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Sir Perungavur Rajagopalachari
Tamil Nadu

Sir Perungavur Rajagopalachari

Member of the Council of India · India Office / Council of India

Last updated: 15/9/2026Tamil Nadu
Sir Perungavur Rajagopalachari was a distinguished Indian administrator, civil servant, and cooperative movement pioneer. Educated at Presidency College and Law College, Madras, he joined the Madras Civil Service in 1886 and later served as Dewan of Cochin and Travancore. Following the enactment of the Co-operative Credit Societies Act of 1904, he was appointed the first Registrar of Co-operative Societies for the Madras Presidency. He drafted standardized bylaws for Primary Agricultural Co-operative Credit Societies (PACS) and established standard accounting ledgers to protect tenant farmers from predatory moneylenders. To anchor localized societies, he founded the Madras Central Co-operative Bank in 1905 (now Tamil Nadu State Apex Co-operative Bank). He later became the first President of the Madras Legislative Council (1920–1923) and a member of the Council of India in London.
Cooperative sector involvement
Pioneered structured cooperative governance, agricultural credit administration, and apex banking infrastructure across Southern India:

1904 – 1907 · Tamil Nadu / Madras Presidency · Agricultural Credit & Governance

First Registrar of Co-operative Societies

Department of Co-operative Societies, Madras Presidency

Travelled extensively through rural tracts to establish the administration of the 1904 Act. Drafted standard model bylaws and ledger systems for primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), shielding small farmers from usurious moneylenders.

1905 – 1907 · Tamil Nadu · Cooperative Banking

Chief Institutional Planner & Founder

Madras Central Co-operative Bank (now TNSC Bank)

Designed and registered the central financial anchor for localized credit societies to rebalance liquidity surpluses and deficits, forming the bedrock of Tamil Nadu's three-tier cooperative banking framework.

Career & education

Member of the Council of India · India Office / Council of India · Civil Service & Public Administration

Joined the Madras Civil Service in 1886 and served as Dewan of Cochin (1896–1901) and Dewan of Travancore (1907–1914), spearheading administrative, judicial, and public infrastructure developments. Appointed as the first Registrar of Co-operative Societies for Madras Presidency in 1904, where he established primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) and founded the Madras Central Co-operative Bank in 1905. Later served as the first appointed President of the Madras Legislative Council (1920–1923) before being appointed to the Council of India in London.
  • Presidency College, Madras — Bachelor of Arts (BA)
    1881
  • Law College, Madras — Bachelor of Laws (BL)
    1885
  • Madras Civil Service — Civil Servant / District Collector (1886 – 1920)
  • Madras Legislative Council — President (1920 – 1923)
Notable roles & positions
Key executive, administrative, and legislative leadership positions held across British India and the princely states

1907 – 1914 · Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala, India

Dewan of Travancore

Princely State of Travancore

Headed the civil government of Travancore, driving agricultural development, administrative efficiency, and public financial management.

1904 – 1907 · Madras Presidency, India

First Registrar of Co-operative Societies

Department of Co-operative Societies, Madras Presidency

Established and organized the administration for primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) across South India under the Co-operative Credit Societies Act of 1904.

Contributions & impact
Laid the legal, financial, and administrative foundation of the cooperative movement across Southern India, transforming scattered rural credit into a structured, self-sustaining banking system:

Pioneering Administration of Co-operative Societies

1904

As the first Registrar of Co-operative Societies in the Madras Presidency, he traveled extensively across rural districts to establish primary credit societies, drafting standardized bylaws and accounting practices to protect tenant farmers from predatory moneylenders.

Notable works
Authored fundamental administrative guidelines, procedural manuals, and key legislative acts that established the legal framework for credit cooperation and state administration in Southern India:
Achievements

First Indian President of the Madras Legislative Council

1920

Appointed as the first President of the expanded Madras Legislative Council under the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, leading early legislative proceedings and parliamentary governance.

Creation of the Madras Central Co-operative Bank

1905

Designed and registered the Madras Central Co-operative Bank (now Tamil Nadu State Apex Co-operative Bank), creating a centralized liquidity hub that anchored the region's three-tier cooperative banking structure.

Foundation of the Cooperative Credit System in Madras

1904

Successfully operationalized the Co-operative Credit Societies Act of 1904 across Southern India, establishing hundreds of primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) and standardizing ledger-keeping to protect farmers from predatory moneylenders.

Awards & honors

Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI)

1920

British Crown / Imperial Honours System

Conferred in the 1920 New Year Honours for distinguished public service in economic governance, cooperative administration, and state financial restructuring.

Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE)

1909

British Crown / Imperial Honours System

Awarded in recognition of administrative efficiency as Dewan of Travancore and the First Registrar of Co-operative Credit Societies in the Madras Presidency.

Inclusive Education & Social Reforms in Travancore
Demonstrated progressive social reform as Dewan of Travancore by supporting social reformer Ayyankali's campaign for marginalized education. In 1907 and 1910, issued historical government orders enforcing the admission of Scheduled Caste children into public schools. Additionally, expanded representation by making Scheduled Caste leaders eligible for nomination to the Travancore State Assembly, appointing Ayyankali as its first Dalit member, and allocated land for educational institutions serving minority communities.
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