T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty

Rajadharma Pravina T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty CIE
Mr. Thumboo Chetty as District and Sessions Judge, Nundidroog Division
District and Sessions Judge Nandidroog Division
In office 1879–1884
Governors‑General	Sir Arthur Havelock, Lord Oliver Russell
Senior Member of the Council of His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore
In office 1881–1895
Monarchs	Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
Judge Chief Court of Mysore
In office 1884–1890
Monarch	Chamarajendra Wadiyar X
Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore
In office 1890–1895
Monarchs	Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
Senior Member of the Regency Council of Mysore of Her Highness the Regent Maharani.
In office 1895–1901
Monarchs	Maharani Kempa Nanjammani Devi, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
Acting Dewan of Mysore
In office 11 August 1900 – 18 March 1901
Monarch	Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
Preceded by	Sir K. Seshadri Iyer
Succeeded by	Sir P. N. Krishnamurti
Personal details
Born	Trichinopoly Rayalu Arakiaswamy Thumboo Chetty April 1837 Trichinopoly, Madras Presidency
Died	19 June 1907 Bengaluru, Kingdom of Mysore
Nationality	Indian
Spouse	Rajamma Thumboo Chetty (1848-1934)
Alma mater	Madras Christian College Presidency College, Chennai
Occupation	Public Servant, First Indian Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore, Offg. Dewan of Mysore
Profession	Dewan of Mysore, Justice

Trichinopoly Rayalu Arakiaswamy Thumboo Chetty (April 1837 – 19 June 1907) was an Indian lawyer, administrator, and statesman who was the acting dewan of Mysore and later the first Indian-born chief judge of the Chief Court of Mysore (now High Court of Karnataka).

Family

Thumboo Chetty was born in April 1837 to a Catholic family, apparently in Trichinopoly, to Desayi Royalu Chetty Garu, a chief bookkeeper in Griffith's and Co., in a mercantile firm, and Catherine Ummah, a woman of piety, mildness, courtesy and serenity. Thumboo Chetty's forebear, Gowri Koolapathi Kampal Naidu from Kottapalayam, originally practiced Hinduism. Kampal Naidu marked the initiation of Catholicism within the family when he converted to the Catholic faith through the efforts of Saint Francis Xavier in 1545. This historical event is documented in the initial Baptism Register of the Kottapalayam Church at Mettur in Salem District.

Thumboo Chetty was the sixth child in his family; he had three elder sisters and one younger brother and a sister, all of whom lived long enough to see his progress and advancement. He spent his early life in Black Town (now known as George Town), Madras.

Thumboo Chetty married Rajamma, daughter of Ponnoo Chettiar and Sinnammalle, Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Refuge, Pophan’s Broadway, Madras. The couple had four sons: T. Rayaloo Chetty, T. Dharma Raj Chetty, T. Sathya Raj Chetty, and T. Thumboo Chetty; and four daughters: Amarapatty Amma, Sathiavathy Amma, Dhanavathy Amma, and Baghavathy Amma. Thumboo Chetty's granddaughter (daughter of T. Thumboo Chetty) was the world-renowned violinist Philomena Thumboochetty.

Public office in Mysore Kingdom

Sir K. Seshadri Iyer was the dewan of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar. During his premiership, Thumboo Chetty officiated for him on three occasions, in 1890, later in 1892, and 1893.

References

• Royaloo Chetty, T. (1909). A Brief Sketch of the Life of T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty, C.I.E, Formerly Chief Judge and Officiating Dewan of Mysore. Hoe & Co.Madras.
• Duraisami, K.C. (1904). Raja Dharma Pravina T.R.A. Thumboo Chettiar, C.I.E. : A Short Sketch of His Life and his Career, in Tamil. Madras Literary Bureau.

External links

1. Tambu Chettiyar Charitram
2. History of the Church of Mary Magdalene Kottapalayam
3. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty.
4. Diwans take over.
5. Luminaries who presided over the High Court