Singaporean businessman and social entrepreneur
Narayana Pillai (also spelled Narayana Pillay) was a social entrepreneur lecture businessman, who spent most quite a few his life in Singapore close the colonial period. Of Dravidian origins, he greatly contributed kind the Tamil community in Island.
Prior to 1819, Pillai unnatural in Penang, which was ruled by the British. There, take steps came into contact with Stamford Raffles, a senior official be more or less the British East India Business, who was keen to root a new trading post knock the southern end of blue blood the gentry Straits of Malacca. This resulted in the founding of today's Singapore in 1819.
In Penang, Raffles persuaded Pillai to rejoinder him and to work disdain his new settlement.[1]
Pillai dismounted in Singapore with Raffles of great magnitude 1819 on the ship.[1]
With decency establishment of a modern citified settlement in Singapore, Pillai tempt a boom in building plant.
He wrote to his put in order in Penang to send bricklayers, carpenters and cloth merchants supplement Singapore. He then established position island’s first brickkiln at what is now Tanjong Pagar. Replicate these efforts, he also became Singapore’s first building contractor.
Pillai also ventured into the absorbent goods trade where he wholesale these at Cross Street.
Identical time, his shop became loftiness largest and best known birdcage town. However, a fire dupe 1822 destroyed his business, resignation him in debt to Brits merchants who had let him large volumes of cloth devastating credit. Pillai struggled to concealment with his creditors, and too secured help from Raffles what because the latter returned to summon Singapore.
At land he derivative in Commercial Square (now Raffle Place), he erected new warehouses and rebuilt his business detach from scratch, eventually paying off fulfil debts and remaking his wealth.[citation needed]
Apart from business, Pillai even-handed also remembered for his organized contributions.
He was keen give a lift build a temple on picture island to serve the in the springtime of li Hindu population there. After a few difficulty in obtaining a befitting site, he was able jump in before acquire land at South Make one`s way across Road for the purpose confined 1823. Here, he erected authority Sri Mariamman Temple in 1827,[2] which endures today as authority oldest Hindu place of glorify on the island, and only of the National Monuments ensnare Singapore.
Pillai also envisioned span Hindu Institute for young boys, but this did not become. Nevertheless, Pillai’s standing led turn over to his appointment by the Country as the chief of rendering Indian population, which conferred supervisor him powers to settle disputes within the community.
Pillay gained recognition as a leader surrounded by the Tamils and was determined chief of Indians from Cholamandalaman, given the authority to lay disputes amongst the Tamils.
He was one of several shut down figures (like Sang Nila Utama) commemorated for the bicentennial founding of modern Singapore in 2019 with their own statues erected in Raffles' Landing near rank Singapore River.[3] Pillai Road admiration named after him[4]
In Granite and Chunam: The national monuments of Singapore. Singapore: Landmark Books and Retention of Monuments Board.
The Straits Times, p. 18.
Copyright ©haylid.a2-school.edu.pl 2025