SOCIO-POLITICAL MOVEMENTS IN TN

Ramalinga Adigal
1. Ramalinga Adigal Popularly known as Vallalar.
2. Vallalar’s Period: 1823-1874
3. Vallalar’s Born in Marudhur, a village near Chidambaram.
4. Vallalar’s Parents: Ramaiya Pillai and Chinnamaiyar.
5. Developing a deep interest in spiritual life, Vallalar moved to Karunguzhi in 1858 a place near
Vadalur, where the saint later settled down.
6. Vallalar sang, “Whenever I saw a withered crop, I withered.”
7. Showing compassion and mercy on all living beings including plants he called it as Jeevakarunya.
8. Vallalar established the Samarasa Vedha Sanmarga Sangam in 1865.
9. Vallalar was renamed as Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Satya Sanga in 1872.
10. Vallalar established the Sathya Dharma Salai at Vadalur, where he began to feed poor people
especially in the context of the 1860s famine and pestilence irrespective of caste and creed in
1867.
11. Vallalar On 25 January 1872, he opened the “Sathya Gnana Sabha” at Vadalur (Hall of True
Wisdom Forum) and ensured it was entirely secular
12. Vallalar composed 5818 poems teaching universal love and peace compiled into ‘Six Thiru
Muraigal’ which are all available today as a single book called Thiruvarutpa.
13. Vallalar Another work of him is the Manumurai Kanda Vasagam describing the life of Manu
Needhi Cholan.
14. Publications by Vallalar
• Chinmaya Deepikai
• Olivilotukkam
• Thondai mandala sadhagam
15. Vallalar says One of the primary teachings of Valallar is “Service to Living Beings is the path of
Liberation/ Moksha”
16. Vallalar insisted on the idea that God is one.
17. Vallalar says
A. Do not make good minds tremble.
B. Do not stop the donor.
C. Do not betray heartfelt friendship.
D. Do not make the stomachs of the poor burn.
E. Don’t ignore the Words of Mother and father.
F. Do not lie for the desire of object.
G. Help those who are hungry.
H. Contribute what you are capable for helpless.
I. Do not hesitate to worship the Guru.
J. Do not destroy the Green Trees.

Iyothee Thassar
18. Iyothee Thassar was born in Thousand Lights, Madras.
19. Iyothee Thassar original name is Kathavarayan.
20. Iyothee Thassar was called as Father of South Indian Social Reform.
21. Iyothee Thassar was a Radical Tamil scholar, writer, siddha medicine practitioner, journalist and
socio-political activist.
22. Iyothee Thassar was fluent in Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Pali languages.
23. Iyothee Thassar in 1870, organized the “Todas” and other tribes of Nilgiris into a formidable force.
24. Iyothee Thassar in 1876, established Advaidananda Sabha to raise the voice for the temple entry
of the “Untouchables”.
25. In 1882, John Rathinam and Iyothee Thassar established “Dravida Kazhagam”.
26. In 1885, Iyothee Thassar launched a magazine called “Dravida Pandian”.
27. In 1891 he established Iyothee Thassar “Dravida Mahajana Sabha” and organized the First
Conference of the association at Nilgiris.
28. During 1891 census Iyothee Thassar urged Scheduled caste people to register themselves as
“Casteless Dravidians”.
29. Iyothee Thassar established Paraiyar Mahajana Sabha in 1891 along with Rettaimalai Srinivasan.
30. Iyothee Thassar attended Madras Mahajana Sabha meeting in 1892 as a representative of Nilgiris
district and Submitted a 10-point demands.
31. Influenced by the Theosophist Organizer H.S. Olcott, he went to Sri Lanka in 1898 and converted
to Buddhism.
32. Iyothee Thassar 1898 established the “Sakya Buddhist Society” in Madras with branches all over
South India.
33. Iyothee Thassar was also known as the “Indian Buddhist Association” and was established in the
year 1898.
34. Iyothee Thassar started a Weekly journal “Oru Paisa Tamilan” in 19th June 1907 and Royapet as
its headquarters and sold it to quarter Ana (Every Wednesday).
35. Oru Paisa Tamilan renamed as Tamilan from 1908 until his death.
36. Buddhist Principles, Government News, Women Education, Weather Report, Commodities Price,
Awareness News were published.
37. Oru Paisa Tamilan gave importance to “Women Education”.
Vaikunda Swamigal
38. He was born at Sastha kovilvilai, the present Samithoppu near Kanyakumari.
39. Original name was Mudichudum Perumal.
40. Vaikunda Swamigal name was changed to Muthukutty by his Parents due to objections raised by
upper-caste Hindus.
41. In 1833 he commenced his meditation at Samithoppu for the abolition of caste differences and
social integration of the Society.
42. Vaikunda Swamigal criticized the British rule and the Rajah of Travancore’s rule as the rule of the
White devil and Black devil respectively.
43. Vaikunda Swamigal was arrested and jailed by the Raja of Travancore for his “seditious speeches”.
44. When Vaikunda Swamigal was released from jail (1838) he became more popular among the
people.
45. Vaikunda Swamigal followers called him Ayya (father) and his cult came to be known as Ayya
Vazhi (path of the father).

