Maraimalai Adigal – Pure Tamil Movement (1916), Madras Christian College, Gnanasagaram, Sangam Research & Thiruvalluvar Year | TNPSC Notes

Maraimalai Adigal (1876–1950), born Vedachalam, was a Tamil scholar, teacher, writer and Saiva Siddhanta thinker who began the Thanithamizh Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement) in 1916. He asked Tamils to write and speak Tamil without Sanskrit-derived words and set the example by changing his own name to Maraimalai. He taught Tamil at Madras Christian College, wrote research commentaries on the Sangam poems Mullaippattu and Pattinappalai, and proposed the Thiruvalluvar year. The Tamil Nadu school textbook calls him the father of Tamil linguistic purism; 2026 marks his 150th birth anniversary.

தமிழில் படிக்க

These notes are written for TNPSC Group 1, 2/2A and 4 aspirants and are meant to be complete on their own. Maraimalai Adigal is a core topic in General Tamil under "Literature, Tamil scholars and their service to Tamil" (his works, journals, titles and the Pure Tamil Movement). In General Studies he comes under History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements of Tamil Nadu (Tamil renaissance, the language and non-Brahmin movements of the twentieth century and the opposition to compulsory Hindi). Read each section, then revise with the tables, the quick revision table and the key points at the end.

Early Life, Family and Schooling

• Born: 15 July 1876 at Kadambadi, near Nagapattinam, in the then Madras Presidency. Some sources give Thirukkazhukundram as his birthplace; most accounts, including the 2007 commemorative stamp brochure, give Kadambadi near Nagapattinam.
• Parents: Sokkanatha Pillai and Chinnammaiyar (Chinnammai).
• Birth name: Vedachalam.
• Schooling: he studied at the Wesleyan Mission School, Nagapattinam. His father died while he was still a schoolboy, and he left formal schooling early; from then on he studied Tamil, English and Sanskrit largely by his own effort.
• Marriage: he married Soundaravalli at about the age of seventeen.
• Children: his daughter Neelambikai Ammaiyar became a Tamil scholar in her own right; his son Maraimalai Thirunavukkarasu wrote a detailed biography of his father.

Teachers and Early Tamil Learning

• Narayanasamy Pillai – a Tamil scholar who ran a bookshop (selling Tamil books and palm-leaf manuscripts) at Nagapattinam; he taught Vedachalam classical Tamil literature.
• Somasundara Nayakar – the Saiva Siddhanta scholar under whom he studied Saiva philosophy.
• P. Sundaram Pillai – author of the verse drama Manonmaniyam; Vedachalam came into contact with him as a young man and received his encouragement.
• As a young man he memorised a large part of the classical Tamil literature then in print, which became the base of his later research.

First Jobs: Thiruvananthapuram and Siddhanta Deepika

• Thiruvananthapuram: for a short period he worked as a Tamil teacher at a school in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).
• Siddhanta Deepika: he then worked on the editorial side of the Saiva Siddhanta journal Siddhanta Deepika.

Madras Christian College (1898–1911)

In March 1898 Vedachalam joined Madras Christian College as a Tamil teacher. One of his colleagues in the Tamil department was V. G. Suryanarayana Sastri, better known as Parithimar Kalaignar, who argued that Tamil is a classical language.

• He taught Tamil at the college from 1898 to 1911.
• During these years he wrote his research commentaries on Sangam poems and started his first journal (see the next section).
• Why he left: the University of Madras made Tamil an optional subject while English stayed compulsory. This weakened the place of Tamil and of Tamil teachers in the colleges, and Vedachalam left the college in 1911.

Journals and Saiva Siddhanta Work

Alongside teaching, Vedachalam became a leading voice of Saiva Siddhanta and of Tamil scholarship through journals and associations.

Exam tip: Gnanasagaram (1902) is the journal most often asked; remember that it was later renamed Arivukkadal – both words mean "ocean of knowledge".

