Sir Panaganti Ramarayaningar | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Raja of Panagal | |
| 2nd First Minister of the Madras Presidency | |
| In office 11 July 1921 – 3 December 1926 | |
| Governor | Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, Sir Charles George Todhunter (acting), |
| Preceded by | A. Subbarayalu Reddiar |
| Succeeded by | P. Subbarayan |
| In office 17 December 1920 – 3 December 1926 | |
| Premier | A. Subbarayalu Reddiar, Raja of Panagal |
| Governor | Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon Sir Charles George Todhunter (acting), |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | P. Subbarayan |
| Member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India | |
| In office 1912–1915 | |
| Monarch | George V of the United Kingdom |
| Governor‑General | Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 July 1866 Srikalahasti, (North Arcot District, Madras Presidency) (now Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh) |
| Died | 16 December 1928 (aged 62) Madras, (Now Chennai, Tamil Nadu) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Justice Party |
| Alma mater | Presidency College, Madras |
| Occupation | Legislator, First Minister |
| Profession | Statesman, lawyer |
Raja Sir Panaganti Ramarayaningar[1] KCIE (9 July 1866 – 16 December 1928), also known as the Raja of Panagal, was a zamindar of Kalahasti, a Justice Party leader and the First Minister of Madras Presidency from 11 July 1921 to 3 December 1926.[2]
Ramarayaningar was born in Srikalahasti, Chittoor district on 9 July 1866, and fostered in the Vadama Calamur family, whose pro-Brahmin, Mylapore clique influence and political moderation he would come to fiercely oppose. He was educated in Madras and obtained degrees in Sanskrit, law, philosophy and Dravidian languages before entering politics. He was one of the founder-members of the Justice Party and served as its President from 1925 to 1928.
From 17 December 1920 to 11 July 1921, Ramarayaningar served as the Minister of Local Self-Government in the first Justice Party government led by A. Subbarayalu Reddiar. He served as the First Minister of Madras Presidency from 11 July 1921 to 3 December 1926. He introduced a number of reforms during his tenure. The Thyagaraya Nagar locality in Chennai was developed during his First-Ministership. Ramarayaningar resigned as First Minister in 1926 when the Justice Party failed to obtain a majority in the 1926 elections to the Madras Legislative Council. He, however, continued to remain active in politics and served as the President of the Justice Party until his death on 16 December 1928. Serving a total of over 5 years, he remains the longest-serving First Minister in the Presidency era. Further, taking into account Madras Presidency's successor states of Madras and Tamil Nadu, he held the record as the longest-serving First Minister until the 6th of September 1959 (for almost 33 years), when Congress's K. Kamaraj overtook his 1,972-day record. With MGR, M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa overtaking Kamaraj's record, he is the 5th longest-serving First Minister of the state (throughout its various incarnations).
Ramarayaningar was regarded as an advocate of democracy and a staunch supporter of empowerment of the depressed classes. Historians generally attribute the decline of the Justice Party in the mid-1930s to the absence of charismatic leaders in the Justice Party following his death.
- ^ Great Britain India Office (1927). The India List and India Office List. London: Harrison and Sons. p. 216.
- ^ "List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 20 October 2008.