Iyothee Thass Pandithar – Siddha Physician, Tamil Buddhist Revival, Oru Paisa Tamizhan (1907), Dravida Mahajana Sabha & Anti-Caste Reform | TNPSC Notes

Iyothee Thass Pandithar (Ayothidasa Pandithar, 1845–1914), born Kathavarayan in Madras, was a Siddha physician, Tamil scholar, journalist and social reformer who worked against caste and untouchability in the Madras Presidency. He founded the Advaitananda Sabha in the Nilgiris (1870s), the Dravida Mahajana Sabha (1891) and the Sakya Buddhist Society (1898), led the Tamil Buddhist revival after embracing Buddhism in Ceylon, and started the Tamil weekly Oru Paisa Tamizhan (1907), later renamed Tamilan. He argued that the oppressed castes were the original Tamils (Adi Tamilar) and ancient Buddhists, and is called the Father of Social Reform in South India.

தமிழில் படிக்க

These notes are written for TNPSC Group 1, 2/2A and 4 aspirants and are meant to be complete on their own. Iyothee Thass is a core topic in History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements of Tamil Nadu (social reform, the anti-caste movement, the roots of the Dravidian and Adi Dravidar movements). His Buddhist revival belongs with the socio-religious reform movements studied under History, Culture of India and Indian National Movement; the welfare scheme named after him comes under Development Administration in Tamil Nadu; and his journal and his books are also asked in General Tamil. Read each section, then use the tables, the quick revision table and the key points at the end.

Early Life, Family and Learning

• Born: 20 May 1845 in Madras (Chennai). Most accounts, including the Tamil Nadu Government's 2023 release, place his birth in the Teynampet–Thousand Lights area; some accounts give Royapettah, and a few give the Coimbatore region.
• Birth name: Kathavarayan.
• Family: a family of Siddha physicians. His grandfather Kandappan is said to have handed palm-leaf manuscripts, including the Thirukkural, to the British civil servant Francis Whyte Ellis (some accounts call Kandappan his father).
• Teacher and new name: his teacher was the Tamil scholar Iyothee Thass Kaviraja Pandithar, and he later took his teacher's name as his own. That is why he is known as Iyothee Thass / Ayothidasar.
• Languages: Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Pali.
• Profession: he practised Siddha medicine, the profession of his family.
• Name forms: Iyothee Thass, Iyothee Thassar, Ayothidasar, Ayothidasa Pandithar, Pandit Iyothee Thass.

Nilgiris Years and the Advaitananda Sabha

• He lived for many years in the Nilgiris (Udhagamandalam) and returned to Madras around 1893.
• In the 1870s he organised the Todas and other hill tribes of the Nilgiris.
• Advaitananda Sabha: he founded this organisation in the Nilgiris in 1870 (some accounts give 1876). It opposed caste discrimination and religious conversion.
• Dravida Pandian: with Rev. John Rathinam he brought out a Tamil magazine named Dravida Pandian (sources differ on the year; 1876 and 1885 are both given).

Census Demands: "Adi Tamilar" and "Not Hindus"

Iyothee Thass used the colonial census to raise the question of identity. His central argument was that the people kept outside the village and called "untouchable" were the original inhabitants of the Tamil land, and that caste had been imposed on them later.

• 1881 census: he submitted a petition that the depressed classes of the Tamil region be recorded as "Adi Tamilar" (original Tamils) and not as Hindus.
• 1886: he publicly declared that the so-called untouchables were not Hindus.
• Casteless Dravidians: he later urged them to record themselves in the census as "casteless Dravidians".
• He went on to argue that they were ancient Buddhists (Poorva Bauddhar) – the base of his later Buddhist movement.

Dravida Mahajana Sabha and the Ooty Conference (1891)

• Founded: 1891.
• First conference: held at Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Nilgiris, on 1 December 1891. It passed ten resolutions.
• Main demands: a law to punish the use of the word "Pariah" as an insult; schools and scholarships for depressed-class children; government jobs for the educated among them; representation in local bodies such as district and municipal boards.
• Rettamalai Srinivasan: the Dalit leader Rettamalai Srinivasan was his brother-in-law; both worked in the same years for the rights of the depressed classes, each with his own organisation.

Turning to Buddhism (1898)

Iyothee Thass came to believe that the depressed classes were descendants of Tamil Buddhists who had been pushed down when Buddhism declined. To return to that faith, he sought the help of Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, the American co-founder of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Madras, who also ran free schools for Panchama children.

• 1898 – journey to Ceylon: Olcott took Iyothee Thass and his associate Krishnasamy to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) as representatives of the Panchama community of Madras (some accounts give 1900).
• Initiation: the Sinhalese high priest Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala admitted them to Buddhism.
• Ambedkar comparison: Iyothee Thass embraced Buddhism in 1898 – 58 years before B. R. Ambedkar did so in 1956.

