Professor K. Sivathamby | |
---|---|
கா. சிவத்தம்பி | |
Born | |
Died | 6 July 2011
Colombo, Sri Lanka | (aged 79)
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Academic |
Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby ( Tamil: கார்த்திகேசு சிவத்தம்பி; 10 May 1932 – 6 July 2011) was a Sri Lankan Tamil literary historian, author and academic.
Sivathamby was born on 10 May 1932 in Karaveddy in northern Ceylon. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was the son of T. P. Karthigesu, a Tamil pundit, and Valliammai. [1] [5] He was educated at Vigneswara Vidyalayam and Zahira College, Colombo (1949–52). [1] [2] After school Sivathamby joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1953, studying under K. Kanapathypillai and graduating with B.A. degree in history, economics and Tamil. [1] [3] [4] Sivathamby became a Marxist during his university days. [2] He later received a M.A. degree in Tamil, under the guidance of S. Vithiananthan, from the university. [2] [3] Sivathamby received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Birmingham in 1970 after producing thesis, supervised by George Derwent Thomson, on drama in ancient Tamil society. [3] [4] [6]
Sivathamby was married to Rupavathy. [3] [4] They had three daughters (Mangai, Kothai and Varthani). [3] [4]
Sivathamby worked as a simultaneous interpreter at the House of Representatives of Ceylon before teaching at Zahira College. [3] [4] He then taught at Vidyodaya University (1965–78) before joining the University of Jaffna in 1978 and heading up its Tamil and Aesthetic Studies departments. [3] [4] [7] He retired from the University of Jaffna in 1996 but then served as emeritus professor at the university until his death. [3] [4] [7]
Sivathamby was a visiting professor of Tamil at the Uppsala University (1992), University of Madras (1998) and Institute of International Tamil Studies, Madras (1999). [3] [7] He was senior research/ visiting fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi (1982), Tamil University (1982) and University of Cambridge (1983–84). [3] [4] [7]
Sivathamby was chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Citizens of North and East of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation Organisation (1986–98). [3] [4] He was also patron of the Colombo Tamil Sangam. [3] Sivathamby died on 6 July 2011 at his home in Dehiwala, Colombo following a heart attack. [1] [3] [4]
Sivathamby wrote around 70 books and 200 research papers including: [3] [4] [8] [9] [10]
Professor K. Sivathamby | |
---|---|
கா. சிவத்தம்பி | |
Born | |
Died | 6 July 2011
Colombo, Sri Lanka | (aged 79)
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Academic |
Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby ( Tamil: கார்த்திகேசு சிவத்தம்பி; 10 May 1932 – 6 July 2011) was a Sri Lankan Tamil literary historian, author and academic.
Sivathamby was born on 10 May 1932 in Karaveddy in northern Ceylon. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was the son of T. P. Karthigesu, a Tamil pundit, and Valliammai. [1] [5] He was educated at Vigneswara Vidyalayam and Zahira College, Colombo (1949–52). [1] [2] After school Sivathamby joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1953, studying under K. Kanapathypillai and graduating with B.A. degree in history, economics and Tamil. [1] [3] [4] Sivathamby became a Marxist during his university days. [2] He later received a M.A. degree in Tamil, under the guidance of S. Vithiananthan, from the university. [2] [3] Sivathamby received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Birmingham in 1970 after producing thesis, supervised by George Derwent Thomson, on drama in ancient Tamil society. [3] [4] [6]
Sivathamby was married to Rupavathy. [3] [4] They had three daughters (Mangai, Kothai and Varthani). [3] [4]
Sivathamby worked as a simultaneous interpreter at the House of Representatives of Ceylon before teaching at Zahira College. [3] [4] He then taught at Vidyodaya University (1965–78) before joining the University of Jaffna in 1978 and heading up its Tamil and Aesthetic Studies departments. [3] [4] [7] He retired from the University of Jaffna in 1996 but then served as emeritus professor at the university until his death. [3] [4] [7]
Sivathamby was a visiting professor of Tamil at the Uppsala University (1992), University of Madras (1998) and Institute of International Tamil Studies, Madras (1999). [3] [7] He was senior research/ visiting fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi (1982), Tamil University (1982) and University of Cambridge (1983–84). [3] [4] [7]
Sivathamby was chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Citizens of North and East of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation Organisation (1986–98). [3] [4] He was also patron of the Colombo Tamil Sangam. [3] Sivathamby died on 6 July 2011 at his home in Dehiwala, Colombo following a heart attack. [1] [3] [4]
Sivathamby wrote around 70 books and 200 research papers including: [3] [4] [8] [9] [10]