K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyar

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 Avinashi Tirupur 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

• Aiyar, K. V. Subrahmanya (1917). Historical Sketches of Ancient Deccan. Modern Printing Works.
• Aiyar, K. V. Subrahmanya (1924). The Earliest monuments of the Pândya country and their inscriptions.

Notes

1. Indira Parthasarathy (3 August 2003). "Records and revelations". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
2. "Straight from the Heart - Iravatham Mahadevan: Interview with Iravatham Mahadevan". Varalaaru.com.
3. T. S. Subramanian (1 January 2009). "Jaina treasure trove in Mankulam village". The Hindu.

References

• N. Subrahmanian (1988). "K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyar". Tamilian historiography. Ennes Publications. pp. 119–120.
• "Prominent Epigraphists of Sanskrit and Dravidian". Archaeological Survey of India.