Former Secretary to the Govt of Travnacore the Remarkble Shri.Gnana Joshua , B.A,.

Introduction ; Late Mr Gnanamuthu Joshua, B.A, was really a remarkable person ; he was a multifaceted personality, an unsung Hero,  educational and social Reformer and he was a Force; generally he was called as Gnana Joshua . He and his illustrious brother late Rev  Gnanamuthu Jesudasan [ Rev Gnanamuthu Jesudasan, was mainly instrumental in bringing the Missouri Evangelical Lutheran India Mission [MELIM] Missionaries to Kanyakumari District and also Rev Jesudasan was the first ordained Indian MELIM  Lutheran Pastor in India] were really outstanding  persons and both of them had done outstanding service to the cause of Social Justice, Cultural Renaissance,Christianity and  People's Education   In a sense they were social revolutionaries and they had become a part of the social, religious and educational history of Travancore and South India. In short  these two  outstanding brothers were trendsetters of their time.

Gnana Joshua's Parents and Birth : Gnana Joshua's father Mr. Gnanamuthu  hailed from a tiny village called Uthirappatti, located on the fertile banks of the ancient  river Pazhayar , near Suchindrum , Agasteeswaram taluk, Kanyakumari District and Joshua' mother Mrs Saratha Gnanamuthu  hailed from the family of Maharasan Vethamonicakm of South Travancore [Kayakumari Dist].. It will be useful to mention here that  later Mrs Saratha Gnanamuthu's younger son Rev Jesudasan's daughter was also named as Saratha in remembrance Mrs Sartha Gnamauthu. Rev G. Jesudasan married Ms Manonmani Solomon Palmer., a granddaughter of  Christian Tamil Poet Mr John Palmer.]  Mr Gnana Joshua's exat date of birth is not known , however we can infer and  say he would have born  most probably in the year 1870..[ His younger brother Rev.G. Jesudasan was born in June , 1872, in Kandy, Srilanka ].

Gnana Joshua's Wife and Children : Mr Gnana Joshua married Ms Perinbam Ammal most probably  in 1914 [ The base for my inference .is that the first child of Mr.Gnana Joshua and Mrs. Perinbam Ammal Gnana Joshua couple, Mrs. Edith Rajambal K.V Joseph Natarajan was born on 20th October, 1915, in Trivandrum ] and this beautiful  Gnana Joshua and Perinabam Ammal couple  was blessed with eight lovely children namely; [1] Ms. Edith Rajambal  [Mrs Edith Rajambal efficaiously worked as Headmistress at Karaikudi Menakshi Girls High School ], [2] Ms. Lily Pushpam, [3] Ms Clara Christambal, [4] Ms. Sara Navamani ,[5] Mary Ranjitham ,[6]Ms. Joanna Ratinam ,[7] Mrs. Lizzy Muthammal and[8] Ms. Sugirthambal Joshua.. It is pertinent here to remember  that Mr Gnana Joshua's illustrious relative Poet John Palmer's wife's name was also Ms Perinbam Ammal.

Gnana Joshua Joined the Travancore Government Service. ; Mr Gnana Joshua  hailed from one of the very influential and illustrious Christian families of Travancore. Mr Gnana Joshua did his early education in Srilanka  and came to India for higher studies.  After  receiving his BA degree [in 19th century] Mr Gnana Joshua  joined as a Civil Servant in the Government of Travancore State.  It is apt to mention here that Mr Gna Joshua was one of the pioneer  B.A, degree holders in South Travancore..During that period  while Gnana Joshua  was working as a  Senior Civil Servant in the Travancore Government , his relative Mr C.M Agur B.A was working as Office Manger at the Honorable British  Residents' Office in  Trivnadrum . Mr.Gnana Joshua's  younger brother Mr Gnanamuthu Jesusdasan also was working as Personal Secretary to the then British Resident , Trivandrum.. Gnana Joshua had the privilege to work in a colorful  and distinctive manner  as Education and Finance Secretary  in the Travancore Government. Mr Gnana Joshua maintained a good rapport with the British Resident and the Maharaja of Travancore. Mr Gnana Joshua earned the good will and respect of the Maharaja of Travancore for his integrity and efficacious  hard work Mr Gnana Joshua in his capacity as Education Secretary  introduced many  outstanding educational reforms in the educational policy of the Government of Travancore.


Conclusion ;   The then Maharaja of Travancore  highly appreciated the  outstanding service rendered by Mr Gnana Joshua, B.A, to the people of Travancore state and nominated him  as a Member in the Sri Chitra Legislative  Council and Sri.Gnana Joshua served the Legislative Council in a colorful, distinguished and enviable way. Unfortunately the last end of Mr Gnana Joshua's life is  not clear in the History.  Any how some of  the educational  and social reforms introduced by him had helped many poor students  to come up in education and life. Really Mr Gnana Joshua achieved greatness by his  visionary and honest actions. and accomplishments. Actually  we  and Indian  history need his  Biography. Mr Gnana Joshua , B.A, lived up to the level of his name's meaning and significance and he will live for ever in our minds.
By. P. BABU MANOHARAN, M.A, [ Rights reserved. This Article will be enlarged, modified and corrected later , if needed].