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{{Short description|Indian judge}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sir T. Muthuswamy Iyer
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1832|01|28}}
| image = T muthuswamy iyer.jpg
| caption = Portrait of T. Muthuswamy Iyer by [[Raja Ravi Varma]]
| birth_place = Uchivadi, Vadapathimangalam, [[British Raj|British India]]
| spouse =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1895|01|25|1832|01|28}}
| death_place = [[Madras]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| occupation = Lawyer, civil servant, administrator
}}

'''Sir Thiruvarur Muthuswamy Iyer''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=85%|KCIE}} (28 January 1832{{snd}}25 January 1895) was an Indian lawyer who, in 1877, became the first native Indian during the [[British Raj]] to be appointed as a judge of the [[Madras High Court|High Court of Madras]], and was briefly that court's acting [[Chief Justice]] in 1893.

On completion of his schooling, Muthuswamy served in subordinate posts in the civil service while continuing his education. Muthuswamy graduated in law from the [[Presidency College, Madras]] while serving as the [[magistrate]] of police and served as a judge in mofussil centres from 1871 to 1877, when he was appointed to the bench of the High Court of Madras. Muthuswamy served as a judge of the Madras High Court from 1877 till his death in 1895, acting as the Chief Justice for three months in 1893.

He advocated [[social reform]] and campaigned in support of women's education, widow remarriage and the legal recognition of ''[[sambandham]]'', collaborating closely with [[C. V. Runganada Sastri]] and [[R. Raghunatha Rao]]. In 1893, Muthuswamy was made a [[Order of the Indian Empire|Knight Commander of the Indian Empire]] in recognition of his services.

== Early life ==

Muthuswamy was born in a Brahmin family in Vuchuwadi, Madras Presidency, [[British Raj]] on 28 January 1832. Muthuswamy's father, Venkata Narayana Sastri, died when Muthuswamy was young and he moved with his mother to [[Thiruvarur]] to make a living. At Thiruvarur, Muthuswamy found employment as village accountant. However, his mother died soon afterward leaving Muthuswamy with little support. Around this time, Muthuswamy's talents were recognised by the ''tahsildar'' Muthuswamy Naicker who arranged for the former to study at Sir Henry Montgomery's school in Madras as a companion to his young nephew, and there he won prizes and scholarships year after year.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

== Legal career ==

On successfully passing the Pleader's Test, Muthuswamy was appointed District Munsiff of [[Tranquebar]]. On 2 July 1859, Muthuswamy was appointed Deputy Collector of Tanjore. On 9 July 1865, Ier was appointed Sub-Judge of [[South Canara]] and served till July 1868, when he was appointed District Magistrate of police at Madras.<ref name="Career_profile" />
[[File:T. Muthuswamy Iyer.jpg|left|thumb|A portrait of Sir T. Muthuswamy Muthuswamy]]
While serving as the magistrate of police, Muthuswamy obtained his law degree law from the Presidency College, Madras.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref name="Career_profile">{{harvnb|Lethbridge|2001|p=360}}</ref> He also held a degree in Sanskrit at that time.{{sfn|Yandell|Paul|2000|p=115}}

Muthuswamy commenced his legal career immediately after graduation. He was appointed a judge of the Court of Small Causes in 1871.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref name="Career_profile" /> He was made Fellow of [[Madras University]] the subsequent year.<ref name="Career_profile" /> In 1877, the Madras Government took the controversial decision to appoint him as the first Indian judge of the High Court of Madras.<ref name="subramania_iyer_bio">{{harvnb|Govindarajanb|1969|page=14}}</ref><ref name="madras_tercentenary">{{harvnb|Tercentenary Madras staff|1939|p=454}}</ref><ref name="high_court_report">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/lawday.pdf|title=Report of the High Court of Madras|access-date=19 July 2008}}</ref>

== Appointment to the bench of Madras High Court and controversy ==

In 1877, Muthuswamy was appointed to the bench of the High Court of Madras. He was the first Indian to be appointed to this post.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref name="high_court_report" /> However, Muthuswamy's appointment was condemned by a Madras newspaper called ''The Native Public Opinion''.<ref name="madras_tercentenary" /><ref name="tamil_nadu_press">
{{harvnb|Ganesan|1988|p=6}}</ref>{{sfn|Natarajan|1962|p=124}} This prompted a strong reaction from Indian nationalists who founded ''[[The Hindu]]'' newspaper to voice public opinion against the outrage.<ref name="subramania_iyer_bio" /><ref name="tamil_nadu_press" />

== Later career ==

Muthuswami served as a judge of the Madras High Court from 1877 to 1895. He acted for three months in 1893 as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, the first Indian to do so.{{sfn|Paramanand|1985|p={{page needed|date=July 2012}}}}

