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Source– This post “Constantine Joseph Beschi(Veeramamunivar)” is based on the article “Constantine Joseph Beschi, a missionary, Tamil scholar, and Chanda Sahib’s Dewan” published in “The Hindu” on 14th November 2023.
Why in the News?
Recently Emerald Publishers released the English translation of the first biography of Veeramamunivar(known as Constantine Joseph Beschi) in Tamil written by A. Muttusami Pillei.
Who is Constantine Joseph Beschi?
1. Constantine Joseph Beschi, the Italian Jesuit missionary and Tamil scholar
2. He had also maintained a close friendship with Chanda Sahib, the Nawab of the Carnatic.
3. He had even acted as his Dewan.
What are the views of Muttusami Pillei on Constantine Joseph Beschi?
1. He was a Religious devotee and an Italian Jesuit missionary.
2. Office of Dewan– By appointing him to the office, the Nawab of the Carnatic also gifted the Italian Jesuit four villages in Tiruchi district, which yielded a revenue of ₹12,000 a year.
3. He held the office of Dewan in Tiruchi till 1740.
4. He abstained from the “use of flesh and fish”.
5. He also studied Sanskrit, Telugu, and Tamil assiduously and became a master of these languages, especially Tamil.
UPSC Syllabus-History (Literature)
