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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox person
|name = Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao
|image = Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao 1969 stamp of India.jpg
|image_size = 250px
|caption = Rao on a 1969 stamp of India
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1867|05|01|df=y}}
|birth_place = Pesaramilli, [[Krishna District]], [[Madras Presidency]] (present-day [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]])
|death_date = 11 April 1938
|death_place = [[Madras]], [[Madras Presidency]] (now Chennai)
|death_cause =
|resting_place =
|resting_place_coordinates =
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|nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]] <small>([[Telugu people|Telugu]])</small>
|other_names = Nageswara Rao Pantulu Garu
|known_for =
|education =
|employer =
|occupation = [[Entrepreneur]], [[Journalist]], [[Publisher]], [[Politician]], [[Nationalist]], [[Theologian]], [[Social Reformer]]
|title = Desoddhaaraka, Desabandhu, Viswadatha, Kalaprapoorna
|networth =
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}}

'''Kasinadhuni Nageswararao''', better known as '''Nageswara Rao Pantulu''', (1 May 1867 – 11 April 1938) was an Indian [[journalist]], [[nationalist]], [[politician]], [[Businessperson|businessman]], and a staunch supporter of [[Khadi|Khaddar]] movement.<ref>{{cite book|author=Sisir Kumar Das|title=History of Indian Literature: 1911-1956, struggle for freedom : triumph and tragedy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sqBjpV9OzcsC&pg=PA704|year=2005|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-7201-798-9|pages=704–}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=G. Somasekhar|title=The Role Telugu Press In The Indian Freedom Movement|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/106043/8/08_chapter-2.pdf|website=Shodhganga|publisher=Sri Venkateswara University, Department of History|accessdate=27 December 2017}}</ref> He participated in the [[Indian independence movement]] and in the [[Indian National Congress]] party, including [[Mahatma Gandhi]]’s civil disobedience movement through [[salt satyagraha]]. He was conferred with the title ''Desabandhu'' (Friend of the masses) by the people of [[Andhra Pradesh]]. He was a major financier of Congress activities in [[Andhra Pradesh|Andhra]] and [[Chennai]] and is also known for patenting [[Amrutanjan (balm)|Amrutanjan]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Stoddart|first=Brian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZccTAwAAQBAJ|title=Land, Water, Language and Politics in Andhra: Regional Evolution in India Since 1850|date=2014-03-14|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-80975-3|pages=29–30|language=en}}</ref> He was conferred with the title ''Desoddhaaraka'' (Uplifter of the masses) by the [[Andhra Mahasabha]].<ref>p. 188, Salt Satyagraha in the Coastal Andhra, Ch. M. Naidu, Mittal Publications, First Edition, 1989.</ref> In 1935, the [[Andhra University]] honoured him with [[Kalaprapoorna]], an honorary doctorate of Literature.<ref>Report on Public Instruction, Madras (India : State). Education Dept, 1936.</ref><ref>ప్. 280, Who's who on Indian stamps, Mohan B. Daryanani, 1999</ref>

==Early life==
Kasinadhuni Nageswararao, popularly known as Nageswararao Pantulu garu, was born on 1 May 1867 in Pesaramilli village, Pamarru [[mandal]] in [[Krishna district]] of [[Andhra Pradesh|Andhra]] to a [[Brahmin]] couple, Bucchaiah and Syamalamba. He hailed from the prosperous Challapalli ''Samasthanam'' with his Shaivite father being the guru of the [[Yarlagadda Sivarama Prasad|Rajas of Challapalli]].<ref name=":0" />

He received his early education in his native place and later at [[Machilipatnam]]. He graduated from [[Madras Christian College]] in 1891. While studying in Chennai, Nageswararao married the daughter of a wealth Telugu Brahmin merchant.<ref name=":0" /> [[Kandukuri Veeresalingam|W Kandukuri Veeresalingam]]’s articles in ''Vivekavardhini'' journal influenced him. He showed little interest in politics in his early life but he began to identify with [[Gandhism]] as his upbringing had convinced him that [[Hinduism]] needed social and religious reform.<ref name=":0" />

==Business==
After a brief stint in business in [[Madras]], he went to [[Calcutta]] to work in an [[apothecary]] business for some time. Later, he went to [[Bombay]] to work in an office. But, he was restless and interested in starting his own business. He founded [[Amrutanjan Healthcare|Amrutanjan Limited]] in 1893 and invented Amrutanjan pain balm, which soon became a very popular medicine and made him a millionaire.<ref name=b1>{{cite book|title=Great Patriots of India Vol 1|year=1991|publisher=Mittal Publications|location=New Delhi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTrs9MF9374C&pg=PA22|author=P. Rajeswar Rao|page=22|isbn=9788170992806}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=S. Muthiah|title=Madras Rediscovered |edition=6th|year=2008|publisher=East West|location=Chennai, India|isbn=978-81-88661-74-9|pages=220|chapter=11}}</ref>