Renunciation and Life at Pallavaram (1911–1912)

• Ascetic life: after leaving the college he took up the life of an ascetic on 27 August 1911 and came to be known as Swami Vedachalam.
• Pallavaram: he settled at Pallavaram, near Madras, which remained his home and centre of work for the rest of his life.
• Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sangam (1911–12): inspired by the teachings of Ramalinga Adigal (Vallalar), he founded the Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sangam at Pallavaram in 1911–12 (sources give 1911 or 1912). After the Pure Tamil pledge, it was renamed in pure Tamil as Podhu Nilaik Kazhagam.
• From Pallavaram he wrote, printed his books at the Thirumurugan Press, and gave lectures across the Tamil country.

The Pure Tamil Movement (Thanithamizh Iyakkam), 1916

Maraimalai Adigal had argued for the independence of Tamil from Sanskrit even in his early journal writing, but the movement took a definite form in 1916, when he publicly pledged to use only pure Tamil.

How it began – the family account

According to the account given by his son and biographer, Maraimalai Thirunavukkarasu, the decision came during a walk in the garden of their Pallavaram home with his daughter Neelambikai. She sang a song of Ramalinga Adigal (Vallalar), and her father remarked that the Sanskrit-derived word "thegam" (body) in it could have been replaced by the Tamil word "yakkai". Neelambikai suggested that they give up Sanskrit-derived words altogether, and father and daughter resolved to do so. This is a family account.

Aims of the movement

• Use Tamil words in place of Sanskrit-derived words in writing and speech, and avoid needless English words.
• Show that Tamil can stand on its own as a rich, independent language with its own literature and grammar.
• Give children and institutions Tamil names.
• Strengthen a distinct Tamil cultural identity rooted in classical Tamil literature.

He began with himself – pure Tamil renamings

• Spread: later scholars such as Devaneya Pavanar and Perunchithiranar, and the poet Bharathidasan, carried the idea of pure Tamil forward through their writings.
• Effect: many Tamil words now common in government use, public speeches and the media became popular through the pure Tamil campaign.
• Textbook line: the Tamil Nadu school textbook describes Maraimalai Adigal as the father of Tamil linguistic purism who promoted the use of pure Tamil words and the removal of Sanskrit influence from Tamil.

Neelambikai Ammaiyar – Daughter and Co-worker

• Daughter of Maraimalai Adigal and Soundaravalli; a writer and speaker for pure Tamil.
• Compiled Vadachol Tamil Agaravarisai, a dictionary that gives Tamil equivalents for Sanskrit words used in Tamil.
• Presided over the Tamil Nadu Women's Conference held in Madras on 13 November 1938, which gave E. V. Ramasamy the title "Periyar".
• Married V. Thiruvarangam Pillai of the South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing Society.

Scholarship and Major Works

Maraimalai Adigal wrote more than 50 books in Tamil and English – research commentaries, studies of Saiva saints and philosophy, essays, translations, works on health and the mind, and books for children and young people. The works most useful for the exam are listed below.

Exam tip: Mullaippattu and Pattinappalai are both among the Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls) of Sangam literature – Maraimalai Adigal wrote research commentaries on both.

Saivism, Caste and the Non-Brahmin Movement

• He was a leading figure of the neo-Saiva revival: he presented Saiva Siddhanta as the ancient religion of the Tamils and read classical Tamil literature as its source.
• He criticised caste discrimination in his writings and speeches.
• Historians see his ideas on Tamil language and culture as one of the intellectual foundations of the non-Brahmin movement and of later Tamil nationalism.
• He shared the Self-Respect Movement's opposition to caste but, as a devout Saivite, disagreed with its atheism.

Opposition to Compulsory Hindi (1937–1940)

• In 1937–38 the Congress ministry of C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) made Hindi compulsory in a number of schools of the Madras Presidency, which led to the anti-Hindi agitation of 1937–1940.
• Tamil scholars including Maraimalai Adigal and Somasundara Bharathiyar supported the agitation; the movement brought together religious scholars like him and atheists like Periyar.
• He wrote "Indhi Podhu Mozhiya?" (Can Hindi be the common language?), arguing against imposing Hindi on speakers of other languages.

The Thiruvalluvar Year (Thiruvalluvar Aandu)

• Maraimalai Adigal proposed a Tamil era counted from the birth of Thiruvalluvar, which he fixed at 31 BCE.
• Formula: Thiruvalluvar year = Common Era year + 31 (e.g. 2026 CE = Thiruvalluvar year 2057).
• Some accounts link the decision to a meeting of Tamil scholars at Pachaiyappa's College, Madras, presided over by him; the year of that meeting is given differently in different sources.
• The Tamil Nadu government adopted the Thiruvalluvar year for official use in the early 1970s; it appears in the State's gazette and official calendar.

