The Madras Literary Society is a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership m ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

(earlier called Madras),

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

which was founded in 1817 and in 1830 it became associated with the

Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS), was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the en ...

. It was founded by Sir

John Henry Newbolt Sir John Henry Newbolt (1769 - 22 January 1823) was an English judge who served as Chief Justice of Madras and was founder of the Madras Literary Society. He was Member of Parliament for Bramber for 1800–02. Biography Born at Winchester, John ...

, Chief Justice of Madras with Benjamin Guy Babington as the founder secretary. The Society produced a journal called the ''Transactions of the Literary Society of Madras'' and from 1833 under the name of ''

adras Mike Adras (born June 25, 1961) is an American college basketball coach. He most recently was the head men's basketball coach at Northern Arizona University. He was promoted from assistant coach after the 1998–99 season, when Ben Howland left ...

Journal of Literature and Science''. Most of the early members were Europeans and the first Indian to be admitted was Kavali Lakshmayya who worked with

Colin Mackenzie Colonel Colin Mackenzie CB (1754–8 May 1821) was Scottish army officer in the British East India Company who later became the first Surveyor General of India. He was a collector of antiquities and an orientalist. He surveyed southern India, ...

. The journal ceased publication in 1894. The journal published extensive researches on geology, meteorology, fauna, flora, culture and history. Some of the major contributors to the journal included Thomas C. Jerdon and Walter Elliot. The library run by the society in a red sandstone building in the Department of Public Instruction complex in

Nungambakkam Nungambakkam is a locality in downtown Chennai, India. The neighborhood abounds with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, educational institutions, shopping malls, sporting facilities, to ...

is the oldest functional public library in the city and one of the oldest in India. The

Government Museum, Chennai The Government Museum, Chennai, or the Madras Museum, is a museum of human history and culture located in the Government Museum Complex in the neighbourhood of Egmore in Chennai, India. Started in 1851, it is the second oldest museum in India af ...

started as an extension of the Madras Literary Society library in Nungambakkam before moving to the present premises in Pantheon Road,

Egmore Egmore is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Situated on the northern banks of the Coovum River, Egmore is an important residential area as well as a commercial and transportation hub. The Egmore Railway Station was the main terminus of the Ma ...

. In 1890, a major part of the library's book collection was moved to a new building in the same premises as the museum to form the

Connemara Public Library * The Connemara Public Library at Egmore in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is one of the four National Depository Libraries which receive a copy of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in India. Established in 1896, the library is a re ...

. The main library continues to exist in the premises of the DPI , taken care of by a dedicated committee members and patrons.

References

External links

Madras Journal of Literature and Science
* * {{authority control Scientific societies based in India 1817 establishments in India

See also

References

External links