Kanakaraya Mudali

Pedro Kanakaraya Mudaliar was the chief dubash and a broker for the French East India Company. He remained in service for the longest period of 24 years between 1722 and 1746, especially during the early period of Joseph François Dupleix. He was succeeded by Ananda Ranga Pillai. Everything known about his life comes from the private diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai and the inscriptions found in the walls of St. Andrews church, which he built in the memory of his dead son. In the diary, he is portrayed as being jealous and the chief rival of Ranga Pillai. Thus, the accuracy of the description is questionable.

As a broker, his roles were to act as an intermediary, supervising the manufacture of clothes, warehousing, and export of merchandise. Although the role of the broker was not to supply the French company with manufactured goods, he did so. He was a great merchant.

Early life Nothing is known about the early life of Pedro Kanagaraya Mudaliar. All converted Christians were poor except the family of Kanagaraya Mudaliar and his brothers. It was only of late years that a few had been able to keep themselves in comfort as Europeans' dubashes or in other employment.

His grandfather Thanappa Mudaliar was the first chief dubash of the French East India Company. Thanappa played an important role in creating and instituting the French colony in Pondicherry.

Thanappa Mudaliar, who belonged to the thondaimanadala Vellalar community, embraced Christianity with his son on 20 March 1671 and took the name Lazaro de Mota. He did business in rice with French starting from 1672. The French kept him as their consultant in trade and commerce. It was by his suggestion that the French officials reached Pondicherry by sea on 15 January 1674 with 150 migrants. Thanappa Mudaliar was appointed as the chief agent of the East India Company in 1674. He was appointed as the head of the Tamil merchants in 1686. He was thus given the full control over the entire business of the company with the native merchants. He was the one to fix the prices of all commodities made available to the French in Pondicherry.

Thanappa Mudaliar invited weavers from neighboring places and made them settle down in areas with a view to procuring sufficient volumes of textiles for export. He got constructed storehouses for the commodities so textiles, saltpeter, camphor, ivory, precious stones, and spices from other regions were brought to Pondicherry for export to France.

His son Andre Muthappa Mudaliar discharged the duties of the courtier from 1699 on ward. On his demise Nainiappa was asked to take charge in 1708. He held an important position in French Pondicherry.

As a Dubash Nainiappa Pillai had to face allegations of corruption and was imprisoned on 19 February 1716. Kanakaraya Mudaliar the grandson of Thanappa Mudaliar entered the service of the French Company as courier between 1716 and 1743. It seems that he got the position because the Chief Ecclesiastes of the Colony strongly desired that the holders of the office needed to be a Christian. He was honoured in the open council, and that was witnessed by his successor Anandaranga Pillai. Eleven guns were fired on the occasion. A gift of a palanquin inlaid with ivory was also made to him.

Death of his son On 22 October 1739, his only son Velavendra Mudali (birth: 12 September 1718) died aged 21. Even though the circumstances and the cause of death are not recorded, Ananda Ranga pillai being a well versed astrologist, suggests in his diary that this is due to a bad turn in Kanagaraya Mudaliyar's astrology. He also records that Velavendra was buried the next day at 3:00 PM with silk attire and pearl earrings and ring to his finger.

Kanagaraya was very much disturbed as his son was very helpful to him in all aspects. When they returned from the cemetery, Ananda Ranga pillai records that Kanagaraya's wife's sari was set ablaze in an accident and one his Kanagaraya's house was destroyed in fire costing him around 100 varagans. All of this are considered by Ananda Ranga pillai as astrological misfortunes.

Feast for building St. Andrews Church

St. Andrews Church, built by Kanagaraya Mudaliar in memory of his son

Ananda Ranga Pillai records in his diary the erection of a new church on 30 November 1745 by Kanagaraya. On this day he has invited he invited everyone without distinction of caste or religion. This is the first recorded equality meal (சம பந்தி விருந்து) in Tamil Nadu. He invited all the Brahmans, Vellazhas, Komuttis, Chettis, goldsmiths, weavers, oil-mongers, and people of other castes along all Europeans and Christians.

Ranga pillai notes that Kanagaraya made elaborate arrangements for preparation of food. Different caste people were prepared food in places of Pondicherry as per their tradition. Ranga Pillai states that the feast started at 1:00 PM. The Governor Dupleix, his consort, in company with all the members of Council partook of the banquet. He remained until 5 in the evening, and then returned to Mortancli Cbavadi. They only problem was that each caste people were forced to partake in the banquet as per his caste traditions alone. However, Chinna Mudali was not satisfied and the matter dragged on till April 1746, when Dupleix decided the case combining Mitakshara law and the concept of legitim from French jurisprudence. Balancing the interests of the two women was what Dupleix had to achieve. The women were given life interest in the property and, after their lifetime, the properties were to go to Kanakaraya's brother Tanappa Mudaliar.