S. Shungrasoobyer (1836–1904), also known as Sankara Subha Iyer or Sankara Stibbaiyar, was an Indian administrator who served as the Diwan of
Travancore State
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
from 1892 to 1898.
Early life
Shungrasoobyer was born in 1836 in
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
. His maternal grandfather was a
pundit of the Appeal Court. Shungrasoobyer had his schooling at the Rajah's Free School,
Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populatio ...
. On completion of his schooling in 1853, Shungrsoobyer joined the Travancore state service as a teacher on a monthly salary of Rs. 5.
Civil service
Shungrasoobyer's talents were spotted by the then
Diwan,
Sir T. Madhava Rao, who appointed him Deputy Sheristadar of Police. Shungrasoobyer served as the Director of Vernacular Education and as Boundary Commissioner, helped resolve a boundary dispute between Travancore and the
Kingdom of Cochin
The Kingdom of Cochin, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It commenced at the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until 1949, when monarchy wa ...
.
In 1882, Shungrasoobyer was appointed Settlement Diwan Peishkar of the Revenue Settlement by the then Diwan,
V. Ramiengar. He performed his job well, completing the settlement of Najanad, Trivandrum and Chirayinkil taluks. In 1888, Shungrasoobyer was nominated to the Travancore Legislative Assembly. he was ordered Sunday general holiday on 1894
Tenure as Diwan
Travancore was witnessing a movement for Dalit upliftment at the time Shungrasoobyer became Diwan in 1892. There was no representation for the low-caste Hindu
Ezhava
The Ezhavas () are a community with origins in the region of India presently known as Kerala, where in the 2010s they constituted about 23% of the population and were reported to be the largest Hindu community. They are also known as ''Ilhava'' ...
community in the Travancore Legislative Council, constituted in 1888. Hence, in 1895, the Ezhavas presented a memorial to the Diwan demanding more political representation. They received no substantive response.
Later life and death
Shungrasoobyer retired as Diwan in April 1898 on a monthly pension of Rs. 800. The Government of British India recognized his services by making him a
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:
#Knight Grand Commander (GCIE)
#Knight Commander ( KCIE)
#Companion ( CIE)
No appoi ...
. Sir
Arthur Havelock
Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock, (7 May 1844 – 25 June 1908) was a career British colonial governor, serving as Governor of Sierra Leone from 1880, of KwaZulu-Natal Province, Natal, of Madras, of Ceylon from 1890 to 1895, and of Tasmania from ...
, the
Governor of Madras
This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
English Agents
In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized b ...
, appointed him a non-official member of the
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council was the upper house of the former bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was init ...
.
Shungrasoobyer died in September 1904.
See also
*
Padmanabhan Palpu
Padmanabhan Palpu LMS, DPH (Cantab) FRIPH (London) (2 November 1863 – 25 January 1950) was the second public health doctor in Travancore and a social revolutionary, who become the chief medical officer of Mysore State. He was a member of the ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shungrasoobyer, S.
Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire
Diwans of Travancore
1836 births
1904 deaths
Members of the Madras Legislative Council