Rettaimalai Srinivasan
46. Rettaimalai Srinivasan (1859–1945), popularly known as Grandpa (Thatha), was born in 1859 at
Kanchipuram.
47. Rettaimalai Srinivasan was honoured with such titles as
• Rao Sahib (1926),
• Rao Bahadur (1930) and
• Divan Bahadur (1936) for his selfless social services.
48. Rettaimalai Srinivasan autobiography, Jeeviya Saritha Surukkam (A Brief Autobiography),
published in 1939, is one of the earliest autobiographies.
49. Rettaimalai Srinivasan founded the Adi Dravida Mahajana Sabha in 1893.
50. A close associate of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, he participated in the first and second Round Table
Conferences held in London (1930 and 1931) and voiced the opinions of the marginalised sections
of the society.
51. Rettaimalai Srinivasan was a signatory to the Poona Pact of 1932.

Mylai Chinnathambi Raja
52. Mylai Chinnathambi Raja was popularly known as M.C. Rajah.
53. Mylai Chinnathambi Raja was fondly called “Perunthalaivar”.
54. 1916, M.C. Rajah became the Secretary of the Adi-Dravida Mahajana Sabha.
55. In 1922, Rajah passed a resolution demanding that the terms Paraiya and Panchama should be
dropped from official usage and instead be substituted with Adi-Dravida and Adi-Andhra.
56. M.C. Rajah founded the “All India Depressed Classes Association” at Nagpur in 1928, and he was
its long-time Leader
57. The ‘Rajah-Moonje Pact’ (R-MP) was signed in early 1932 between Dr. B.S.Moonje and M.C.Rajah.
58. It was announced in February 1932 amidst a raging controversy on the appropriate means of
ensuring representation to the Depressed Classes in the provincial legislatures.
59. The Rajah-Moonje Pact was the first-ever agreement on Reservations and a joint electorate
between Caste Hindus and the Depressed Classes.
60. Rajah published “Kindergarten Room” a kindergarten textbook With R.Ranganayaki Ammal.

Parithimar Kalaignar
61. V.G.Suryanarayana Sastri(1870-1903) was fondly called Parithimar Kalaignar.
62. Parithimar Kalaignar was one of the earliest scholars to identify the influence of Sanskrit on Tamil
and adopted a pure Tamil name for himself.
63. Parithimar Kalaignar was first to argue that Tamil is a classical language, and demanded that the
University of Madras should not call Tamil a vernacular language.
64. Influenced by Western literary models, Parithimar Kalaignar introduced the sonnet form in Tamil.
Maraimalai Adigal
65. Maraimalai Adigal is considered the father of Tamil linguistic purism.
66. Maraimalai Adigal was the founder of Tani Tamil Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement).
67. Maraimalai Adigal wrote commentaries on the Sangam texts, Pattinappalai and Mullaipattu.
68. As a young man, Maraimalai Adigal worked in a journal, Siddhanta Deepika.

Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar
69. Dr.Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar was born on 30th July 1886 in Pudukottai.
70. Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar was the first woman in India to get a degree in Medicine.
71. This resolution created space for women and thus facilitated Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar to become
the first woman legislator in India in 1926.
72. In 1930, Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar introduced in the Madras Legislative Council a Bill on the
“prevention of the dedication of women to Hindu temples in the Presidency of Madras”.
73. The Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act 1947 was enacted by the government.
74. In 1930, she organised the All India Women Conference at Pune.
75. Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar was the president of the Indian Woman Association from 1933 to 1947.
76. Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar also started Avvai Illam, an Orphanage at Santhome in Madras.
77. Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar started Cancer Relief hospital in 1949.
78. The cancer institute at Adyar was started due to Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar good efforts.
79. Our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation for that institute.

Dharmambal
80. Dr. S. Dharmambal Born at Karunthattankudi near Thanjavur.
81. Dr. S. Dharmambal studied Siddha medicine and started a hospital in Chennai.
82. Dr. S. Dharmambal Started “Manavar Mandram” to make the students to improve their Tamil
knowledge and to score good marks in Tamil.
83. Appreciating her service to Tamil Language and literature, she has conferred the title “Veera
Tamilannai”.
84. She gave the title “Periyar” to E.V.Ramasamy and “Ealisai Mannar” to M.K.Thiyagaraja
Bhagavathar.

Moovalur Ramamirtham
85. Moovalur Ramamirtham was a revolutionary who fought for the cause of both freedom and
Social Reforms.
86. Moovalur Ramamirtham was born in 1883 in Thiruvarur but was brought up in Moovalur, a village
near Mayiladudurai.
87. M.Singaravelar (1860 – 1946), was a pioneer in the labour movement activities in the Madras
presidency.

M.Singaravelar
88. M.Singaravelar advocated Buddhism in his early life.
89. M.Singaravelar organized the first-ever celebration of May Day in 1923.
90. M.Singaravelar founded the “Tanjore Sangitha Vidya Mahajana Sangam” in 1912, and it became
the kernel of the Tamil Isai Movement (Tamil Music Movement).
91. The first Tamil Isai Conference was held in 1943, to discuss the status of Tamil music.