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Biography
Sir T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty (April 1837 - 19 June 1907), Trichinopoly Rayalu Arakiaswamy Thumboo Chetty, Raja Dharma Pravina, C.I.E. was the First Indian Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore and the Offg. Dewan of Mysore.
Thumboo Chetty is thought to have been born in Trichinopoly, and spent his early life in the Black Town later called George Town, Madras. After the pial school where Thumboo Chetty was taught the vernacular languages (Telugu, Tamil), he received his education in English in that celebrated school known as 'The Free Church Mission Institution' and which was later familiar as the 'Madras Christian College'.
After leaving school, Thumboo Chetty first apprenticed himself to a Mercantile Firm, Griffith's and Co., where his revered father, Desai Royaloo Chettiar, filled the responsible post of Chief Book-keeper, and in December 1855, he entered the Public Service as a Clerk, then Cash-keeper, and Indexer, in the office of the Quarter Master General of the Madras Army.
In 1862 Thumboo Chetty became the Manager of the first Madras Legislative Council, of which Mr. John Dawson Mayne was the Legislative Secretary. While this eminent Barrister was Professor of Law in the Presidency College, Thumboo Chetty was induced to study and pass in law. He joined Law Classes and in the final examination held in 1866 Thumboo Chetty obtained the first prize for the proficiency in law.
Mr. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty before he joined the Mysore Service was the Judge of the Court of District Munsiff of Purghi in the Bellary district appointed in 1866 by the High Court of Madras.
Trichinopoly Rayalu Arakiaswamy Thumboo Chetty known as Mr. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty was soon afterwards appointed Sheristadar of the Judicial Commissioner's Court at Bangalore in 1867, at that time the Princely State of Mysore was under the British rule.
In the year 1879, Mr. Thumboo Chetty was the first native appointed to the important post of District and Sessions Judge of the Nandidroog Division. He discharged this duty with commendable ability for about five years.
After the Rendition of Mysore which took place in 1881, Mr. Thumboo Chetty was nominated ex-officio Senior Member of the Council of His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore Chamarajendra Wodayar Bahadur.
In 1884 when the Chief Court of Mysore was constituted, this Court being the highest Court of appeal, Mr. Thumboo Chetty was appointed as one of the three Judges, and subsequently the Chief Judge in July 1890. Mr. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty thus became the First Indian Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore. Mr. Thumboo Chetty was made Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire in 1895.
During the period of His Highness' reign, the following held the office of Dewan : Mr. C. Rangacharlu and Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, Mr. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty officiating for the latter on three different occasions during the years 1890, 1892 and 1893.
The sudden demise of the Maharaja Chamarajendra Wodayar and since his eldest son His Highness the Maharajah Krishnaraja Wadeyar Bahadur was a minor at that time, Sir T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty was nominated in 1895, Senior Member of the Regency Council of Mysore of Her Highness the Regent Maharani Vanivilas Sannidhana.
Mr. Thumboo Chetty was relieved of the Chief Judgeship on 4th November 1895 and continued to serve as a full-time Councillor.
Sir K. Seshadri Iyer continued to be the Dewan during the period of the Regency, Sir T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty officiated again twice, once in 1897 and again in 1900. Of these, Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, who had served the State since 1 January 1883, resigned the office of Dewan and President of the State Council, owing to ill-health, on 18 March 1901. On the same date, Sir T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty, Member of Council, who was officiating for him since 11th August 1900, was granted leave preparatory to retirement.
Thus happily ended the official career of one who, from humble situations, gradually rose to be the First Indian Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore and the Dewan of one of the principal Native States in British India.
Family
Trichinopoly Rayalu Arakiaswamy Thumboo Chetty was born of Catholic parents in April 1837. His father, Desayi Royalu Chetti Garu, was the head of his caste. He was an honourable and upright man, well versed in accounts and highly respected by the Native Christian community in Madras. His mother, whose maiden name was Kitheri Ummah (or Catherine), was a woman of great piety, mildness, courtesy and serenity marked her life. It was to her care and prayers in his tender years, Thumboo owed the correction of the forward propensities peculiar to childhood.
He was the sixth child in his family; he had three elder sisters and one younger brother and a sister, all of whom lived long enough to see his progress and advancement and to realise the prediction of his beloved mother made at his birth, namely " The sixth, being male, will rise to be a great man and rule over people". He had, however, the misfortune to lose both his parents at the very early age of twelve, but he was brought up, with great care and attention, by no less than five executors to whom the probate of his mother's Will was granted by the Madras High Court, the principal of whom afterwards became his father-in-law.
Thumboo Chetty married Rajamma the daughter of Mr. Ponnoo Chettiar and Sinnammalle. The marriage was celebrated in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Refuge in Pophan’s Broadway, Madras. The couple had four sons T. Rayaloo Chetty, T. Dharma Raj Chetty, T. Sathya Raj Chetty, Sir T. Thumboo Chetty and four daughters Amarapatty Amma, Sathiavathy Amma, Dhanavathy Amma, Baghavathy Amma.