There is a familiar expression, ‘Lues Boswelliana’,
descriptive of a biographer’s tendency to magnify his subject. When the subject
of the sketch has been notable in achievement in many spheres of activity and
when, moreover, the biographer is bound to him by filial ties, the tendency is
not easy of control. I am therefore not dealing out conventional compliments
when I assert that I have rarely perused a life-sketch so sympathetic and
penetrating as well as so detached and discerning as the life of Mr. V.
Krishnaswami Aiyar by his talented son Mr. K. Chandrasekharan.2
Uniting in himself a deep acquaintance with more than one branch of literature
and a mastery of simple and expressive language, he has approached the subject
as if he was concerned with a historical personage rather than a beloved
father. It is difficult to bestow higher testimony than that, and it can be
bestowed without reserve by a reader of this volume.
History has been described as the essence of
innumerable biographies, and, in his characteristic language of paradox,
Disraeli in “Contarani Fleming” has said:-“Read no history; nothing but
biography, for, that is life without theory”. It is not too much to say that
Mr. V. Krishnaswami Aiyar’s life furnishes a cross-section of the history of
India, and especially of South India, during at least two decades, that is,
from the founding of The Madras Law Journal up to the date of his death.
As is evident from the titles of the various chapters, this book includes a
description of practically all that happened in politics and in public life
during a very interesting and transitional period, and this analysis of Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar’s career and mental progress his both interesting and
timely, as many of the prominent figures of the epoch have disappeared or are
disappearing from the scene. Heredity has been spoken of as a condition of
evolution and Sir. J. A. Thompson uttered the bare truth when he said that
living implies both individual and racial enregistrations. One of the
attractions of this book is the careful account of the hereditary environment
of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar, who furnishes a marvelous proof of the validity of
ancestral influence.
The volume commences with the story of Mayavaram
Gopu Aiyar, who was a Minister or Counselor under one of the Maharashtra
princes of Tanjore District and who manifested not only administrative
abilities but was distinguished by great fixity of purpose and piety. His descendants
inherited his characteristics which included an old-world liberality. We are
told the story of Venkatarama Aiyar, whose legal acumen and wide knowledge and
close observance of the Hindu scriptural traditions were accompanied by a
pronounced shortness of temper and a determination to expose what he considered
to be the shortcomings of the high and the mighty, regardless of consequences.
His career as a District Munsiff and his conflicts with the assertive members
of the Legal profession are chronicled with minuteness of detail in the opening
chapter. It is remarkable that Venkatarama Aiyar suffered from that dreadful
disease, diabetes, which has only been recently mastered and which has
afflicted many generations of the intelligentsia in India during the 18th and
19th centuries and which ultimately claimed both Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar and,
his remarkably gifted and irascible elder brother.
Born in June 1863, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar began to
exhibit, fairly early, the characteristics that distinguished him in later
life. His courage under all circumstances and his faculty of friendship
distinguished him from first to last. The biographer, after narrating his early
successes in school and college, explains that Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar passed
the B.L. examination only in the Third Class on account of his over-versatility
and lack of concentration on legal studies, as well as his faculty of
discoursing on sundry topics till late at night. From the time he apprenticed
himself under Mr. R. Balaji Rao, one of the leaders on the Original Side of the
Madras High Court, he cultivated that intimate friendship with Mr. P. R.
Sundaram Aiyar, which was to be one of the features of his life. Sir P. S.