== Reforms ==

During his early career, Muthuswamy also served as the President of the ''Malabar Marriage Commission''. During his tenure as President of the Commission, he campaigned for the legal recognition of [[Sambandham]] and other forms of marriage practised in the [[Malabar (Northern Kerala)|Malabar]].{{sfn|Balakrishnan|1981|p=107}} In 1872, Muthuswamy established the Widow Remarriage Association in Madras and advocated remarriage of Brahmin widows.{{sfn|Anantha Raman|Vasantha Surya|2005|p=87}}

In 1872, he was nominated fellow of the Madras University. He became a [[syndic]] in 1877. He was also invited to attend the Coronation Durbar at [[Delhi]] in 1877.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

== Honours ==

In 1878, Muthuswami Iyer was created a [[Order of the Indian Empire|Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire]].<ref name="Career_profile" /> In 1893, he was knighted for his services to the Crown.{{sfn|Sanyal|1894|p={{page needed|date=July 2012}}}}

== Death ==

Muthuswami died in January 1895 after an illness of ten days.<ref name="The_Hindu_Speaks">{{cite book | title=The Hindu Speaks| year=1978| pages=53| publisher=Interpress}}</ref> On his death, [[S. Subramania Iyer|Sir S. Subramania Iyer]] took the seat in the bench of the Madras High Court left vacant by his death.{{sfn|Derrett|Duncan|1977|p=177}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}

== References ==
*{{cite book | last1=Anantha Raman| first1=Sita| last2=Vasantha Surya |first2=A. Mātavaiyā| year=2005| title=A. Madhaviah: A Biography and a Novel |pages=87 |publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=0195670213}}
*{{cite book|last=Balakrishnan |first=P. V. |year=1981 |page=107 |title=Matrilineal System in Malabar |publisher=Satyavani Prakashan}}
*{{cite book|first1=Martin |last1=Derrett |first2=John |last2=Duncan |year=1977 |title=Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yH8eAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA236 |pages=177 |publisher=BRILL| isbn=9004048081}}
*{{cite book|last=Ganesan |first=A. |year=1988 |title=The Press in Tamil Nadu and the Struggle for Freedom, 1917–1937 |pages=6 |publisher=Mittal Publications| isbn=8170990823}}
*{{cite book|last=Govindarajanb |first=S. A. |year=1969 |title=G. Subramania Iyer |publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India| page=14}}
*{{cite book|last=Lethbridge| first=Robert| year=2001 |title=The Golden Book of India| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hIPy0LpPm9oC&pg=PA360 |page=360 |publisher=Adamant Media Corporation |isbn=1402193289}}
*{{cite book|last=Natarajan |first=Swaminath |year=1962 |title=A history of the press in India |pages=124 |publisher=Asia Publishing House}}
*{{cite book |author=Paramanand |year=1985|title= Mahāmanā Madan Mohan Malaviya: An Historical Biography |publisher=Malaviya Adhyayan Sansthan, Banaras Hindu University|lccn=88902124|oclc=19269099}}
*{{Cite web|last=Pillai |first=P. Chidambaram |orig-year=1933 |year=2005
|url=http://www.evrperiyar-bdu.org/downloads/templeentry.pdf|title=The Right of Temple Entry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615010203/http://www.evrperiyar-bdu.org/downloads/templeentry.pdf |archive-date=15 June 2008 |pages=1, 2 |url-status=dead |access-date=30 December 2016}}
*{{cite book|last=Sanyal |first=Ram Copal |year=1894 |title=Reminiscences and Anecdotes of Great Men of India:Both Official and Non-Official |location=India|oclc=68179454}}
*{{cite book |author=Tercentenary Madras staff |year=1939 |title=Madras Tercentenary Celebration Committee Commemoration Volume| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pwMk4FIcpuUC&pg=RA1-PA454 |pages=454| publisher=Indian Branch, Oxford Press|isbn=9788120605374 }}
*{{cite news|last=V|first=Sriram |date=3 April 2012 |title=Hundred years of a statue|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3274235.ece|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 April 2012}}
*{{cite book|last1=Yandell |first1=Keith E. |last2=Paul |first2=John J. |year=2000 |title=Religion and Public Culture: Encounter and Identities in Modern India| publisher=Routledge| isbn=0-7007-1101-5 |page=115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3GuKnZTGG4C}}

'''Attribution:'''
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Aiyar, Sir Tiruvarur Mutuswamy|volume=1|page=451}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|title=Representative Indians|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.170003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.170003/page/n207 157]–172|year=1897|author=Govinda Parameswaran Pillai|publisher=Routledge}}
* {{cite DIB |wstitle=Aiyar, Sir Tiruvarur Mutusawmy |page=9|short=x}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyer, T. Muthuswamy}}
[[Category:1832 births]]
[[Category:1895 deaths]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Presidency College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:People from Tiruvarur district]]
[[Category:Chief justices of the Madras High Court]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:British India judges]]

T. Muthuswamy Iyer - Revision history

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