Maniammai
Indian Social activist and politician
About Maniammai
Lived 1917 – 1978 (aged 61). Maniammai was an Indian.
Erode Venkatappa Ramasami Maniammai (10 March 1917 – 16 March 1978) was a Dravidian social activist and politician. She was the second wife of Periyar and succeeded him as the president of the Dravidar Kazhagam upon his death in 1973.
Biography Maniammai was born as Kanthimathi to Kanagasabai Mudaliar, who was a member of the Justice Party. Soon after her father's death, she joined the Dravidar Kazhagam founded by Periyar in 1942–1943. Sources close to Periyar had indicated that Maniyammai, being a woman, could not be named his heir. So he took to the recourse of marrying her so that she could become his legal heir. His marriage with a much younger Maniammai and his appointment of her as his successor shocked many of his party leaders.
Then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran and his arch rival M. Karunanidhi paid their final respects to the mortal remains of Maniyammai at funeral at Periyar thidal in 1978.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Maniammai's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Maniammai?
Indian Social activist and politician
When was Maniammai born?
Maniammai was born on 10 March 1917 in Vellore.
When did Maniammai die?
Maniammai died on 16 March 1978.
What nationality was Maniammai?
Maniammai was Indian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Maniammai. https://biography.guide/maniammai/
MLA: "Maniammai." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/maniammai/.
Chicago: "Maniammai." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/maniammai/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:33 UTC