444:, which was outside the kingdom, having raised money to do so through subscriptions and taking on debt. His financial situation was dire by the end of the first year, when he received an honour certificate, but he was able to complete the course with the aid of donations from various high-placed people. These donations were carefully scripted to prevent him from later taking up a position within the government, as Ezhavas were forbidden from such employment and many forward caste doctors would in any event refuse to work with backward caste colleagues. He went to England to further his medical training at London and
440:. He was denied the admission though he ranked second. It was common knowledge that his caste-related birth determined the decision, even though the official reason given was that he was beyond the age limit. Like his older brother, he seems to have been able to use his family's association with Christian missionaries to avoid the usual rule in the kingdom that Ezhavas were forbidden from school attendance. He was subsequently refused admission to Travancore Medical College due to his caste. From 1885, he attended
33:
523:, with a statement explaining the ways in which the Ezhavas suffered discrimination. He noted that if members of the community wanted education or government jobs then their only recourse was to convert from Hinduism to Christianity. Shungrasoobyer was slow in responding but in February 1896, when Palpu had taken leave from his job in
527:, Mysore, to press the matter in Trivandrum, he told Palpu that the government would open as many of its schools as possible to Ezhavas and that it would consider applications from qualified Ezhavas for posts in all departments other than Revenue. Anthropologist Ritty Lukose describes him as the "political father" of the Ezhavas.
484:
Becoming aware of the importance of education as a method of socio-economic advancement and also as means to improve health and hygiene, Palpu was the third signatory to the "Malayali
Memorial", a petition organised and submitted to the Maharaja of Travancore on January 1, 1891, that primarily sought
540:
in
September of that year. This use of petitions as a vehicle to achieve a coalescence of communal consciousness and cause change was one of the first examples of such in the kingdom, where the ritually superior Brahmin groups held the majority of posts available in the administration of the state.
530:
In practice, when some Ezhava graduates applied for government jobs soon after
Shungrasoobyer's announcement, they were told that there were no vacancies. Thus, later in 1896, Palpu again took leave from his job to campaign in Travancore. He organised a petition that attracted the signatures of
535:
and access to employment in public service. The bar from education in government schools was noted as being inequitable given their claim that the
Ezhavas paid more taxes than any other community in the kingdom. The petition was published in the
425:, India. His family consisted of wealthy and well-educated members who came from the Ezhava caste. The Ezhavas were traditionally occupied as weavers, farmers, toddy tappers. In addition, many had involvements in agriculture and
166:
504:
it did indicate to Palpu a method by which he could continue to campaign for the improved position of
Ezhavas in society. Caroline Wilson notes that he also petitioned the
452:
in 1889, he found that his caste status prevented him from obtaining employment in the
Travancore Health Service, which meant that he had to relocate to
835:
464:
Palpu became the chief medical officer of Mysore State. His salary was more than the salary of
Travancore Diwan. Later he was selected to the British
1101:
144:. Sajil Sreedhar wrote a novel titled Athmasourabham based on the life of Dr.Palppu which was published in Yoganadam magazine owned by SNDP Yogam.
399:
1146:
1111:
1091:
1141:
531:
13,176 Ezhavas. This letter was presented to the
Maharajah of Travancore and demanded their right to admission in schools run by the
433:
1106:
932:
863:
812:
778:
744:
643:
613:
561:
512:
129:
602:"The social transformation of the medical profession in urban Kerala : Doctors, social mobility and the middle classes"
1121:
1116:
392:
449:
343:
287:
277:
1049:
1020:
990:
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903:
673:
1136:
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136:, who sought an end to the caste system and preached his concept of "one caste, one religion, one god." His son
385:
496:. The petition was amended to include a statement on the injustices faced by Ezhavas and was published in the
1126:
1081:
515:
to highlight inequalities in
Travancore society and he again made demands in 1895, when he petitioned the
155:
63:
418:
272:
257:
373:
703:(1974). "The Social Origins of a Caste Association, 1875–1905: The Founding of the S.N.D.P. Yogam".
