V. Kanakasabhai Biography 
V. Kanakasabhai was an Indian lawyer and historian of Sri Lankan descent. He was also Dravidologist who was the first person to attempt a systematic chronology of ancient Tamil Nadu. Kanakasabhai published a series of articles in the Madras Review since mid-1890s. The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago is his magnum opus which was published in 1904, which described ancient Tamil country, its cultural and social life as well as trade, religion and many more facts. The book is considered to be a classic, and amazing book which throws light to the Sangam period Tamil Nadu. His claims of Mongolian origin for Tamils and the relation of the word "Tamil" with Tamralipti received sharp criticisms from historians.
Visvanatha Kanakasabhai Pillai, best known as V. Kanakasabhai was a historian and researcher from Sri Lanka who conducted research works on Tamil history in the 19th century. He lived during the period, 1855–1906, and only had a short life of 51 years. But within this short period, his contribution as a historian to conduct and research Tamil history is immensely huge. Some of his authored works include - The Great Twin Epics of Tamil, Dravidian kingdom:The conquest of Bengal and Burma and The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years ago. He believed that the Sangam age might have flourished even in the 2nd century AD.
Kanakasabhai was born in Madras Presidency in 1855. He was of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, belonging to Mallakam, Jaffna in Ceylon. His father V. Visvanatha Pillai was an author of Tamil-English dictionary. He married from Jaffna, so that he can keep connections with his homeland. Yet throughout his life, he stayed in Tamil Nadu, where he completed his education and later lived his life.
Published: September 04, 2018
Updated: September 04, 2018
