M. A. Muthiah Chettiar - Revision history

GildaNolan0093: improved article

2026-03-27T15:20:19Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 20:50, 27 March 2026
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	{{~~EngvarB~~\|date=September 2014}}		{{Short description\|Indian banker and politician (1905-1984)}}
			{{Use Indian English\|date=September 2014}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=December 2018}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=December 2018}}
	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\| honorific-prefix =~~Raja<br /> Sir~~		\| honorific-prefix = RAJAH OF CHETTINAD
	\| name =~~Muttaiya Annamalai~~ Muthiah Chettiar		\| name = Rajah Sir M. A. Muthiah Chettiar
	\| image =MA Muthiah Chettiar ~~1987 stamp of India~~.jpg		\| image = Raja Muthiah Chettiar.jpg
	\| caption = ~~M. A.~~ Muthiah Chettiar ~~on a 1987 stamp of India~~		\| caption = Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar
	\| imagesize = ~~245px~~		\| imagesize =
	\| honorific-suffix =		\| honorific-suffix =
	\| office = Member of [[Constituent Assembly of India]]		\| office = Member of [[Constituent Assembly of India]]
	\| term_start = 9 December 1946		\| term_start = 9 December 1946
	\| term_end = 24 January 1950		\| term_end = 24 January 1950
	\| order1 = Minister of Education and Excise (Madras Presidency)		\| order1 = Minister of Education and Excise (Madras Presidency)
	\| term_start1 = 10 October 1936		\| term_start1 = 10 October 1936
	\| term_end1 = 14 July 1937		\| term_end1 = 14 July 1937
	\| governor1 = [[George Frederick Stanley]]		\| governor1 = [[George Frederick Stanley]]
	\| premier1 = [[Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili]],<br />[[P. T. Rajan]],<br />[[Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu]]		\| premier1 = [[Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili]],<br />[[P. T. Rajan]],<br />[[Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu]]
	\| predecessor1 = [[S. Kumaraswami Reddiar]]		\| predecessor1 = [[S. Kumaraswami Reddiar]]
	\| successor1 = [[P. Subbarayan]]		\| successor1 = [[P. Subbarayan]]
	\| birth_date =5 August 1905		\| birth_date = 5 August 1905
	\| birth_place =[[Kanadukathan]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]		\| birth_place = Chettinad Palace, [[Kanadukathan]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
	\| death_date ={{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1984\|05\|12\|1905\|08\|05}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1984\|05\|12\|1905\|08\|05}}
	\| death_place = [[Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]		\| death_place = Chettinad House, [[Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
	\| party = [[Justice Party (India)\|Justice Party]]		\| party = [[Justice Party (India)\|Justice Party]]
	\| children = [[M. A. M. Muthiah]],<br />[[M. A. M. Ramaswamy]]		\| children = [[M. A. M. Muthiah]],<br />[[M. A. M. Ramaswamy]]
			\| preceding2 = Incumbency
			\| successor2 = Abdul Hameed Khan
			\| office2 = Mayor Of [[Madras]]
			\| termstart2 = 8 March 1933
			\| termend2 = 1935
			\| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]](1973)
	}}		}}

	'''~~Raja Sir Muttaiya~~ Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar''' (5 August 1905~~ ~~– 12 May 1984) was an Indian banker, politician, philanthropist, ~~socialite~~ and cultural activist who served as [[List of mayors of Chennai\|Mayor of Madras city]] (1933) and Minister of Excise and Education (1936–37) in the provincial government of [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name=mayor>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203104408/http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080615440300.htm Tamil scholar honoured]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2005.</ref><ref name=mayor2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071127104059/http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/06/stories/2006080610330300.htm Awards presentation ceremony marks 102nd birth anniversary of Muthiah Chettiar]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2006.</ref> ~~He was holder of the hereditary title Kumar-rajah (1929–48) and later, [[Raja of Chettinad]] (1948–84).~~		{{Indian name\|Muthiah Chettiar\|Muttaiya Annamalai}}[[Sir]] '''Muthiah Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar''', [[Raja of Chettinad\|Rajah of Chettinad]] [[Order of the Star of India\|KCSI]] (5 August 1905 – 12 May 1984) better known as '''Rajah''' '''Sir Muthiah Chettiar''' was an Indian Industrialist, banker, politician, philanthropist, and cultural activist who served as First [[List of mayors of Chennai\|Mayor of Madras city]] (1933) and Minister of Excise and Education (1936–37) in the provincial government of [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name=mayor>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203104408/http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080615440300.htm Tamil scholar honoured]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2005.</ref><ref name=mayor2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071127104059/http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/06/stories/2006080610330300.htm Awards presentation ceremony marks 102nd birth anniversary of Muthiah Chettiar]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2006.</ref>

