R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
Ramasamy Chettiar Kandasamy Shanmukham Chettiar | |
|---|---|
Shanmukham Chettiar in 1947 | |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 15 August 1947 – 17 August 1948 | |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Preceded by | Office Established |
| Succeeded by | John Matthai |
| Diwan of Cochin kingdom | |
| In office 1935–1941 | |
| Monarch | Rama Varma XVII |
| Preceded by | C. G. Herbert |
| Succeeded by | A. F. W. Dickinson |
| President of the Central Legislative Assembly | |
| In office September 1933 – 1935 | |
| Governor-General | Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon |
| Preceded by | Sir Muhammad Yakub |
| Succeeded by | Sir Abdur Rahim |
| Member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India (Central Legislative Assembly) | |
| In office 1924–1935 | |
| Governors-General | Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 October 1892 |
| Died | 5 May 1953 (aged 60) |
| Party | Swaraj Party, Justice Party |
| Alma mater | University of Madras Madras Christian College, Madras Law College |
| Occupation | Legislator |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
Sir Ramasamy Chettiar Kandasamy Shanmukham Chettiar KCIE (17 October 1892 – 5 May 1953) was an Indian lawyer, economist and statesman who served as first Finance Minister of India from 1947 to 1948. He also served as President of India's Central Legislative Assembly from 1933 to 1935 and Diwan of Cochin kingdom from 1935 to 1941.
Shanmukham Chettiar was born in Coimbatore in 1892 and studied at Madras Christian College and Madras Law College. On completion of his education, Shanmukham Chettiar joined politics and served both in the Indian nationalist Swaraj Party as well as the Justice Party. Shanmukham Chettiar was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly of India and served as its Deputy President from 1931 to 1935. After losing the 1935 elections, Chettiar returned to South India where he served as Diwan of Cochin kingdom from 1935 to 1941. On India's independence in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India controversially chose Chettiar as his Finance Minister despite the latter's well known pro-British leanings. Shanmukham Chettiar died on 5 May 1953.
During his public life, Chettiar also identified with a number of social causes. He was a strong supporter of the Tamil Isai Movement. Shanmukham Chettiar was the Finance Minister of India when the country's first budget was tabled in Parliament on 26 November 1947.