T. Ramaswamy Choudary
Tripuraneni Ramaswamy (1887–1943), also known as Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Choudary, was a Indian lawyer, poet, playwright and social reformer who worked among Telugu-speaking people. He was nicknamed Kaviraju, or the “king of poets,” by the Andhra Mahasabha in 1929 for his literary talent.
Born in Angaluru, Krishna district, into a farmer family, Ramaswamy showed early literary gifts. At 23, he finished his matriculation and wrote two plays, Karempudi Kadanam and Kurukshetra Sangramam. He studied at Noble College in Machilipatnam and later went to Dublin, Ireland, to study law, English literature and European culture.
Ramaswamy supported India’s independence, writing patriotic songs and urging people to back the Home Rule movement. After returning to India, he practiced law in Tenali but focused much of his energy on social reforms. He fought against casteism and social injustices, using literature to express rational ideas. He worked with Unnava Lakshminarayana, and his poetry, such as Kuppuswamy Satakam, spoke about social reform, critiqued old dogmas, and challenged untouchability.
He also argued against expensive traditional weddings and helped promote simpler marriage rites through Vivaha Vidhi, even officiating many ceremonies. A respected educationist, he served three terms on the Andhra University senate.
Among his other works are Sambhukavadha, Suthapuranam, Dhoortha maanava, Khooni, Bhagavadgita, Rana Pratap and Kondaveeti pathanam. His legacy lives on in Telugu literature and social reform. In 1987, the Indian government issued a commemorative stamp featuring his portrait to honor his centenary.
Ramaswamy was married to Punnamma and had children: Tripuraneni Gopichand, Tripuraneni Gokul Chand, and Chouda Rani. His grandson Sai Chand became a well-known actor in the Telugu film industry. He passed away on January 16, 1943, in Tenali.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:16 (CET).