Three significant historical movements both catalyzed and exacerbated a great social churning and upheaval in Tamil Nadu — gradually at first but later increasingly during the course of decades following end-19th and beginning of the 20th century CE. Each of them left a deep and acute sense of impoverishment and disenfranchisement within the community ofContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedantins”: Part 37″
Tag Archives: Tenkalai
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-36
Between 1833 CE and 1874 CE the East India Company was itself going through the severe throes of winding up its governance over all its vast provinces in India. Meanwhile, it also tried its best to complete as soon and as smoothly as possible the process of transferring back to the Sri Vaishnavas of SouthContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-36″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantins”: Part-35
If the process of transfer of the control and administration of the Tirumala Temple by the East India Company-appointed Collector to the traditional custodians in the Sri Vaishnava community was messy and complex, that of the Kanchipuram Sri Varadarajaswamy Temple was bitterly rancorous and disputatious. The Tenkalai-s for long since the time of Sri AzhagiyaContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantins”: Part-35″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubhaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-34
Following a decree of the British Crown in London and an act of the Parliament there, the withdrawal of the East India Company from India began in the late 18th century CE and ended in 1859 CE when it was formally wound up. Consequently, the Company was forced to reverse and retreat from its policiesContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubhaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-34″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part 33
Fifty long years after Warren Hastings was sought to be impeached by the British Parliament in 1788 CE, the Royal Decree of 1833 of Queen Victoria in England, was passed to cut the East India Company to size. In the interregnum, the Napoleonic wars in Europe and the wars in India between the British andContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part 33″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s” – Part 32
The clash over Power and Legitimacy had always been what lay at the very heart of the Tenkalai and Vadakalai tussle in Kanchipuram. The tussle has already been explained in Part-12, and how it had always been over rights of ownership and oversight and the right to direct and manage all affairs and vast commonwealthContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s” – Part 32″
The sorry state of a Sri Vaishnava heritage site in Chennai Mylapore
A relative of mine who works for a leading newspaper in Chennai forwarded to me this morning — 18 August 2022 — the published report below : As a Sri Vaishnava I read the above news report and was deeply saddened by its contents. It made wonder why no religious organisation (muttams, charitable institution, volunteer-groupContinue reading “The sorry state of a Sri Vaishnava heritage site in Chennai Mylapore”
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-31
(D) Social Alienation and (E) Wealth dispossession As explained earlier in Part-27, throughout the 19th century CE under British Rule, the temples of the Hindus in South India were systematically drained off their wealth and revenues by the English administrators. It has been estimated that British colonial rule, with its destruction of Indian industry andContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-31″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part 30
Given the enervating zeitgeist of the 19th century CE as it prevailed all over South India; given the conditions of material and spiritual impoverishment of all temples across the Tamil country; and given the slow but steady deterioration suffered by Sri Vaishnava temples especially as they passed into the grip of the iron fists ofContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part 30″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-29
The seismic social changes that overcame, rocked, overwhelmed and which utterly demoralized the Sri Vaishnava community towards the end of 19th century, and early part of the 2oth, under British Rule can be described under broad categories below: A. Language B. Education and Employment C. Migration D. Cultural alienation E. Wealth dispossession ******************************** A. LANGUAGE:Continue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-29″