, Former Vice-Chancellor Bharathiar University, Coimbatore & Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract
Tamil Nadu is generally regarded as a political backwater as far as nationalism and anti-colonialism are concerned. However,
during the nationalist era, Tamil Nadu provided for the early agitational political movements by founding the Madras Native
Association and Madras Mahajana Sabha. In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand the early nationalist ideology,
their aims and objectives of the two earliest political organizations, the Madras Native Association and Madras Mahajana Sabha.

Keywords: nationalism, colonialism, madras native association, madras mahajana sabha

1. Introduction 1853. The Association persuaded the local leaders in

Tamil Nadu is generally regarded as a political backwater as Cuddalore, Tiruchirapalli, Salem and Tirunelveli to start
far as nationalism and anti-colonialism are concerned. branches of the Madras Native Association as a means of
Nevertheless, the early Poligari revolts in Panchalankurichi helping the Madras Native Association with funds and
and the subsequent struggles of the “South Indian Rebellion” information [5].
and the Vellore Mutiny of 1806, the precursor to the 1857 Lakshminarasu Chetty’s political activities were viewed with
Revolt, tell us a different tale altogether. During the nationalist suspicion by the British. He was regarded as a seditious
era, Tamil Nadu provided for early agitational political person and a police watch was set over him. His speeches
movements by founding the Madras Native Association and were closely scrutinized, and his movements were monitored
the Madras Mahajana Sabha. by the police. Subsequently, in order to prevent the financial
In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand the aid, government issued warning circulars and instructions to
early nationalist ideology as well as the aims and objectives of the district collectors to prosecute supporters of the Madras
the two earliest political organizations, the Madras Native Native Association [6].
Association and the Madras Mahajana Sabha. The Company’s misrule, malpractices and its failure to
associate Indians in the administration served as key factors
2. Madras Native Association for the end of the Company’s rule. The transfer of power from
The earliest political organization, the Madras Native the Company to the Crown in 1858 brought about sweeping
Association was founded on 26 February 1852. The changes in their policies and their relationship with the people
[7]
Association had grown out of the Hindu Literary Society .
founded in 1830 [1]. Majority of the Madras Native The Association had a fluctuating existence from about 1862
Association members belonged to the affluent commercial till the inception of the Madras Mahajana Sabha in May 1884.
group. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty and Srinivasa Pillai Henceforth it gradually faded out of political existence.
belonged to this category. Among others who represented the Although it is very difficult to assess the causes for the demise
Madras Native Association were the rich mirasudar of the Madras Native Association, the nature of its
C. Yagambaram Mudaliar and educated persons such as V. membership could be one of the principal causes for it
Sadagopah Charlu and V. Ramanuja Chari [2]. The Madras disappearance. The Madras Native Association consisted of
Native Association was sharply critical of the Company's rule. official and non-official members. The former group, perhaps,
The organization criticized the judicial, revenue, and public hindered the free functioning of the Madras Native
works and the revenue policies of the English East India Association. Moreover, the officials in the Association were
Company. Preparing and sending petitions directly to the not allowed to criticize the government beyond a certain limit
[8]
Parliament, organizing public meetings, lectures, and sending .
deputations and memorandums formed the chief mode of
agitation [3]. 3. Madras Mahajana Sabha
As they were critical of Company’s misrule, the need for the There were certain attempts at reviving the Madras Native
Crown to replace East India Company’s rule was felt and was Association in 1881 but in vain [9]. Hence prominent persons
duly represented for the first time the people of Madras even and the newly emerging leaders of Madras strongly felt the
before such decisions could be taken by the Parliament. It also need for a well-organized and well-coordinated forum that
did not spare the religious policy of the Company [4]. could be better than the now-defunct Madras Native
The Madras Native Association began to branch out by late Association to effectively voice the popular aspirations to the

