Merch
News
Panchangam
Apps
Downloads
For Teachers
Resources
About
PEOPLE
IDEAS
PLACES
CULTURE
CREATE
STORIES
GAMES
G. Subramania Iyer
ஜி. சுப்பிரமணிய ஐயர்
The founder of The Hindu — the voice of the South
Years
1855 – 1916
Known as
G. Subramania Iyer — journalist and patriot
Birthplace
Madras (Chennai)
Field
Freedom Fighters
“A free people need a free press — the newspaper is the school of the citizen.”
— G. Subramania Iyer
The Story
Born in 1855 in Madras, Subramania Iyer was a young lawyer drawn to public life. In 1878, with a group of patriot friends, he founded The Hindu — a weekly that grew into one of the world's great newspapers — to voice the grievances of the people and to advocate self-rule.
He was among the founders of the Indian National Congress in 1885 and served as one of its earliest secretaries, carrying the message of the movement across the South. Through The Hindu he educated the reading public of Madras on the politics of the nation, the evils of foreign rule, and the need for self-government.
He served on the Madras legislative council, where he fought for the rights of the people, and remained a voice of reason and patriotism till his death in 1916. His paper, The Hindu, grew into one of the most respected institutions of Bhārat — the living monument of its founder.
Core Ideas
The Founder of The Hindu
The great newspaper he began in 1878.
The Congress Pioneer
Among the founders of the Indian National Congress.
The Educator of the South
He awakened Madras to the cause of freedom.
The Legislator
He fought for the people's rights in the council.
The Free Press
His paper became one of the world's greatest.
Why it matters today
G. Subramania Iyer is remembered as the founder of The Hindu and a pioneer of the national movement in the South. His newspaper became one of the great institutions of the world, and his life remains an example of how journalism and patriotism can build a nation's consciousness.