==Entry into journalism==
He approached Telugu people in Bombay, associated with them and worked for the welfare of Telugu people. He attended the National Congress meeting in [[Surat]] in 1907 and joined the freedom movement. He recognized the need for a [[Telugu language]] journal to campaign effectively for the freedom struggle and founded a weekly, ''[[Andhra Patrika]]'', in 1909 in Bombay. ''Andhra Patrika'' became the principle Telugu newspaper.<ref name=":0" /> In 1914, he moved the journal to Madras and reformatted it as a daily newspaper. Later, in 1969, ''Andhra Patrika'' established an office in [[New Delhi]] under the leadership of [[T. V. Krishna]]. In January 1924, Rao launched a Telugu journal, ''Bharati''.

==Desoddhaaraka==
He was one of the founders of Andhra movement for a separate [[Andhra state]] from the [[Madras Presidency]]. He wrote and published several articles on the need for a separate [[Andhra state]]. He was the author of many of these articles.

==Andhra Grandha Mala==
Besides being a journalist, Nageswara Rao was also a publisher of [[Telugu literature]]. In 1926, he launched a publishing house known as the ''Andhra Grandha Mala''. This institution published as many as 20 books besides reproducing many Telugu classics as well as modern writings. Its output was low-priced in order to bring it within reach of the common man.

Because of his exertions during the first two decades of the century, as many as 120 libraries came into being in Andhra districts.

==Politics==
Nageswara Rao was president of the Andhra State Congress Committee for four terms between 1924 and 1934.

He was involved in the [[salt satyagraha]] of the 1930s, led by Gandhi, and spent six months in prison for this. While in prison, Rao he wrote an exposition on the [[Bhagavad-Gita]], a sacred text of India. He argued in this that the Bhagavad-Gita did not belong to a particular religion but rather to the entire humanity as a scripture of [[yoga]] for the spiritual enlightenment and prosperity of the entire world.

==Recognition==
A postage stamp has been issued to commemorate him.
Desodharaka [[Nageswara Rao Park]] is a four-acre urban park in Mylapore, Chennai, India.

==Sri Bagh Residence==
The Kasinadhuni family Residence was a beautiful and famous building<ref>{{cite book|author=S. Muthiah|title=Madras Rediscovered|edition=6th|year=2008|publisher=East West|location=Chennai,India|isbn=978-81-88661-74-9|chapter=11|page=226}}</ref> situated at 103, Luz Church Road, Madras. The stately garden house was originally built by Justice PR Sundar Iyer. The house became a centre of patriotic activity with the visit of Mahatma Gandhi on 23 and 24 December 1932.<ref name="Andhra Patrika Charitra">{{cite book|author=C. V. Raja Gopala Rao|title=Andhra Patrika Charitra|year=2004|publisher=Press Academy of Andhra Pradesh|location=Hyderabad|pages=327}}</ref> This area in Madras surrounding Sri Bagh residence came to be known as Nageswarapuram in his honor.

==Sribagh Pact==
[[Sri Bagh Agreement]] as it is known is an agreement signed at the Sri Bagh Residence on 16 November 1937 and signatories to the agreement were K. Koti Reddy, Kalluri Subba Rao, L.Subbarami Reddy, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetharamayya, Konda Venkatappyya, Pappuri Ramacharyulu, R.Venkatappa Naidu, H.Seetharama Reddy. This was an agreement for development of Rayalaseema Region at par with coastal areas and part of the effort to bring in consensus among all the regions before formation of Andhra Pradesh carving out Telugu speaking areas from Composite State of Madras and unifying the areas of Nizam rule post independence of India. The agreement can be changed by mutual agreement.<ref name="Andhra Patrika Charitra" />

==Death==
Nageswararao Kasinadhuni died on 11 April 1938, after which his son-in law and nephew [[S. Sambhu Prasad]] (Sivalenka SambhuPrasad) took over the reins of Andhra Patrika group of publications and Amrutanjan company.<ref name="Andhra Patrika Charitra" /><ref name=b1/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Kasinadhuni Nageswara}}
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:1867 births]]
[[Category:1938 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Members of Central Legislative Assembly of India]]
[[Category:People from Krishna district]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]

Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao - Revision history

->SdkbBot at 20:40, 4 January 2022