Last Years and Death

• He spent his last decades at Pallavaram, writing and publishing.
• He died on 15 September 1950, at the age of 74.
• His books became the core of the Maraimalai Adigal Library.

Legacy, Memorials and Honours

Titles of Maraimalai Adigal

Maraimalai Adigal and His Contemporaries

Writing Mains Answers on Maraimalai Adigal (Group 1 / Group 2)

Descriptive papers ask about the Tamil renaissance and the contribution of Tamil scholars. Build your answer around these points and support each with a fact from the notes above.

Maraimalai Adigal and the Pure Tamil Movement (about 150–250 words)

• Introduction: Vedachalam (1876–1950), Tamil teacher at Madras Christian College and Saiva Siddhanta scholar; called the father of Tamil linguistic purism.
• Background: nineteenth-century Tamil renaissance – rediscovery of Sangam texts, Caldwell's Dravidian thesis, Parithimar Kalaignar's classical-language claim.
• Launch (1916): pledge to use pure Tamil; family account of the "thegam – yakkai" conversation with Neelambikai.
• Personal example: Vedachalam → Maraimalai; Swami → Adigal; Gnanasagaram → Arivukkadal; Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sangam → Podhu Nilaik Kazhagam.
• Spread: Neelambikai's Vadachol Tamil Agaravarisai; Devaneya Pavanar, Perunchithiranar, Bharathidasan.
• Impact: Tamil names and terms in administration and media; Tamil identity; base for the language politics of the twentieth century.
• Conclusion: a scholar who turned a language preference into a social movement.

Maraimalai Adigal's contribution to Tamil scholarship (about 150 words)

• Research commentaries on Mullaippattu and Pattinappalai (1906) – early modern research method in Sangam studies.
• Studies of Saiva literature: Manickavasagar Varalarum Kalamum, Thiruvasaga Virivurai; Tamizhar Matham.
• Translation of Kalidasa's Shakuntalam; more than 50 books in Tamil and English.
• Journals: Gnanasagaram (1902, later Arivukkadal), The Oriental Mystic Myna (1908).
• Institutions: Saiva Siddhanta Maha Samajam (1905), Thirumurugan Press, Manimozhi Noolagam; Maraimalai Adigal Library (1958).
• Thiruvalluvar year (31 BCE) – adopted by the Tamil Nadu government.

Tamil scholars and the anti-Hindi agitation of 1937–1940 (about 100 words)

• Cause: compulsory Hindi in schools under the Rajaji ministry (1937–38).
• Scholars such as Maraimalai Adigal and Somasundara Bharathiyar gave the agitation intellectual support.
• Maraimalai Adigal's "Indhi Podhu Mozhiya?" – one language should not be imposed on others.
• Women's role: during the agitation his daughter Neelambikai presided over the Tamil Nadu Women's Conference in Madras on 13 November 1938.

Practice: Match the Following

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Pure Tamil vs classical language: the Pure Tamil Movement (1916) is Maraimalai Adigal's; the first strong claim that Tamil is a classical language was made by Parithimar Kalaignar, his colleague.
• Sangam commentaries: Maraimalai Adigal wrote research commentaries on Mullaippattu and Pattinappalai – not on Kurinjippattu or Nedunalvadai.
• Manonmaniyam: written by P. Sundaram Pillai, not by Maraimalai Adigal.
• Two Adigals: Ramalinga Adigal (Vallalar, 1823–1874) inspired him; Maraimalai Adigal (1876–1950) founded the Pure Tamil Movement – do not mix them.
• Journal rename: Gnanasagaram became Arivukkadal (not "Arivuchudar" or "Tamizhkadal").
• Neelambikai's dictionary is Vadachol Tamil Agaravarisai; she is his daughter, not his wife (his wife was Soundaravalli).
• Thiruvalluvar year: add 31 to the CE year – do not subtract.
• Age at death: born July 1876, died September 1950 – 74 years.

