Spouse(s) Manikyamma | Religion Hindu | |
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Died 11 November 1970, Hyderabad | ||
Madapati Hanumantha Rao (Jan 22, 1885- Nov 11, 1970) was an Indian patriot, statesman, poet and a short-story writer. He was the first Mayor of Hyderabad from 1951-1954. He is also a Padma Bhushan recipient. He was affectionately called as Andhra Pitamaha (Grandfather of Andhra) by his admirers.
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Early life
He was born in Pokkunuru, Nandigama Taluk in Krishna district.
Public worker
He headed many a Andhra MahaSabha meetings and wrote Andhrodhyamam. Because of his passion in public service, he left his lucrative legal practice at the age of 56 in 1941 and became a full-time public worker. After the formation of separate state for Andhra Pradesh in 1956, the then Chief minister Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy asked him to be the Chairman of Legislative Council. He conducted the proceedings of the upper house till 1964.
He encouraged compulsory elementary education with mother-tongue as the medium of instruction. He lost his father at the age of five.
He is one of the proponents of library movement inaugurated in 1901 along with Komarraju Venkata Lakshmanarao and Ravichettu Ranga Rao. They started Srikrishna Devaraya Andhra Bhasha Nilayam at Hyderabad in 1901 and Sri Rajaraja Andhra Bhasha Nilayam at Hanumakonda in 1904. He was influenced by the writings of Kandukuri Veeresallingam, the great social reformer.
A Telugu medium High school was started by Madapati. When the state government and Osmania University, and Andhra University refused recognition, he got recognition from Women's university at Pune. He was also a member of the Senate and Syndicate of Osmania University.