Sivaswami Aiyer, of course, had been a fellow-student, and, although the two
differed fundamentally in nature and temperament, there was an underlying
mutual affection and respect which, though not often outwardly expressed, was
an undoubted factor in both their lives. The early struggles of Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar are set out in detail and we have a moving account of his
forcibly removing a bunch of flowers from his wife’s head on the ground that
such show was unbecoming in a family whose head was dependent on his brother
for his bare maintenance and was not yet able to make his way in the world. The
discerning encouragement of Mr. P Subramania Aiyar, a well known and generous
but much misunderstood attorney-at-law, and of Mr. S. Subramania Aiyar (later
on, Sir Subramania Aiyar), was of great use to him, and, as often happens in the
lives of successful men, it was almost by accident that the foundations were
laid of a steady practice. Mr. S. Ramaswami Aiyangar, who afterwards became a
reputed judge, accepted the place of a Munsiff in 1888 and he handed over many
of his cases to his old friend, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar, who, given the
opportunity seized it adroitly and began to build up a practice that soon
became one of the largest ever enjoyed by a lawyer in Madras and which included
the legal work of most of the wealthy Chetty firms and Zamindars.
There are many revealing anecdotes, which for the
first time, see light in this book. One such relates to Mr. Krishnaswami
Aiyar’s physical conflict with a thief whom he caught and literally bestrode.
During his early days of practice, when work was scarce, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar
devoted himself to various studies, was examiner in Sanskrit in the Madras
University and, later on, Assistant Professor in the Law College and also
worked hard as an office-bearer of the Vakils’ Association. About the year
1895, he succeeded in a heavy litigation at Shiyali against Sir V. Bhashyam
Aiyangar and this success soon brought him to the forefront, although that
great and somewhat pontifical judge, Sir T. Muthuswami Aiyar, was never too
well disposed either to him or to Mr. P. R. Sundaram Aiyar, regarding them in
the light of self-assertive rebels. The entries in Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar’s
diary, which have been carefully scrutinised and used by his son, indicate the
resentment felt by the young lawyer and its aftermath. In 1891, in conjunction
with Messrs. Salem Ramaswami Mudaliar and C. Sankaran Nair, Messrs.
Krishnaswami Aiyar and Sundaram Aiyar founded The Madras Law Journal,
which very soon made its influence felt by reason of its close analysis of
legal decisions and its erudite comments on juristic topics. From 1895 until he
became a judge of the High Court, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar’s practice was
literally immense. His marshalling of facts was direct and forceful beyond all
precedent and he embodied a rarely achieved union between high gifts of
advocacy and legal acumen. At the same time it must be conceded that he
manifested a scarcely veiled impatience of opposition and contradiction,
whether that opposition came from his adversary or from the judges. Many of the
junior lawyers found it difficult to get over the first barricades but, as is
proved in this book, if he appreciated a young man’s abilities he was
enthusiastic in his praise and ready in his help. Amongst those whom he so
distinguished were S. Srinivasa Aiyangar and Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyar. I was
amongst those who worked in his office and, though professionally our paths
diverged very soon, it is a matter of singular satisfaction to me that his son
is able to assert, what I knew from experience, that Mr. V. Krishnaswami Aiyar,
to the end of his days, felt and manifested great affection towards me. It is
my duty to place on record that, notwithstanding our differences of temperament
and outlook, he was unstintedly generous in his judgment of me and my work in
the courts and public life, although we sometimes differed openly and often not
quite openly. It was characteristic of his great nature that he got on best
with persons who summoned up the courage to wage a good fight with him when he
was up in arms. His temper was extremely uneven and its manifestations have
been recorded in more than one passage of this book, especially those relating
to his bouts with Mr. Moberly and Mr. Joseph. In fact, the performance and
personality of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar may well be described as that of a
man-of-war bearing down upon smaller craft. He had a well-built body and gave
the impression both of physical and mental strength.
Parallel with his activities in courts were those
connected with the Athenaeum in Mylapore and with the Congress and its allied
organisations. His path in public life was neither easy nor unopposed. He fell
foul of many and hit hard and received many hits in return. But it must be
noted that, as described in the book, when Mr. Mudholkar rebuked him for his
short temper, he answered: “It is not that my mind is not cool and collected:
my trouble is that my tongue is not collected and calm.” His encounter with Sir
Pherozeshah Mehta, that unquestioned dictator of the Congress, is also aptly described
in this book. Very soon after he came into prominence at the Bar, he also
became a noted figure in the Congress and the foundations were laid very soon
for that deep and continuous friendship with Gokhale, which contributed so much
to the course of public life in India and which, later on, brought the Rt.
Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastri, Mr. Venkataranga Rao and G. A. Natesan within its
ambit. The close association with Mr. Gokhale led to the foundation of the
Ranade Hall in Mylapore and those activities that in his days clustered round
the Mahajana Sabha. Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar was the life and soul of the
Congress until the Surat split, when he ranged himself on the side of the
Moderates. This period saw the culmination of Mr. Gokhale’s influence and the
foundation of the Servants of India Society and the various encounters that Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar had with Mr. G. Subramania Aiyar of The Hindu and
other public men whom he often irritated as well as overawed. From about 1900
the personality of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar was discernible in every important
activity in Madras–in the University, in controversies like those with Lord
Curzon over his Calcutta Convocation speech, leading incidentally to the
publication of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar’s “Arya Charita” in vindication of the
Hindu tradition, and in his addresses to innumerable public meetings on a
bewildering variety of subjects. In this period also, gently and unobtrusively
guided by that strong and rare character, his life-long friend Mr. A.
Krishnaswami Aiyar, the subject of this biography exhibited widespread
generosity which at that time, was unparalleled. The Sanskrit and the Ayurvedic
Colleges were founded and there was no deserving institution anywhere in the
Presidency, which was not substantially assisted by Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar. The
story of his assistance to the Andhra Jateeya Kalasala is narrated in this book
as an appropriate, illustration. Mr. K. Hanumantha’ Rao’s was a rare example of
self-sacrifice and cultured patriotism. When apprbached by him, Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar, after he was convinced of the scope and possibilities of
the Kalasala, gave him Rs. 2,000 and added that he should spend it as soon as
possible and come to him only after the whole money was spent!
It was in 1908 that the whole brunt of the
organisation of the Congress fell upon Mr. V. Krishnaswami Aiyar and he bent
himself to his task with his accustomed impetuosity and enthusiasm which, more
than once, brought him into collusion with his colleagues. Dealing with one
such incident, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar wrote to his friend Mr. Gokhale: “It is
perhaps my diabetes which has bothered me for four years that is responsible
for my quickness of temper and my inability to hear and patiently judge of
another’s contentions.” It was in the same year that another aspect of his
character came to the forefront. Mr. G. Subramania Aiyar was arrested for some
political offence and, notwithstanding that he was his inveterate opponent, Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar was easily persuaded by his friends to intercede, on his
behalf, and the intercession was successful. This was not known to many during
the lifetime of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar and it is well that a record of this
rare generosity has been preserved.
Sir P. S. Sivaswami Aiyer having been appointed
Advocate-General in the same year, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar succeeded to his
place in the Legislative Council and introduced into the placid atmosphere of
that old-time body a hitherto unfamiliar atmosphere of vivid oratory and
remorseless analysis. Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar’s contribution towards the Tenancy
Legislation, his budget speeches as well as his evidence before the
Decentralisation Commission point to his political thoroughness and maturity.
About the same time, he came into contact with Swami Vivekananda and Baba
Premananda Bharati, both of whom exerted a great influence over him and, soon
after, he worked for the foundation of the Central Hindu College with Dr.
Besant.
This is not the occasion to speak of the famous
split in the Congress and the divergence of views that led to the formation of
the Moderate Party led by Surendranath Banerjee, Bhupendranath Basu, Gokhale,
Wacha and Krishnaswami Aiyar. But it is worthy of note that one of the
protagonists of the extremist party, the great Tamil poet Bharati, had his
talents recognised without reserve when the two people were brought together
through the mediation of Mr. G. A. Natesan.