1086:
489:
community, who were in government jobs but felt that the best of those jobs were dominated by non-
465:
312:
140:
became a successor of
Narayana Guru. Palpu has been described as the "political father" of the
132:(Society for the Propagation of the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru), whose first president was
1096:
441:
317:
196:
186:
1037:
978:
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920:
893:
802:
734:
601:
476:, but refused the offer. He was able to work for the British there as a public health doctor.
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in Trivandrum and matriculated there in 1883. He then wrote the examination for admission to
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889:
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201:
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Palpu, who had learned English from a Eurasian tutor from the age of 12, attended
1010:
858:. Religion & society in South Asia series. Taylor & Francis. p. 45.
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128:
in Kerala and a led a movement for social equality. In 1903, he founded the
297:
118:
532:
807:. WIDER Studies in Development Economics. Clarendon Press. p. 307.
113:(2 November 1863 – 25 January 1950) was a physician from the Kingdom of
569:
114:
58:
836:"Palpu: A doctor, activist who fought the plague and the caste system"
524:
445:
237:
32:
855:
Female Ascetics: Hierarchy and Purity in Indian Religious Movements
493:
490:
568:
is named after him. Palpu influenced the political philosophy of
565:
950:"Recasting the Secular: Religion and Education in Kerala, India"
165:
473:
468:
for virology. After his retirement, he was offered the post of
453:
429:, and they were also occupied as shopkeepers, and businessmen.
141:
125:
67:
469:
956:(2nd ed.). Indiana University Press. pp. 209–210.
847:
845:
486:
500:
in July. Whilst the Memorial had no success, according to
511:
Palpu was among those who attempted to use data from the
842:
1012:
Modern Kerala: Studies in Social and Agrarian Relations
728:
726:
794:
723:
635:
Communism in Kerala: a study in political adaptation
804:Indian Development: Selected Regional Perspectives
638:. University of California Press. pp. 25–27.
632:(1982). "Kerala's identity: unity and diversity".
1063:
760:
485:to address the concerns of those members of the
91:Kerala reformation movement and medical services
608:. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. pp. 143–144.
851:
393:
448:. Back in India and having been awarded his
898:. Cambridge University Press. p. 214.
884:
882:
739:. APH Publishing Corporation. p. 483.
412:
952:. In Mines, Diane P.; Lamb, Sarah (eds.).
773:. Concept Publishing Company. p. 53.
705:South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies
606:Being Middle-class in India: A Way of Life
400:
386:
31:
16:Indian social reformer and freedom fighter
732:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
685:
173:, the most prominent face of the movement
117:who served as a chief medical officer of
1044:. Pearson Education India. p. 326.
985:. Pearson Education India. p. 329.
927:. Pearson Education India. p. 312.
888:
879:
800:
657:
655:
628:
595:
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589:
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1102:People from Thiruvananthapuram district
699:
459:
1064:
970:
947:
766:
682:
661:
599:
1147:People from the Kingdom of Travancore
1035:
1005:
976:
918:
652:
582:
562:Dr. Palpu College of Arts and Science
130:Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam
668:. Orient Blackswan. pp. 82–83.
1112:20th-century Indian medical doctors
1092:19th-century Indian medical doctors
1015:. Mittal Publications. p. 99.
895:The Indian Princes and their States
549:Palpu had a son, commonly known as
150:This article is part of a series on
13:
1142:Medical doctors from British India
479:
450:Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery
278:Kallingal Madathil Rarichan Moopan
14:
1158:
770:Communal Road to a Secular Kerala
544:
164:
1029:
999:
941:
912:
124:He led social activism for the
828:
622:
1:
1107:Madras Medical College alumni
575:
604:. In Donner, Henrike (ed.).
7:
1122:20th-century Indian writers
1117:19th-century Indian writers
954:Everyday Life in South Asia
852:Sinclair-Brull, W. (2013).
801:Drèze, J.; Sen, A. (1997).
344:Consecration at Aruvippuram
10:
1163:
1042:Different Types of History
983:Different Types of History
925:Different Types of History
1040:. In Ray, Bharati (ed.).