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government. The outcome was the Madras Mahajana Sabha, as an example. He could never be the president of any Indian
which was inaugurated on 16 May 1884. Rangaiah Naidu was National Congress session. Nevertheless, the Sabha was
elected the first president of the Madras Mahajana Sabha and genuinely concerned about the welfare of the people but
continued this office till his death in 1902 [10]. remedial measures should be obtained from the colonial
During the inauguration of the Madras Mahajana Sabha, government within the rule of law. The Sabha never
Naidu said, “Many might wonder what was the need for a new outwardly expressed anger against the Raj. Nor did it conceive
sabha when Madras Native Association existed. Madras the idea of free India outside the British Empire. In matters of
Native Association consisted officials and non-officials, but social policy, Mahajana Sabha towed the line of the moderate
the new Sabha would consist of non-officials alone, so that the wing of the Congress [19].
grievances of the public would be represented fearlessly to the The social reform movement, started in Tamil Nadu by the
government.” [11] Western-educated Indians, did not result in a consensus
By arranging for periodical conferences, the Sabha departed among them. On the contrary, the Indians were divided as pro-
from the Madras Native Association’s agitational techniques. changers and no-changers for the intended government
It had a solid share in mooting, discussing and finalizing the reforms. Among the pro-changers, not only did G. Subramania
formation of the Indian National Congress. When the first Iyer stand head and shoulders above others in supporting and
Congress session was held in Bombay in 1885, nearly 21 advocating social reforms on platform and through press but
delegates went from Madras Presidency, of whom 8 were he actually practised what he preached [20].
from Madras City [12]. It is a matter of interest that In 1884, G.Subramania Iyer’s daughter of twelve was
G. Subramania Iyer, one of the members of the Sabha moved widowed before consummation. At this juncture, Iyer had to
the first resolution regarding the appointment of Royal take a hard decision of either braving the orthodox fury and
Commission to enquire into the working of Indian ostracism by remarrying his daughter or enforcing harsh
administration [13]. Another resolution related to the expansion widowhood on her. Iyer “could not face the life-long misery
of the local and Imperial legislative councils was seconded by of a daughter whom he loved as his own soul” and preferred
Iyer [14]. the risk of ex-communication. He performed the wedding at
The Sabha leaders kept the political tempo in Madras by Bombay in December 1889 during the fifth Congress
holding annual conferences of the Madras Mahajana Sabha gathering there. His happiness was, however, cut short by the
besides attending the annual conferences of the Indian reactionary attitude of his relatives, friends and servants. The
National Congress [15]. These conferences were conducted social stress had weighed so hard upon Iyer’s family that his
mainly to unite people from different parts of Madras [16]. In wife succumbed to the stress of social ostracism and died in
the fifth annual session of the Indian National Congress held April 1890 [21].
in Bombay in 1889, Madras contributed a substantial The elaborate structure of the Congress organization itself
contingent of 366 members. This was larger than the number collapsed. Between1886 and 1900, the Sabha lost close to half
of delegates from Madras present at the third annual session of of its membership. The membership declined from 607 in
the Congress held in Madras in 1887. 1885 to 267 by 1900. Further the working nature of the Sabha
The strong representation of Madras at the annual Congress was criticized by the press and the government.
sessions did not, however, last long. The next four sessions, at
Calcutta (1890), Nagpur (1891), Allahabad (1892), and 4. Conclusion
Lahore (1893), witnessed a much depleted attendance of 58, Dissolution of the Madras Native Association symbolized the
61, 38 and 31 respectively, from the Madras Presidency. This decline in the importance of the Hindu commercial elite in the
was perhaps a reflection of the bleak picture within the civic life of Madras. Propelled into prominence in the 1840s
Madras Mahajana Sabha in the years following the 1889 on the crest of the anti-missionary sentiment then prevailing in
Congress session. In fact, no significant activity was South India, this elite had given institutional expression to its
undertaken by the Sabha for several years and even its annual power by organizing the Madras Native Association.
conferences were suspended for a while [17]. However, as the anti-missionary feelings slowly subsided
The Madras Mahajana Sabha was established with a view to during the 1860s, the influence of this elite also waned and the
bringing to the notice of the British government the views of rival group of Madras Mahajana Sabha emerged to provide an
the Madras public as well as to represent correctly to the alternative focus of leadership in Madras Presidency.
government the needs of the people and to seek retribution for The Merchant community and zamindars of Madras showed
them. The founders of the Mahajana Sabha believed that such little active interest in politics. It was the professional elite,
measures would ultimately improve the condition of the particularly lawyers and journalists, who were playing a major
people. The Sabha in its infant stage drew its sustenance role in the politics. The members of the Madras Mahajana
mainly from the metropolitan city of Madras. However, it Sabha lost their focus due to their controversial stand on the
soon succeeded in bringing the mofussil members also into its question of social reforms. Moreover, there were factional
fold [18]. conflicts among the members of the Madras Mahajana Sabha.
The Madras Mahajana Sabha by and large followed the Despite their weaknesses and limitations, the Madras
directions of the Indian National Congress and never violated Mahajana Sabha and the district associations formed in the
latter's methods of approach to political issues. The 1890s provided a strong base for the nationalist politics in
individuals in the Sabha who acted in violation of this code of Tamil Nadu. Thus, the formation of the Madras Mahajana
conduct were sidelined irrespective of the popularity they Sabha symbolized the crystallization of anti-colonial
might have been enjoying. G. Subramania Iyer can be shown consciousness in an institutional form.

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5. Reference
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2. Suntharalingam R. Politics and Nationalist Awakening in
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3. Ibid, 49.
4. Baliga BS. Studies in Madras Administration, Madras,
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6. Ibid, 242-244.
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Lalitha Publications, 1997, 49.
14. Ibid, 61.
15. Rajendran N. National Movement in Tamil Nadu Op.cit,
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18. Rajendran N. Agitational Politics and Methods of Mass
Political Mobilisation, Op. cit, 502.
19. Madras Mahajana Sabha Centenary Celebrations Special,
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1905-1914, 16.

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