Kandukuri Viresalingam

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Kandukuri Viresalingam ( Telugu కందుకూరి వీరేశలింగం ; born April 16, 1848 in Rajahmundry ; † May 27, 1919 ) was an Indian reformer and man of letters. He was a member of the caste of Brahmins and is now considered one of the great figures of the Telugu viewed.

Childhood and youth

Viresalingam first attended a local school while simultaneously being tutored in English and math by his uncle. From 1860 he attended a secondary, English-language school. In this he read the writings of Keshab Chandra Sen , a Bengali reformer and member of the Brahmo Samaj . As a result, his worldview began to change; away from a traditional to a western rational one. Increasingly, he critically questioned topics such as caste , astrology , religion and religious practices. By the time he graduated from school in 1870, his worldview had changed dramatically. From then on he began to campaign for reform; In contrast to many others, he was also actively involved in their implementation.

Literary career and social reforms (1874 to 1893)

Viresalingam founded the Telugu magazine Viveka Vardhani (The Growth of Wisdom) in Rajahmundry in 1874 . This contained scientific articles, ideas and suggestions for social reforms and essays with morally instructive and sometimes polemical content. These essays were often directed against the views of his own caste.

In 1878 he published his novel Rajasekhara Caritramu . This novel was the second to appear in Telugu. In the same year he founded the first Prarthana Samaj of Andhra , also in Rajahmundry . This was in many ways identical to the Brahmo Samaj Center in Madras .

Since his theses should be read by as broad a class as possible, he decided to write in everyday language from 1880 onwards. This decision meant that Telugu was no longer seen only as a means of communication, but also as an identity-creating feature.

Viresalingam was a loyal subject of the Raj and, as a result, befriended many British people. He dedicated many of his books to them, and some of his works became compulsory reading at the colonial government in Madras and at the University of Madras . These factors ensured that his books were often sold and therefore made him financially independent. This financial freedom, combined with his friendly relationship with the colonial government, made it possible for him to undertake activities such as B. To carry out widow marriages. These weddings could only take place under strong police protection. Only Christian and Muslim police officers were used for this, as Hindu police officers were not trusted. With the rise of Indian nationalism and the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885, however, Viresalingam came under fire and had to take a stand.