981:. In Ray, Bharati (ed.).
948:Lukose, Ritty A. (2010).
923:. In Ray, Bharati (ed.).
736:A Social History of India
717:10.1080/00856407408730687
600:Wilson, Caroline (2011).
556:
374:Temple Entry Proclamation
100:
95:
87:
75:
44:
39:
30:
23:
733:Sadasivan, S.N. (2000).
630:Nossiter, Thomas Johnson
413:Early life and education
1038:"Subjects of New Lives"
979:"Subjects of New Lives"
921:"Subjects of New Lives"
662:Gadgil, Madhav (2005).
466:General Medical Council
313:Kuriakose Elias Chavara
1137:Scientists from Kerala
1132:Indian bacteriologists
442:Madras Medical College
318:E. M. S. Namboodiripad
187:Caste system in Kerala
1036:Kumar, Udaya (2009).
977:Kumar, Udaya (2009).
919:Kumar, Udaya (2009).
423:Kingdom of Travancore
157:Reformation in Kerala
59:Kingdom of Travancore
890:Ramusack, Barbara N.
506:Houses of Parliament
460:Mysore state service
364:Guruvayur Satyagraha
354:Nair Service Society
293:Chempakaraman Pillai
283:V. T. Bhattathiripad
25:Dr.Padmanabhan Palpu
1127:Writers from Kerala
1082:Indian male writers
767:Mathew, G. (1989).
665:Ecological Journeys
533:colonial government
349:Sree Narayana Trust
508:while in England.
434:Maharaja's College
427:ayurvedic medicine
417:Palpu was born in
243:Sahodaran Ayyappan
228:Chattampi Swamikal
64:Thiruvananthapuram
934:978-8-13171-818-6
865:978-1-136-78945-8
838:. 21 August 2020.
814:978-0-19-829204-3
780:978-81-7022-282-8
746:978-81-7648-170-0
645:978-0-520-04667-2
615:978-0-415-67167-5
521:S. Shungrasoobyer
419:Petta, Trivandrum
410:
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359:Vaikom Satyagraha
303:Padmanabhan Palpu
111:Padmanabhan Palpu
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248:Ayyathan Gopalan
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126:Ezhava community
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52:
35:
21:
20:
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519:of Travancore,
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480:Social activism
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438:medical studies
415:
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323:Kuroolli Chekon
263:Pandit Karuppan
223:Ayyavu Swamikal
174:
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104:Social equality
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79:25 January 1950
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55:2 November 1863
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88:Known for
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83:(aged 86)
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551:Nataraja Guru
545:Personal life
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502:Robin Jeffrey
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62:(present day
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869:. Retrieved
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818:. Retrieved
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750:. Retrieved
735:
711:(1): 39–59.
708:
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548:
537:
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510:
498:Madras Times
497:
483:
463:
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416:
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298:G. P. Pillai
288:S. R. Pillai
273:M. P. Pillai
123:
119:Mysore State
110:
109:
96:Organization
81:(1950-01-25)
18:
1077:1950 deaths
1072:1863 births
538:Madras Mail
513:1891 census
1066:Categories
576:References
570:C. Kesavan
179:Background
115:Travancore
101:Philosophy
51:1863-11-02
525:Bangalore
446:Cambridge
238:Ayyankali
1009:(1988).
892:(2004).
494:Brahmins
491:Malayali
70:, India)
40:Personal
566:Pangode
142:Ezhavas
1048:
1019:
989:
960:
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871:15 May
862:
820:15 May
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786:15 May
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752:15 May
743:
672:
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612:
557:Legacy
474:Baroda
454:Mysore
336:Others
68:Kerala
517:Diwan
470:Diwan
202:Varna
1046:ISBN
1017:ISBN
987:ISBN
958:ISBN
929:ISBN
900:ISBN
873:2023
860:ISBN
822:2023
809:ISBN
788:2023
775:ISBN
754:2023
741:ISBN
670:ISBN
640:ISBN
610:ISBN
487:Nair
76:Died
45:Born
713:doi
564:in
472:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