Quick Revision Table

TNPSC Key Points (PYQ-style facts)

• Born: 15 July 1876, Kadambadi near Nagapattinam. Parents: Sokkanatha Pillai and Chinnammaiyar. Birth name: Vedachalam.
• Father of the Pure Tamil Movement (Thanithamizh Iyakkam), 1916; father of Tamil linguistic purism (TN textbook).
• Teachers: Narayanasamy Pillai (Tamil), Somasundara Nayakar (Saiva Siddhanta).
• Worked on Siddhanta Deepika as a young man; Tamil teacher at Thiruvananthapuram.
• Tamil teacher at Madras Christian College, 1898–1911; colleague of Parithimar Kalaignar.
• Left the college in 1911 when the University made Tamil optional.
• Journals: Gnanasagaram (1902) → Arivukkadal; The Oriental Mystic Myna (English, 1908).
• Saiva Siddhanta Maha Samajam: 1905.
• Ascetic from 27 August 1911 – Swami Vedachalam; lived at Pallavaram.
• Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sangam (1911–12, Pallavaram) → Podhu Nilaik Kazhagam.
• Vedachalam → Maraimalai (Veda = Marai, achalam = Malai); Swami → Adigal.
• Research commentaries: Mullaippattu, Pattinappalai (1906). Translated Kalidasa's Shakuntalam.
• Other works: Manickavasagar Varalarum Kalamum, Thiruvasaga Virivurai, Tamizhar Matham, Arivurai Kothu, Indhi Podhu Mozhiya?
• More than 50 books; Thirumurugan Press; Manimozhi Noolagam.
• Daughter Neelambikai: Vadachol Tamil Agaravarisai; presided over the 1938 Women's Conference.
• Thiruvalluvar year: Thiruvalluvar's birth fixed at 31 BCE; CE + 31.
• Died: 15 September 1950. Stamp: 17 August 2007. Maraimalai Nagar (Chengalpattu district) named after him.
• Maraimalai Adigal Library: 1958; in Connemara Public Library since 2008.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Maraimalai Adigal called the father of the Pure Tamil Movement?

In 1916 he publicly began the Thanithamizh Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement), which asked writers and speakers to use Tamil words in place of Sanskrit-derived words. He set the example himself: he changed his own name from Vedachalam to Maraimalai, renamed his journal Gnanasagaram as Arivukkadal and his Pallavaram sangam as Podhu Nilaik Kazhagam. The Tamil Nadu school textbook calls him the father of Tamil linguistic purism.

What was Maraimalai Adigal's original name and how did it become Maraimalai?

His original name was Vedachalam (he was known as Swami Vedachalam after he became an ascetic in 1911). In 1916 he rendered the name in pure Tamil: Vedam is Marai in Tamil and achalam (mountain) is Malai, so Vedachalam became Maraimalai, and 'Swami' was replaced by the Tamil word 'Adigal'.

Why did Maraimalai Adigal leave Madras Christian College?

He taught Tamil at Madras Christian College from March 1898. When the University of Madras made Tamil an optional subject while English remained compulsory, the place of Tamil teachers was weakened, and he left the college in 1911. In the same year he took up the life of an ascetic and settled at Pallavaram, near Madras.

What is the Thiruvalluvar year and what was Maraimalai Adigal's role?

The Thiruvalluvar year (Thiruvalluvar Aandu) is a Tamil era counted from the birth of Thiruvalluvar, which Maraimalai Adigal fixed at 31 BCE. To get the Thiruvalluvar year, add 31 to the Common Era year (for example, 2026 + 31 = 2057). The Tamil Nadu government adopted the Thiruvalluvar year for official use in the early 1970s.

Who was Neelambikai Ammaiyar and how is she linked to the Pure Tamil Movement?

Neelambikai Ammaiyar was Maraimalai Adigal's daughter. According to the family account, the 1916 Pure Tamil pledge followed a conversation in their Pallavaram garden, when she sang a song of Ramalinga Adigal (Vallalar) and her father pointed out that the Sanskrit-derived word 'thegam' (body) could be replaced by the Tamil word 'yakkai'. She later compiled 'Vadachol Tamil Agaravarisai', a dictionary giving Tamil equivalents for Sanskrit words, and presided over the 13 November 1938 Tamil Nadu Women's Conference in Madras.

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