	Muthiah Chettiar's father [[Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar]] was also a famous educationist and ~~along with him he founded~~ the [[Annamalai University]] in the town of [[Chidambaram]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref name=stamp>[http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Color/Gray/DR.RAJAH%20SIR%20MUTHIAH%20CHETTIAR Dr. Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar – Biography on release of postal stamp on his honour]. Indianpost.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref> He was also the third [[Nagarathar\|Nattukottai Chettiar]] to be [[knight]]ed; the first two were his nephew and father.<ref name=knight>Muthiah, S. (8 September 2003) [https://web.archive.org/web/20031021053117/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/08/stories/2003090800060300.htm A generation apart]. ''The Hindu''.</ref> The government of Tamil Nadu honoured him with the title ''Tamil Isai Kavalar''.<ref name=stamp/><ref name=award/>		Muthiah Chettiar was holder of the hereditary title Kumar-rajah (1929–48) and later, [[Raja of Chettinad\|Rajah of Chettinad]] (1948–84).

			His father [[Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar]] was also a famous educationist and founder of the [[Annamalai University]] in the town of [[Chidambaram]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="stamp">[http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Color/Gray/DR.RAJAH%20SIR%20MUTHIAH%20CHETTIAR Dr. Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar – Biography on release of postal stamp on his honour]. Indianpost.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref> He was also the third [[Nagarathar\|Nattukottai Chettiar]] to be [[knight]]ed; the first two were his nephew and father.<ref name="knight">Muthiah, S. (8 September 2003) {{usurped\|[https://web.archive.org/web/20031021053117/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/08/stories/2003090800060300.htm A generation apart]}}. ''The Hindu''.</ref> The government of Tamil Nadu honoured him with the title ''Tamil Isai Kavalar''.<ref name="stamp" /><ref name="award" />

	==Early life==		==Early life==
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	==As a banker==		==As a banker==
	He became a member of the Madras Legislative Council, representing the South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with which he was associated for 50 years, and was elected its President in 1941. He was appointed member of the Provincial Banking Enquiry Committee (1931). In 1929, he became a member of the Corporation of Madras and was elected mayor in 1933 and 1934. In 1943, he was elected president of the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry. He was associated with the Imperial Bank of India (now the [[State Bank of India]]) and the [[Indian Bank]].<ref name=stamp/>		He became a member of the [[Madras Legislative Council]], representing the [[Southern Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry\|South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry]], with which he was associated for 50 years, and was elected its President in 1941. He was appointed member of the Provincial Banking Enquiry Committee (1931). In 1929, he became a member of the Corporation of Madras and was elected mayor in 1933 and 1934. In 1943, he was elected president of the [[Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry\|Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry]]. He was associated with the [[Imperial Bank of India]] (now the [[State Bank of India]]) and the [[Indian Bank]].<ref name=stamp/>

	==As an educationist==		==As an educationist==
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	==Awards and legacy==		==Awards and legacy==
	He was [[Knight Bachelor\|knighted]] in the ~~1941~~ [[King's Birthday Honours]], and was invested by the [[Viceroy of India]] on 24 June 1941.<ref>{{London Gazette\|issue=35184 \|supp=y\|page=3282\|date=6 June 1941}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette\|issue=35241 \|supp=y\|page=4565\|date=8 August 1941}}</ref> He also had the rare honour of hosting a lunch in the Chettinad House for [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and the [[Duke of Edinburgh]]. The government of India bestowed on him [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1973,<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web\|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf \|title=Padma Awards \|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India \|date=2015 \|access-date=21 July 2015 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://~~www~~.~~webcitation~~.org/~~6U68ulwpb?url=~~http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf \|archive-date=15 ~~November 2014~~ }}</ref> and the Tamil Nadu government honoured him with the "Tamil Isai Kavalar" title in 1979. New York World University awarded an honorary doctorate to him in 1982.<ref name=mayor2/> He died on 12 May 1984 in Madras leaving an impressive record of interests and achievements. The Indian government honoured him with a postal stamp issued on his memory on 21 December 1987.<ref name=stamp/>		He was [[Knight Bachelor\|knighted]] in the [[1941 King's Birthday Honours]], and was invested by the [[Viceroy of India]] on 24 June 1941.<ref>{{London Gazette\|issue=35184 \|supp=y\|page=3282\|date=6 June 1941}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette\|issue=35241 \|supp=y\|page=4565\|date=8 August 1941}}</ref> He also had the rare honour of hosting a lunch in the Chettinad House for [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh\|Duke of Edinburgh]]. The government of India bestowed on him [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1973,<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web\|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf \|title=Padma Awards \|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India \|date=2015 \|access-date=21 July 2015 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf \|archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> and the Tamil Nadu government honoured him with the "Tamil Isai Kavalar" title in 1979. New York World University awarded an honorary doctorate to him in 1982.<ref name=mayor2/> He died on 12 May 1984 in Madras leaving an impressive record of interests and achievements. The Indian government honoured him with a postal stamp issued on his memory on 21 December 1987.<ref name=stamp/>