Sakya Buddhist Society (1898)

• Founded: 1898 at Royapettah, Madras, after his return from Ceylon. In Tamil it is known as the (Thennindhiya) Sakya Bouddha Sangam.
• Name: "Sakya" refers to the clan of the Buddha; he presented the depressed classes as descendants of the Sakyas.
• Branches: Tirupattur in the Madras Presidency; Kolar Gold Fields, Champion Reefs and Marikuppam (near Bangalore) in Mysore State; and abroad in Rangoon (Burma), Natal (South Africa) and Sri Lanka.
• 1911 Mysore census: owing to the work of the society, Dalits in the Mysore census of 1911 were recorded separately as Buddhists.
• Idea of Tamil Buddhism: he drew on Tamil literature to rebuild the history of Tamil Buddhism, and the Society held regular Buddhist discourses and its own Buddhist rituals.

Oru Paisa Tamizhan / Tamilan (from 1907)

His most-asked contribution is journalism. Through a cheap weekly he took his ideas to ordinary Tamil readers.

• Political views: he questioned whether Swaraj (Home Rule) would by itself improve the lives of the depressed classes, and stressed social change, not merely a change of rulers.

Writings and Books

Death

• Iyothee Thass died on 5 May 1914, about two weeks before his 69th birthday.
• His writings were largely forgotten for decades; they were collected and republished from the 1990s and are now studied widely.

Timeline of His Organisations and Journals

Titles and Descriptions

Honours and Memorials

• Postage stamp: issued by India Post on 21 October 2005 (Rs 5).
• Ayothidoss Pandithar Hospital: the hospital of the National Institute of Siddha, Tambaram Sanatorium, Chennai, is named after him.
• 2008: the Tamil Nadu Government nationalised his works, along with those of other Tamil scholars.
• Memorial hall and statue: announced by the Chief Minister in the Assembly on 3 September 2021 for his 175th birth anniversary; built at the Gandhi Mandapam campus, Guindy, Chennai, at a cost of about Rs 2.49 crore; Chief Minister M. K. Stalin unveiled the statue on 1 December 2023.
• Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme: announced in the Tamil Nadu budget 2023–24 – Rs 1,000 crore over five years to improve basic amenities in Adi Dravidar habitations.
• 181st birth anniversary (20 May 2026): Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay paid floral tribute at Gandhi Mandapam, Chennai.

Writing Mains Answers on Iyothee Thass (Group 1 / Group 2)

Descriptive papers ask about social reformers of Tamil Nadu, the roots of the Dravidian and Adi Dravidar movements and the role of the press. Build your answer around these points and support each with a fact from the notes above.

Contribution of Iyothee Thass to social reform in Tamil Nadu (about 150–250 words)

• Introduction: Siddha physician and Tamil scholar (1845–1914); called the Father of Social Reform in South India.
• Organisation: Advaitananda Sabha (1870s, Nilgiris); Dravida Mahajana Sabha (1891) – Ooty conference of 1 December 1891 with ten resolutions.
• Identity: 1881 census petition – record as Adi Tamilar, not Hindus; 1886 – untouchables are not Hindus; "casteless Dravidians".
• Religion as reform: Buddhism in Ceylon (1898) with Olcott's help; Sakya Buddhist Society (1898, Royapettah) with branches in KGF, Rangoon and Natal.
• Press: Oru Paisa Tamizhan (19 June 1907) / Tamilan (1908) – cheap weekly for the poor.
• Demands: a law against the insulting use of "Pariah", schools and scholarships, government jobs, representation in local bodies.
• Legacy: precursor of the Dravidian movement; stamp (2005), memorial at Guindy (statue unveiled 2023), habitation scheme (2023–24).

Oru Paisa Tamizhan and the role of the press in social reform (about 150 words)

• Context: early 1900s – most papers were costly and did not speak for the depressed classes.
• Launch: 19 June 1907, Madras; price one paisa; renamed Tamilan in 1908; he edited it until his death in 1914.
• Content: caste and untouchability, Tamil Buddhism, new readings of the Thirukkural, education and political rights; serialised Buddharathu Adhivedam.
• Reach: Tamil readers in India and abroad, including Burma, Malaysia and South Africa.
• Evaluation: it built a reading public among the oppressed; he is credited with bringing the identities "Tamilan" and "Dravidan" into public debate.

Tamil Buddhist revival under Iyothee Thass (about 100 words)

• Belief that the depressed classes were ancient Tamil Buddhists.
• 1898: initiation in Ceylon by Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala; Sakya Buddhist Society at Royapettah.
• Use of Tamil literature to rebuild Tamil Buddhist history; regular Buddhist discourses and rituals; Buddharathu Adhivedam (life of the Buddha).
• Result: Dalits recorded separately as Buddhists in the 1911 Mysore census; an early model for later Buddhist movements.

