Raja Narsa Goud (1866-1948) was a

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

known for his significant contributions to charities, especially those caring for people with

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

Biography

Raja Narsa Goud was born to a wealthy family in

Nizamabad district Nizamabad district, also known as Induru district, is a district located in the north-western region of the Indian state of Telangana. The city of Nizamabad is the district headquarters. The district share boundaries with Jagtial, Sircilla, N ...

in 1866. He was the youngest of three children. His elder brothers, Rama Goud and Lakshma Goud travelled and worked for the family excise business but Raja Narsa Goud mostly worked in Nizamabad. The three brothers became one of the richest families in

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...

Philanthropy

Goud made substantial contributions to charities, including those that supported other

castes A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...

. He financed the construction of temples,

mosques A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

and

dargahs A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervis ...

, and facilities for the poor and for

Brahmins Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

in Kotagalli and Kanteshwar in Nizamabad. Goud paid for the construction of the first water tank in Nizamabad and for further plumbing works with Cheelam Janakibai, head of Sirnapalli. Dichpali Wellcome L0073323

In Dichpalle, Goud donated 30 acres of land, and supported Isabel Kerr and her husband to apply for funding from

Mir Osman Ali Khan Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967) was the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad State, the largest state in the erstwhile Indian Empire. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of 25 and rule ...

, to establish a leprosy centre. This was the first of its kind in India. During the sixth

Andhra Mahasabha Andhra Mahasabha ( Telugu: ఆంధ్ర మహాసభ, IAST: ''Āndhra mahāsabha'') was a people's organisation in the erstwhile Hyderabad state of India. It was an association started by Telugu people of Telangana region against Nizam r ...

, held in Nizamabad in 1937, he arranged for thousands of meals for attendees, and for wells to be dug to hydrate travellers along the route from Mancharya to Nizamabad. He provided houses and sandals for the poor. Goud was instrumental in establishing the first

maternity hospital A maternity hospital specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides care for newborn infants, and may act as a centre for clinical training in midwifery and obstetrics. Formerly known as lying-in hospitals, most ...

(Jajgikhana) in Nizamabad district. He was responsible also for setting up the first girls' school in the district.

Honours and legacy

Goud did not like publicity. Goud's son had installed a plaque in the maternity hospital stating that Narsa Goud had built it, but when Narsa Goud discovered this, he removed the plaque. Goud accepted the title of

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

, bestowed by

. King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

gave a medal to Goud during a 1930 visit, in recognition of his service to his community. The area where Goud lived is called Narsa Goud Kalani. Goud's granddaughter Bomma Hemadevi is a novelist and granddaughter R. Akhileshwari is known as the first female journalist in the area.

Death

Raja Narsa Goud died on 4 April 1948 at the age of 82. His death occurred during the

Standstill Agreement The term standstill agreement refers to various forms of agreement which may be entered into in order to delay action which might otherwise take place. Examples A standstill agreement may be used as a form of defence to a hostile takeover, when a ...

when Razakars paramilitaries were active. Goud's family were nervous of taking his body to the crematorium for fear of encountering violence, but Muslims that they met along the way helped to carry Narsa Goud's body with them, in respect for Goud's support of people of different castes and creeds.

References

1948 deaths 1866 births Indian philanthropists People from British India {{DEFAULTSORT:Narsagoud, Raja