	==References==		==References==
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	[[Category:1905 births]]		[[Category:1905 births]]
	[[Category:1984 deaths]]		[[Category:1984 deaths]]
	[[Category:Tamil Nadu ~~politicians~~]]		[[Category:Politicians from Tamil Nadu]]
	[[Category:Indian bankers]]		[[Category:Indian bankers]]
	[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]		[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
	[[Category:Mayors of Chennai]]		[[Category:Mayors of Chennai]]
	[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in trade and industry]]		[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in trade and industry]]
	[[Category:Indian ~~knights]]~~		[[Category:Indian Knights Bachelor]]
	~~[[Category:~~Knights Bachelor]]		[[Category:Academic staff of Annamalai University]]
	[[Category:Annamalai University ~~faculty~~]]
	[[Category:Businesspeople from Chennai]]		[[Category:Businesspeople from Chennai]]
	[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]		[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
	[[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]		[[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]

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← Older revision		Revision as of 23:54, 24 October 2021
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	\| office = Member of [[Constituent Assembly of India]]		\| office = Member of [[Constituent Assembly of India]]
	\| term_start = 9 December 1946		\| term_start = 9 December 1946
	\| term_end = 24 January 1950		\| term_end = 24 January 1950
	\| order1 = Minister of Education and Excise (Madras Presidency)		\| order1 = Minister of Education and Excise (Madras Presidency)
	\| term_start1 = 10 October 1936		\| term_start1 = 10 October 1936
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	\| successor1 = [[P. Subbarayan]]		\| successor1 = [[P. Subbarayan]]
	\| birth_date =5 August 1905		\| birth_date =5 August 1905
	\| birth_place =[[Kanadukathan]],~~<br />~~ [[~~Madura District (~~Madras Presidency~~)\|Madura District~~]],~~<br />~~ [[~~Madras Presidency~~]]		\| birth_place =[[Kanadukathan]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
	\| death_date ={{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1984\|05\|12\|1905\|08\|05}}		\| death_date ={{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1984\|05\|12\|1905\|08\|05}}
	\| death_place = [[Madras]],~~<br />~~[[India]]		\| death_place = [[Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
	\| party = [[Justice Party (India)\|Justice Party]]		\| party = [[Justice Party (India)\|Justice Party]]
	\| children = [[M. A. M. Muthiah]],<br />[[M. A. M. Ramaswamy]]		\| children = [[M. A. M. Muthiah]],<br />[[M. A. M. Ramaswamy]]
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	'''Raja Sir Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar''' (5 August 1905 – 12 May 1984) was an Indian banker, politician, philanthropist, socialite and cultural activist who served as [[List of mayors of Chennai\|Mayor of Madras city]] (1933) and Minister of Excise and Education (1936–37) in the provincial government of [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name=mayor>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203104408/http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080615440300.htm Tamil scholar honoured]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2005.</ref><ref name=mayor2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071127104059/http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/06/stories/2006080610330300.htm Awards presentation ceremony marks 102nd birth anniversary of Muthiah Chettiar]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2006.</ref> He was holder of the hereditary title Kumar-rajah (1929–48) and later, [[Raja of Chettinad]] (1948–84).		'''Raja Sir Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar''' (5 August 1905 – 12 May 1984) was an Indian banker, politician, philanthropist, socialite and cultural activist who served as [[List of mayors of Chennai\|Mayor of Madras city]] (1933) and Minister of Excise and Education (1936–37) in the provincial government of [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name=mayor>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203104408/http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080615440300.htm Tamil scholar honoured]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2005.</ref><ref name=mayor2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071127104059/http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/06/stories/2006080610330300.htm Awards presentation ceremony marks 102nd birth anniversary of Muthiah Chettiar]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2006.</ref> He was holder of the hereditary title Kumar-rajah (1929–48) and later, [[Raja of Chettinad]] (1948–84).

