imported>Onel5969: Adding short description: "Travancorean judge" (Shortdesc helper)

2021-05-15T15:33:09Z

Adding short description: "Travancorean judge" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{Short description|Travancorean judge}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = T. C. Poonen
| honorific-suffix = [[Esquire]]
| birth_date = {{birth year|1847}}
| birth_place = [[Kottayam]], [[Travancore]]
| death_date = {{death year|1901}}
| death_place = Travancore
| office1 = [[Kerala High Court#Judicial system in the Kingdom of Cochin|Zilla Court]], [[Kingdom of Cochin]]
| term_start1 = 1876
| term_end1 = 1894
| office2 = [[Sree Moolam Popular Assembly|Member of Legislative Council]]
| term_start2 = 1899
| term_end2 = 1901
| monarch2 = [[Moolam Thirunal|Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma]]
| nationality = [[British Raj|British Indian]]
| known_for = First Malayali to be educated in Britain<br/>Founder of the first wholly Travancore bank
}}
'''T. C. Poonen''' (1847–1901) was a Travancorean judge and Member of Legislative Council.
== Early life & education ==
Poonen was born into the [[Saint Thomas Anglicans|Saint Thomas Anglican]] family of Therakathu, in [[Kottayam]], [[Travancore]].{{sfn|Haridasan|2000|p=8}} He began schooling at the [[Church Missionary Society College High School|C.MS College School]] in Kottayam. In 1864, he matriculated from the Government Provincial School of [[Calicut]].{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=343}}

In 1869, he earned a BA from [[Presidency College, Madras]].{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=122}} The same year, he was awarded a government scholarship for higher studies and moved to [[England]].{{sfn|Mateer|1871|p=250}} T. C. Poonen has the distinction of being the first Malayalee to be educated in Britain.{{sfn|Chiriyankandath|1985|p=17}}{{sfn|Ward|2006|p=222}}

== Legal and business career ==
After qualifying as a lawyer, Poonen was called to the [[Bar of England and Wales]] from the [[Inner Temple]], in 1872.{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|pp=122,343}} However, he chose to return to Travancore.

In the nineteenth century, the high offices of Travancore government were reserved for high caste Hindus, because they were also required to supervise the temples and feeding houses (Oottu Puras) for Brahmins.{{sfn|Yandell|Paul|2013|pp=169–170}}{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=197}} So, T. C. Poonen was refused a government job, in accordance to his merit.{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=122}} Thus, for sometime, he practiced law, as a barrister, in [[Tellicherri]]. However, in 1876, he received posting as a judge, in the neighbouring [[Princely State of Cochin]].{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|pp=122,343}} He retired in 1894 and started the first wholly Travancore bank, in Kottayam. But, the bank failed.{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|pp=201,343}}

== Political career ==
In April 1898, leading Syrian Christians of all sects, formed the Travancore and Cochin Christian Association, to promote their interests and to deal with the discriminatory policies of the government. Barrister Poonen was its first President.{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=199}}{{sfn|Chiriyankandath|1985|p=17}} In 1899, T. C. Poonen succeeded K. K. Kuruvilla, as the only [[Saint Thomas Christians|Saint Thomas Christian]] representative to the Travancore Legislative Council (precursor to [[Sree Moolam Popular Assembly]]), constituted by [[Maharajah]] [[Moolam Thirunal|Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma]].{{sfn|Chiriyankandath|1985|p=72}}{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=343}}

Under the leadership of T. C. Poonen, the Travancore and Cochin Christian Association submitted a memorial to [[Dewan]] [[K. Krishnaswamy Rao]], demanding the dissociation of temple duties from executive offices, competitive exams for higher government posts and a more representative composition of administration.{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=204}}{{sfn|Chiriyankandath|1985|p=17}} As the Dewan wasn't sympathetic, the association approached [[Viceroy and Governor-General of India|Viceroy]] [[Lord Curzon]], on his visit to Travancore, in November 1900. But he declined to interfere in regional affairs.{{sfn|Jeffrey|1976|p=204}}{{sfn|Chiriyankandath|1985|p=17}}

T. C. Poonen died in 1901; but the causes that he and several of his contemporaries stood for, did not.{{sfn|Chiriyankandath|1985|p=75}} The various socio-political movements that began from late 19th century, transformed Travancore, and it's administration became much more inclusive and representative in the 20th century.{{sfn|Sadasivan|2000|pp=469–584}}{{sfn|Shaji|2017|pp=84–162}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Socio-Religious Reform Movement - Government of Kerala, India |url=https://kerala.gov.in/reform-movement |website=kerala.gov.in |publisher=Government of Kerala}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Chiriyankandath |first1=James Lazar |title=Social Change and the Development of 'modern' Politics in Travancore, from the Late Nineteenth Century to 1938 |date=1985 |publisher=[[SOAS University of London]] |pages=63–89,173,175,183 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jEX5DAEACAAJ |language=en |chapter=Part 1. Chapter 3. Communities: Social Reform and Identity}}
* {{cite book |last1=Jeffrey |first1=Robin |title=The Decline of Nayar Dominance: Society and Politics in Travancore, 1847-1908 |date=1976 |author1-link=Robin Jeffrey |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |isbn=978-0-7069-0486-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IE5dvgEACAAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mateer |first1=Samuel |title="The Land of Charity:": A Descriptive Account of Travancore and Its People, with Especial Reference to Missionary Labour |date=1871 |publisher=J. Snow and Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZGlzKB4S8NQC |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Ward |first1=Kevin |title=A History of Global Anglicanism |date=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-00866-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hQwU04vx98MC |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Yandell |first1=Keith E. |last2=Paul |first2=John J. |title=Religion and Public Culture: Encounters and Identities in Modern South India |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-81801-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v8UeAgAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Haridasan |first1=Valiyaveettil |title=Dr. John Matthai, 1886-1959: A Biography |date=2000 |publisher=Publication Division, University of Calicut |isbn=978-81-7748-008-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSgGkgAACAAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sadasivan |first1=S. N. |title=A Social History of India |date=2000 |author1-link=S. N. Sadasivan |publisher=APH Publishing |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-81-7648-170-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Be3PCvzf-BYC |language=en |chapter=X. Social Change: Its Dialectics and Dynamics}}
* {{cite book |last1=Shaji |first1=Dr. A |title=Politicisation of Caste Relations in a Princely State |date=2017 |publisher=Zorba Books |location=Gurgaon |isbn=978-93-87456-00-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pbZEDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}
{{Refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poonen, T. C.}}
[[Category:1847 births]]
[[Category:1901 deaths]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:Indian barristers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Malayali politicians]]
[[Category:Indian caste leaders]]
[[Category:Saint Thomas Christians]]
[[Category:Indian Anglicans]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:People of the Kingdom of Travancore]]

T. C. Poonen - Revision history

imported>Onel5969: Adding short description: "Travancorean judge" (Shortdesc helper)