Subramania Bharathiyar
Mahakavi Bharathiyar’s ( Subramania Bharati) Life and Contributions
Subramania Bharati, also known as Bharathiyar is a Tamil poet, writer, and freedom fighter amongst many things. A national icon, he is revered especially by those who have a love for literature and poetry. Still, his influence spreads far beyond his work, as he is also one of the most prominent nationalists in the South. Unfortunately, today there does not exist a large body of work concerning his life or his work relative to other freedom fighters, with some arguing that those in power are appropriating his image in recent times. This article aims to establish an overview of both his life and his achievements. Further, it looks into the themes present in his writing and the legacy he left behind.
Subramania Bharati: Life and Career
Chinnaswami Subramania Bharati was born in Ettayapuram, Tirunelveli district on December 11, 1822. His father, Chinnaswamy Iyer was an influential figure, a Tamil scholar employed under the Maharajah. When Bharathiyar was five years old his mother, Lakshmi Ammal, passed away – an event that very much shaped his dedication to the welfare of women throughout his life. He was a prodigy who started learning and creating from a young age, started writing poetry at the age of seven and would hold discussions about literature with elderly scholars. At the age of 11, he was conferred the title “Bharati” at the Ettayapuram Maharajah’s court. For a lot of his childhood he was homeschooled, and later attended the Hindu College High School in Tirunelveli.
At the tender age of 14, he was married to Chellamma, who was only seven years old. In his writing, Bharathiyar stated that he was against this child marriage but could not do anything to stop it. A year later, his father died, leaving him an orphan. From 1902 to 1904, Bharathiyar worked for the Maharajah. His tasks included reading newspapers, magazines, poetry and being the Maharajah’s companion. However, after a quarrel, he left his job citing his displeasure with the authoritative environment of the Samastana.
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