Raja Narsa Goud (1866-1948) was a

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

known for his significant contributions to charities, especially those caring for people with

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

Biography

Raja Narsa Goud was born to a wealthy family in

Nizamabad district Nizamabad district is a district located in the north-western region in the Indian state of Telangana. The city of Nizamabad is the district headquarters.It was known as " Indur " which was supposed to have originated from the name of the King ...

in 1866. He was the youngest of three children. His elder brothers, Rama Goud and Lakshma Goud travelled and worked for the family excise business but Raja Narsa Goud mostly worked in Nizamabad. The three brothers became one of the richest families in

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...

Philanthropy

Goud made substantial contributions to charities, including those that supported other

castes Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

. He financed the construction of temples,

mosques A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...

and

dargahs A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...

, and facilities for the poor and for

Brahmins Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru o ...

in Kotagalli and Kanteshwar in Nizamabad. Goud paid for the construction of the first water tank in Nizamabad and for further plumbing works with Cheelam Janakibai, head of Sirnapalli. Dichpali Wellcome L0073323

Dichpalle Dichpalle is a village in Nizamabad district in the state of Telangana in 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, ...

, Goud donated 30 acres of land, and supported

Isabel Kerr Isabella Kerr (née Gunn; 30 May 1875 – 12 January 1932) was a Scottish medical missionary who worked in India in the early 20th-century. She created the Victoria Leprosy Centre in Hyderabad. She worked to cure leprosy in India. Early life an ...

and her husband to apply for funding from

Mir Osman Ali Khan Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 — 24 February 1967), was the last Nizam (ruler) of the Princely State of Hyderabad, the largest princely state in British India. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of ...

, to establish a leprosy centre. This was the first of its kind in India. During the sixth

Andhra Mahasabha Andhra Mahasabha (Telugu language, Telugu: ఆంధ్ర మహాసభ, IAST: ''Āndhra mahāsabha'') was a people's organisation in the erstwhile Hyderabad state of India. The organization spearheaded people's awareness and people's movemen ...

, held in Nizamabad in 1937, he arranged for thousands of meals for attendees, and for wells to be dug to hydrate travellers along the route from Mancharya to Nizamabad. He provided houses and sandals for the poor. Goud was instrumental in establishing the first

maternity hospital A maternity hospital specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides care for newborn infants, and may act as a centre for clinical training in midwifery and obstetrics. Formerly known as lying-in hospitals, most o ...

(Jajgikhana) in Nizamabad district. He was responsible also for setting up the first girls' school in the district.

Honours and legacy

Goud did not like publicity. Goud's son had installed a plaque in the maternity hospital stating that Narsa Goud had built it, but when Narsa Goud discovered this, he removed the plaque. Goud accepted the title of

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

, bestowed by

. King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

gave a medal to Goud during a 1930 visit, in recognition of his service to his community. The area where Goud lived is called Narsa Goud Kalani. Goud's granddaughter Bomma Hemadevi is a novelist and granddaughter R. Akhileshwari is known as the first female journalist in the area.

Death

Raja Narsa Goud died on 4 April 1948 at the age of 82. His death occurred during the

Standstill Agreement The term standstill agreement refers to various forms of agreement which businesses may enter into in order to delay action which might otherwise take place. A standstill agreement may be used as a form of defence to a hostile takeover, when a t ...

when

Razakars Razakar (رضا کار) is etymologically an Arabic word which literally means volunteer. The word is also common in Urdu language as a loanword. On the other hand, in Bangladesh, razakar is a pejorative word meaning a traitor or Judas. In Pakista ...

paramilitaries were active. Goud's family were nervous of taking his body to the crematorium for fear of encountering violence, but Muslims that they met along the way helped to carry Narsa Goud's body with them, in respect for Goud's support of people of different castes and creeds.

References

1948 deaths 1866 births Indian philanthropists {{DEFAULTSORT:Narsagoud, Raja