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{{moresources|date=July 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Calamur Viravalli Runganada Sastri
| image = C. V. Runganada Sastri.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Portrait of C. V. Runganada Sastri
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1819
| birth_place = [[North Arcot]],<br />[[Madras Presidency]]
| death_date = 5 July 1881
| death_place = [[Madras]]
| death_cause =
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| residence =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| known_for = [[polyglot (person)|polyglot]], [[scholar]]
| education =
| employer =
| occupation = [[civil servant]], [[judge]]
| title =
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}}

'''Calamur Viravalli Runganada Sastri''' (c. 1819 – 5 July 1881) was an Indian [[interpreter]], [[civil servant]] and [[polyglot (person)|polyglot]] who was known for his mastery over Indian and foreign languages.

== Early life ==

Runganada Sastri was born in a poor [[Brahmin]] family from a village near [[Chittoor]] in the then [[North Arcot]] district in the year 1819.<ref name="Indian Biography">{{cite book|last=Buckland|first=Charles Edward|title=Dictionary of Indian biography|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.501620|year=1906|publisher=Swan Sonnnenschein & CO|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.501620/page/n387 375]}}</ref> His father was reputed to be one of the greatest [[Sanskrit]] scholars of the day, but initially could not afford to have him educated. Runganada Sastri began his education at home. By the time he was eight, he had become proficient in Sanskrit. The turning point in Sastri's life came with the arrest of his father for non-payment of land rent when the former was barely twelve years old. Sastri pleaded before the District Judge Casamajor requesting his father's temporary release from prison in order to participate in an annual religious ceremony offering himself as security on his father's behalf. Moved, Casamajor not only released Sastri's father but himself undertook to educate the boy.

Runganada Sastri was initially tutored in private by Casamajor and a Chittoor missionary H. Groves. Within six months, Sastri was able to read and write English. Under Groves' tutorship, Sastri evinced keen interest in [[mathematics]] and soon advanced to the study of [[astronomy]]. To further Sastri's studies, Casamajor sent Sastri to [[Madras]] in 1836 after persuading his parents with great difficulty. Runganada Sastri studied at Bishop Corrie's Grammar School from 1836 to 1839 and the High School (later, [[Presidency College, Madras]]) from 1839 to 1842, graduating with honours in 1842.

== Early career ==

On completion of his graduation, Sastri wanted to teach at the College of Engineering which was being planned. But the hostile attitude of the government as well as his father's failing health forced Runganada Sastri to return to Chittoor where he got a position as a clerk in the Subordinate Judge's Court at a salary of Rs. 70. During this time, Sastri displayed his rare aptitude for languages and soon mastered [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Kannada]]. When his father died soon after, he used his mastery over Indian languages to secure a job as an interpreter in the Supreme Court at Madras. While serving as interpreter, Sastri also started to master European languages like [[French language|French]] and [[Latin]]. Sastri was soon appointed Chief Interpreter at a pay of Rs. 2,000 - 2,500 a month. When the [[University of Madras]] was established in 1857, Runganada Sastri was made a fellow of the university.

== Later career ==

In April 1859, there was a vacancy in the Small Claims Court Bench and Runganada Sastri was appointed to the post by the then [[Governor of Madras]] [[Sir Charles Trevelyan]] after encountering heavy opposition and racial prejudice. Runganada Sastri served as a judge of the Small Claims Court from April 1859 until his retirement with a pension on 16 February 1880.

Soon after his retirement, Runganada Sastri was nominated to the [[Madras Legislative Council]]. However, he died on 5 July 1881.

== Family and descendants ==

Runganada Sastri's son Calamur Sundara Sastri had four sons and a daughter. His eldest son [[Sir C. V. Kumaraswami Sastri]] served as a judge of the [[Madras High Court]] while his daughter Seethammal married [[Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]], a leading political figure in early 20th century Madras.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

* {{cite book|title=Representative Indians|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.45690|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.45690/page/n187 143]–156|year=1897|author=Govinda Parameswaran Pillai|publisher=Routledge}}

[[Category:1819 births]]
[[Category:1881 deaths]]
[[Category:Presidency College, Chennai alumni]]

C. V. Runganada Sastri - Revision history

>InternetArchiveBot at 16:35, 3 March 2020