	Muthiah Chettiar's father [[Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar]] was also a famous educationist and along with him he founded the [[Annamalai University]] in the town of [[Chidambaram]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref name=stamp>[http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Color/Gray/DR.RAJAH%20SIR%20MUTHIAH%20CHETTIAR Dr. Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar – Biography on release of postal stamp on his honour]. Indianpost.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref> He was also the third [[Nagarathar\|Nattukottai Chettiar]] to be [[knight]]ed; the first two were his nephew and father.<ref name=knight>Muthiah, S. (8 September 2003) [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/08/stories/2003090800060300.htm A generation apart]. ''The Hindu''.</ref> The government of Tamil Nadu honoured him with the title ''Tamil Isai Kavalar''.<ref name=stamp/><ref name=award/>		Muthiah Chettiar's father [[Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar]] was also a famous educationist and along with him he founded the [[Annamalai University]] in the town of [[Chidambaram]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref name=stamp>[http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Color/Gray/DR.RAJAH%20SIR%20MUTHIAH%20CHETTIAR Dr. Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar – Biography on release of postal stamp on his honour]. Indianpost.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref> He was also the third [[Nagarathar\|Nattukottai Chettiar]] to be [[knight]]ed; the first two were his nephew and father.<ref name=knight>Muthiah, S. (8 September 2003) [https://web.archive.org/web/20031021053117/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/08/stories/2003090800060300.htm A generation apart]. ''The Hindu''.</ref> The government of Tamil Nadu honoured him with the title ''Tamil Isai Kavalar''.<ref name=stamp/><ref name=award/>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
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	[[Category:Annamalai University faculty]]		[[Category:Annamalai University faculty]]
	[[Category:Businesspeople from Chennai]]		[[Category:Businesspeople from Chennai]]
	~~[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]~~
	[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]		[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
	[[Category:20th-century philanthropists]]		[[Category:20th-century Indian philanthropists]]

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{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =Raja Sir
| name =Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar
| image =MA Muthiah Chettiar 1987 stamp of India.jpg
| caption = M. A. Muthiah Chettiar on a 1987 stamp of India
| imagesize = 245px
| honorific-suffix =
| office = Member of [[Constituent Assembly of India]]
| term_start = 9 December 1946
| term_end = 24 January 1950
| order1 = Minister of Education and Excise (Madras Presidency)
| term_start1 = 10 October 1936
| term_end1 = 14 July 1937
| governor1 = [[George Frederick Stanley]]
| premier1 = [[Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili]], [[P. T. Rajan]], [[Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu]]
| predecessor1 = [[S. Kumaraswami Reddiar]]
| successor1 = [[P. Subbarayan]]
| birth_date =5 August 1905
| birth_place =[[Kanadukathan]], [[Madura District (Madras Presidency)|Madura District]], [[Madras Presidency]]
| death_date ={{Death date and age|df=yes|1984|05|12|1905|08|05}}
| death_place = [[Madras]], [[India]]
| party = [[Justice Party (India)|Justice Party]]
| children = [[M. A. M. Muthiah]], [[M. A. M. Ramaswamy]]
}}

'''Raja Sir Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar''' (5 August 1905 – 12 May 1984) was an Indian banker, politician, philanthropist, socialite and cultural activist who served as [[List of mayors of Chennai|Mayor of Madras city]] (1933) and Minister of Excise and Education (1936–37) in the provincial government of [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name=mayor>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203104408/http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080615440300.htm Tamil scholar honoured]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2005.</ref><ref name=mayor2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071127104059/http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/06/stories/2006080610330300.htm Awards presentation ceremony marks 102nd birth anniversary of Muthiah Chettiar]. ''The Hindu''. 6 August 2006.</ref> He was holder of the hereditary title Kumar-rajah (1929–48) and later, [[Raja of Chettinad]] (1948–84).

Muthiah Chettiar's father [[Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar]] was also a famous educationist and along with him he founded the [[Annamalai University]] in the town of [[Chidambaram]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref name=stamp>[http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Color/Gray/DR.RAJAH%20SIR%20MUTHIAH%20CHETTIAR Dr. Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar – Biography on release of postal stamp on his honour]. Indianpost.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref> He was also the third [[Nagarathar|Nattukottai Chettiar]] to be [[knight]]ed; the first two were his nephew and father.<ref name=knight>Muthiah, S. (8 September 2003) [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/09/08/stories/2003090800060300.htm A generation apart]. ''The Hindu''.</ref> The government of Tamil Nadu honoured him with the title ''Tamil Isai Kavalar''.<ref name=stamp/><ref name=award/>

