Kanthadai Vaidya Subrahmanya Aiyar (1875 – 7 November 1969) was a Tamil epigraphist and historian. He is considered to be the first person to conclusively decipher the cave inscriptions of Tamil Nadu as a form of Tamil-Brahmi.[1][2][3]
Early life
Subrahmanya Aiyar was born in Coimbatore in 1875 and was educated in Trichinopoly. On completion of his education, Aiyar obtained a job at the Coimbatore Collectorate in Ootacamund where his abilities were recognised by Chief Epigraphist V. Venkayya who in 1906, inducted him into his team.
Career
Subrahmanya Aiyar worked as a government epigraphist from 1906 to 1932. He edited South Indian Inscriptions Volumes VI, VII and VIII and wrote for the Epigraphia Indica. In 1938, he published a monumental 3-volume work Historical Sketches of Ancient Deccan.
Works
- Historical Sketches of Ancient Deccan{{#if:Aiyar|, Aiyar}. Modern Printing Works(1917)
- The Earliest monuments of the Pândya country and their inscriptions{{#if:Aiyar|, Aiyar}(1924)
Notes
- ↑ Records and revelations. The Hindu(3 August 2003). Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ↑ Straight from the Heart - Iravatham Mahadevan: Interview with Iravatham Mahadevan. Varalaaru.com.
- ↑ Jaina treasure trove in Mankulam village. The Hindu(1 January 2009).
References
- Tamilian historiography{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Ennes Publications(1988)
- Prominent Epigraphists of Sanskrit and Dravidian. Archaeological Survey of India.