Practice: Match the Following

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Dravida Mahajana Sabha year: 1891 – its first conference was held at Ooty on 1 December 1891.
• Oru Paisa Tamizhan vs Tamilan: it began as Oru Paisa Tamizhan in 1907 and became Tamilan in 1908 – they are one paper, not two.
• Date of launch: 19 June 1907 – not 1906 or 1909.
• Birth name: Kathavarayan; "Iyothee Thass" was the name of his teacher, which he adopted.
• Who took him to Ceylon: Colonel H. S. Olcott (Theosophical Society) – not Annie Besant or Anagarika Dharmapala.
• Sakya Buddhist Society was founded in Madras (Royapettah), not in Ceylon.
• Do not confuse him with Rettamalai Srinivasan (his brother-in-law, who led his own organisation) or with M. C. Rajah.
• Birth and death in May: born 20 May 1845; died 5 May 1914.
• Statue unveiled in 2023 (announced 2021, for the 175th birth anniversary) – the postage stamp is older, 2005.

Quick Revision Table

TNPSC Key Points (PYQ-style facts)

• Born: 20 May 1845, Madras. Birth name: Kathavarayan. Died: 5 May 1914.
• Siddha physician; knew Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Pali.
• Took the name of his teacher Iyothee Thass Kaviraja Pandithar.
• Advaitananda Sabha – Nilgiris, 1870 (some accounts: 1876).
• 1881 census – "Adi Tamilar", not Hindus; 1886 – untouchables are not Hindus; "casteless Dravidians".
• Dravida Mahajana Sabha – 1891; first conference at Ooty on 1 December 1891; ten resolutions.
• Brother-in-law of Rettamalai Srinivasan.
• 1898 – Buddhism in Ceylon; taken by Col. H. S. Olcott; initiated by Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala; companion Krishnasamy.
• Sakya Buddhist Society – 1898, Royapettah, Madras; branches in KGF, Rangoon, Natal (South Africa).
• Oru Paisa Tamizhan – weekly, 19 June 1907, Madras; renamed Tamilan in 1908; edited by him until his death in 1914.
• Books: Buddharathu Adhivedam (life of the Buddha), Indhirar Desa Sarithiram; collected writings – Ayothidasar Sinthanaigal (ed. Gnana Aloysius).
• Title: Father of Social Reform in South India; called Dravida Peroli by the State.
• Postage stamp: 21 October 2005. Ayothidoss Pandithar Hospital – National Institute of Siddha, Tambaram.
• Works nationalised: 2008. Memorial and statue: Gandhi Mandapam, Guindy (statue unveiled 1 December 2023, about Rs 2.49 crore).
• Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme: Rs 1,000 crore over five years (budget 2023–24) for Adi Dravidar habitations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Iyothee Thass Pandithar?

Iyothee Thass Pandithar (1845–1914), born Kathavarayan in Madras, was a Siddha physician, Tamil scholar, journalist and social reformer. He founded the Advaitananda Sabha in the Nilgiris (1870s), the Dravida Mahajana Sabha (1891) and the Sakya Buddhist Society (1898), and started the Tamil weekly Oru Paisa Tamizhan in 1907. He worked against untouchability and argued that the oppressed castes were the original Tamils and ancient Buddhists.

Why is Oru Paisa Tamizhan important for TNPSC?

Oru Paisa Tamizhan was a Tamil weekly that Iyothee Thass started on 19 June 1907 in Madras. It cost one paisa, so poor readers could buy it. About a year later, in 1908, it was renamed Tamilan. It carried his writings on caste, Tamil Buddhism, politics, education and literature, reached Tamil readers in India and abroad (including Burma, Malaysia and South Africa), and he edited it until his death in 1914.

When and where did Iyothee Thass embrace Buddhism?

Most accounts say that in 1898 Colonel Henry Steel Olcott of the Theosophical Society took Iyothee Thass and Krishnasamy to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where the monk Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala admitted them to Buddhism (some accounts give 1900). On his return he founded the Sakya Buddhist Society at Royapettah, Madras, in 1898.

What did Iyothee Thass demand in the census?

At the time of the 1881 census he petitioned that the depressed classes of the Tamil region be recorded as 'Adi Tamilar' (original Tamils) and not as Hindus. Later he asked them to record themselves as 'casteless Dravidians'. In 1886 he declared that the so-called untouchables were not Hindus.

How has the Tamil Nadu Government honoured Iyothee Thass?

His works were nationalised in 2008. The State built a memorial hall with his statue at the Gandhi Mandapam campus, Guindy, Chennai, at a cost of about Rs 2.49 crore; Chief Minister M. K. Stalin unveiled the statue on 1 December 2023. The 2023–24 budget announced the Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme – Rs 1,000 crore over five years for basic amenities in Adi Dravidar habitations. Earlier, a postage stamp was issued on 21 October 2005, and the hospital of the National Institute of Siddha at Tambaram is named after him.

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