==Early life==
He was born on 5 August 1905, son of Dr. Rajah [[Sir Annamalai Chettiar]], the [[Raja of Chettinad]] and a distinguished member of the [[Nagarathar|Nattukottai Nagarathar]] community. He studied mostly in [[Madras]], graduating from the [[Presidency College, Chennai]] in 1922. He then went to [[Burma]] on his family's business, acquiring expertise in banking.<ref name=stamp/>

==As a banker==
He became a member of the Madras Legislative Council, representing the South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with which he was associated for 50 years, and was elected its President in 1941. He was appointed member of the Provincial Banking Enquiry Committee (1931). In 1929, he became a member of the Corporation of Madras and was elected mayor in 1933 and 1934. In 1943, he was elected president of the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry. He was associated with the Imperial Bank of India (now the [[State Bank of India]]) and the [[Indian Bank]].<ref name=stamp/>

==As an educationist==
Interest in education was part of the family heritage. He was associated with his father in making Sri Meenakshi College, Chidambaram the nucleus of [[Annamalai University]]. While pursuing his political career as Chief Whip and Legislative Assembly Chairman of the [[Justice Party (India)|Justice Party]], he retained his interest in education. In 1936 he was appointed Minister-in-Charge of education, Public Health and Excise, and was also the pro-Chancellor of [[Madras University]] for over a year. He remained on the Board of Management of the Pachaiyappa's Charities for 33 years. He was also on the Syndicate of the Madras University and the Board of Management of the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Madras]]. In 1948 he became Pro-Chancellor of Annamalai University which expanded to include the faculties of Education, Fine Arts, Culture, Law and Medicine. Two UGC centres of advanced study in [[marine biology]] and [[linguistics]] came into being. The Engineering and Technology Department developed into a post-graduate centre. The Muthiah Polytechnic, Annamalainagar, and the Annamalai Polytechnic, Chettinad, were established.<ref name=stamp/>

He was interested in the study of [[Tamil language]], [[Tamil literature|literature]], [[Tamil music|music]] and culture. His services to the Tamil cause earned him the title of ''Tamil Isai Kavalar''.<ref name=stamp/><ref name=award>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040820011445/http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/04/stories/2004080411370300.htm Encomiums on Raja Muthiah Chettiar – The Hindu]. Hindu.com (4 August 2004). Retrieved on 2018-12-10.</ref>

==In politics==
He earned the reputation of being a sensitive [[Member of Parliament|Parliamentarian]], [[impartial]] and balanced, as a leader of the [[opposition (parliamentary)|opposition]] in 1939 and when he held charge of Local Administration and [[Hindu]] Religious Endowments. He was the first Mayor of Chennai (then called Madras) when the mayoralty was reinstated for the [[Corporation of Chennai]] in 1933.<ref>[http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/annamalai.htm Dr. Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar – 100 Tamils of the 20th Century]. Tamilnation.org. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref> The mayoralty had been earlier removed in 1792, when the act made Madras a municipality.<ref>Muthiah, S. (16 August 2004) [https://web.archive.org/web/20040829234410/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/08/16/stories/2004081600230300.htm The first Mayor]. ''The Hindu''.</ref> In 1946 he was elected member of the Constituent Assembly at New Delhi.<ref name=stamp/>

==Awards and legacy==
He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the 1941 [[King's Birthday Honours]], and was invested by the [[Viceroy of India]] on 24 June 1941.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35184 |supp=y|page=3282|date=6 June 1941}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35241 |supp=y|page=4565|date=8 August 1941}}</ref> He also had the rare honour of hosting a lunch in the Chettinad House for [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and the [[Duke of Edinburgh]]. The government of India bestowed on him [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1973,<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref> and the Tamil Nadu government honoured him with the "Tamil Isai Kavalar" title in 1979. New York World University awarded an honorary doctorate to him in 1982.<ref name=mayor2/> He died on 12 May 1984 in Madras leaving an impressive record of interests and achievements. The Indian government honoured him with a postal stamp issued on his memory on 21 December 1987.<ref name=stamp/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of mayors of Chennai|Mayor of Madras]]|before=None|after=[[W. W. Ladden]]|years=8 March 1933 – 7 November 1933}}
{{succession box|title=Mayor of Madras|before=W. W. Ladden|after=[[Abdul Hameed Khan]]|years=1934–1935}}
{{s-end}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}

{{Chettinad Villages}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muthiah Chettiar, M A}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu politicians]]
[[Category:Indian bankers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
[[Category:Mayors of Chennai]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in trade and industry]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Annamalai University faculty]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Chennai]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century philanthropists]]