After organising the Congress of 1908, Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar accepted a judgeship and very soon afterwards became a
Member of the Madras Executive Council. Of his career as a Judge and as Member
of Council, full details are given in this book and his contribution is part of
the judicial and political history of South India. His initiation into European
ways and modes of life through the influence of Bishop and Mrs. Whitehead, and
the many contacts and frequent conflicts with his European colleagues and
subordinates are described with an underlying sense of humour. These details
may be characterised by some as trifling or superfluous, but they serve to give
a picture of the life of those days and they disclose the workings of a mind
powerful and anxious to manifest a fierce independence, though also receptive
to new ideas. The only incident which need be adverted to in relation to his
tenure as a Member of the Executive Council is the Palghat incident, whose
inner history is narrated in this book and in respect of which Mr. Krishnaswami
Aiyar underwent a series of virulent, and mainly unjustifiable, attacks.
It was in 1910 that he co-operated in the reception
to Mr. Gandhi, who had just then arrived in Madras from South Africa and soon
began transform Indian politics.
The account of the tragic onset of illness during
the Delhi Durbar, and the story of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar’s last days that
exhibited all the composure and philosophy of a highly trained soul, are models
of restrained writing.
Summing up his life, Mr. Chandrasekharan rightly
emphasizes his faculty of friendship, his all-round generosity and his innate
piety. Mr. Chandrasekharan remarks that one of his last wishes was that no one
should compile his biography; but I, for one, rejoice that his son has
transgressed this command for, thereby, he has thrown light on many aspects of
his father’s career and has, in due perspective, placed it against the
background of his times.
It was stated by a great wit that our idea of an
“agreeable” person is too often that of a person who agrees with us. To a
certain extent this foible of strong minds was also discernible in Mr.
Krishnaswami Aiyar, but there were very few who agreed or disagreed with him
but realised the essential strength of his mental and moral fiber and the
fundamental goodness of the man. The depositary of power is always unpopular,
but, nevertheless, few depositaries of power and influence have used these
accessories to such good purpose as Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar did. Of the work of
men in such positions, the right test to be applied can only be Browning’s:
“Not on the vulgar mass
Called ‘work’, must sentence pass,
Things done, that took the eye and had the price;
O’er which, from level stand,
The low world laid its hand,
Found straightway to its mind, could value in a
trice.”
“Thoughts hardly to be pack’d.
Into a narrow act,
Fancies that broke through language and escaped;
All I could never be,
All, men ignored in me,–
This I was worth to God, whose wheel the pitcher
shaped.”
Speaking of Dr. Johnson, whom Krishnaswami Aiyar
resembled not a little, in build as well as in great learning and piety and frequent
outbursts of generous indignation and impatient diatribe, one of the most
finished of the late Victorian poets, uttered the following epitaph:
“Ye gods! how he talked! What a torrent of sound,
His hearers invaded, encompass’d and drown’d!
What a banquet of memory, fact, illustration,
In that innings-for-one that he call’d
conversation!
But the heart of the giant was gentle and kind:
What signifies now, if in bouts with a friend,
When his pistol miss’d fire, he would use the
butt-end?
For you felt on the whole, tho’ he’d toss’d you and
gor’d you,
It was something, at least, that he had not ignor’d
you.”
I shall conclude with these words, which cannot be
bettered and which fully describe more than one aspect of Mr. Krishnaswami
Aiyar’s career, only adding that all his friends and admirers–and they are a
legion–as well as a discerning posterity must be thankful to his dutiful and
loving son who has essayed an enormously difficult task and has accomplished it
not only with tact but with cultivated grace and an enviable freedom from
narrowness and bias.
1 this is the original
English text of the Foreword in Tamil to the Life of the late V. Krishnaswami
Aiyar. We are publishing it in Triveni with the kind of permission of Sir C. P.
Ramaswami Aiyar and of Sri K. Chandrasekharan.
–Editor, Triveni.
2 V. Krishnaswami
Aiyar, by K. Chandrasekharan, (The’ Kalaimagal’ Office, Mylapore. Price Rs. 8.)