Kavalam Madhava Panikkar
Encyclopedia
His Excellency Sardar Kavalam Madhava Panikkar (or K. M. Panikkar) (June 3, 1895 – December 10, 1963) was an India
n scholar, journalist, historian, administrator and diplomat. He was born to Puthillathu Parameswaran Namboodiri and Chalayil Kunjikutti Kunjamma in the Kingdom of Travancore
, then a princely state in the British Indian Empire on June 3,1895.
, Sardar Panikkar read for the bar at the Middle Temple
, London
, before returning to India.
and later at the University of Calcutta
. He turned to journalism in 1925 as editor of the Hindustan Times
.
He entered political life in the service of the Indian princes, becoming secretary to the chancellor of the Chamber of Princes
(organization of rulers of the princely states). He also served as the foreign minister of the state of Patiala and as foreign minister and later as chief minister of the state of Bikaner (1944–47).
After India gained its independence, he was entrusted with greater responsibilities as ambassador to China (1948–52), Egypt (1952–53), and France (1956–59). He was a member of the States Reorganisation Commission.Regarding State Reorganization K.M Panicker said "The newly fashioned units,it is true, have a self conscious coherence, but they are willing, thus equipped, to work as parts of a whole that is India" Late in life, he returned to academia and was vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore
until his death.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n scholar, journalist, historian, administrator and diplomat. He was born to Puthillathu Parameswaran Namboodiri and Chalayil Kunjikutti Kunjamma in the Kingdom of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, then a princely state in the British Indian Empire on June 3,1895.
Early life and education
Educated at the University of OxfordUniversity of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, Sardar Panikkar read for the bar at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, before returning to India.
Career
On returning, he first taught at the Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
and later at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. He turned to journalism in 1925 as editor of the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
.
He entered political life in the service of the Indian princes, becoming secretary to the chancellor of the Chamber of Princes
Chamber of Princes
The Chamber of Princes was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of the King-Emperor to provide a forum in which the rulers of the Indian princely states could voice their needs and aspirations to the government of British India...
(organization of rulers of the princely states). He also served as the foreign minister of the state of Patiala and as foreign minister and later as chief minister of the state of Bikaner (1944–47).
After India gained its independence, he was entrusted with greater responsibilities as ambassador to China (1948–52), Egypt (1952–53), and France (1956–59). He was a member of the States Reorganisation Commission.Regarding State Reorganization K.M Panicker said "The newly fashioned units,it is true, have a self conscious coherence, but they are willing, thus equipped, to work as parts of a whole that is India" Late in life, he returned to academia and was vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore
University of Mysore
The University of Mysore , is a public university in India. The University founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore, and was conceptualized on the basis of a report on educational progress in the United States and Australia, submitted by Messrs Thomas Denham and...
until his death.