Allen Abraham
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Allen Abraham
| honorific_suffix = FRAS
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| image = Allen Abraham.jpg
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| birth_name = S. Ambalavanar
| birth_date = 1865
| birth_place = Karainagar, Ceylon
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1922|07|09|1865|||df=yes}}
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| education = Jaffna College
| occupation = Academic
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Allen Abraham (1865 – 9 July 1922; born Subramaniar Ambalavanar) was a Ceylon Tamil academic and astronomer.{{cite book|last=Arumugam|first=S.|title=Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Dictionary_of_Biography_of_the_Tamils_of_Ceylon|date=1997|page=1|authorlink=S. Arumugam}}
Early life and family
Ambalavanar was born in 1865 in Karainagar on the island of Karaitivu in northern Ceylon.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}}{{cite book|last1=Puvanendran|first1=K.|title=The Curious Adventures of a Doctor from Jaffna: From Old World Charm to Majulah Singapura|date=2013|publisher=Editions Didier Millet|isbn=978-981-4385-67-1|page=121|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7Y7AgAAQBAJ}} He was the son of Kanthappar Subramaniar and Paravathy.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}} Both of his parents died during the 1876 cholera epidemic after which he was brought up by his uncle Kanthappar Saravanamuttu.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}} He had some basic education in his home village before being selected to attend the Aid Training School in Tellippalai in December 1881.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}}Union Pictorial, published in 1947 by Union College, Tellippalai There he converted to Christianity and took on the name Allen Abraham.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}} He graduated from the school in December 1883 after which he joined Jaffna College's five year Graduation Course of the Institution.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}} He graduated in 1888 with a first class.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}} Abraham passed the Senior Local in 1886 and the Jaffna St. Patrick's College, Jaffna in 1889.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}}
Abraham married Muthachi, daughter of Suppar Sankarapillai.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} They had two sons (Kanagasuntharam and Aruliah) and two daughters (Jane Nallamma and Rose Rasamma).{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} Following the death of Muthachi Abraham married Ponniah Thaiyamuthu.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}}
Career
Whilst studying at Jaffna College Abraham was appointed an instructor by the college.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=7}} After graduating from the college he was appointed lecturer at Tellippalai Training College.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} In 1891 he rejoined Jaffna College as a professor of Tamil.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}}
Abraham passed the University of Jaffna's First Arts (FA) in 1893 (incorrect: Jaffna University formed in 1974) and later obtained an external BA degree in English, philosophy and mathematics from the university.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}}{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=1}} (Jaffna University was formed in 1974, this is incorrect) He was appointed professor of mathematics by Jaffna College.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} At Jaffna College Abraham taught mathematics and astronomy for the University of Jaffna's FA and BA examinations.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} He resigned from the college when Rev. Brown, principal of the college, left in 1914.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=9}} He re-joined the college when Rev. Bicknell was appointed principal.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=9}}
Astronomy had been a hobby of Abraham's throughout his life.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} He wrote several articles on the subject for the Morning Star, Jaffna College Miscellany and the Royal Astronomical Society.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} He correctly calculated that Halley's Comet would be closest to the Earth on 19 May 1910 between 9am and 10am and that it would not hit the Earth as it would enter the orbit of Venus, retarding its path.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}}{{cite news|last1=Pathiravitana|first1=S.|title=Ceylankan - a melange of many minds|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2005/08/27/fea09.htm|work=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=27 August 2005}} (there is no evidence in these citations). He was elected fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society on 12 January 1912 for this work, having been proposed by proposed by A. V. Jugga Row in 1911.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}}{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=1}}{{cite journal|title=Society Business: Fellows elected; Meetings of the Royal Astronomical Society, Ordinary; Candidates proposed|journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|date=10 November 1911|volume=LXXII|issue=1|page=1|bibcode=1911MNRAS..72....1.|doi=10.1093/mnras/72.1.1|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|title=Society Business: Fellows elected; Meetings of the Royal Astronomical Society, Ordinary; Candidates proposed|journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|date=12 January 1912|volume=LXXII|issue=3|page=12|doi=10.1093/mnras/72.3.169|bibcode=1912MNRAS..72..169.|doi-access=free}} He was the first native Ceylonese to be made a fellow of the society.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=1}}{{cite book|last=Martyn|first=John H.|title=Notes on Jaffna – Chronological, Historical, Biographical|date=1923|publisher=American Ceylon Mission Press|location=Tellippalai|isbn=81-206-1670-7|url=http://noolaham.net/project/47/4668/4668.pdf|page=300}}
Asides from astronomy, Abraham was interested in music, Tamil literature, agriculture and social work.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} Eight lyrics written by Abraham are still used as hymns by the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=8}} He was secretary of the Jaffna Council of the South United Church from 1915 till his death.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=3}} He served as editor of the Morning Star from 1897 to 1909.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=3}}
Abraham was admitted to hospital in June 1922 with an ulcer on a toe.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=10}} He died on 9 July 1922.{{sfn|Jaffna College|1985|p=10}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|title=Allen Abraham & the Halley's Comet|date=1985|publisher=Jaffna College|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2015/07/Ambalavanar_Allen_Abraham.pdf |ref={{harvid|Jaffna College|1985}} }}
- [http://www.jfn.ac.lk/index.php/allen-abraham-ambalavanar-memorial-gold-medal-award-in-physics/ Allen Abraham Ambalavanar Memorial Gold Medal Award in Physics]
{{refend}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abraham, Allen}}
Category:Alumni of Jaffna College
Category:Alumni of Union College, Tellippalai
Category:Faculty of Jaffna College
Category:Foreign fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society
Category:People from Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Category:People from British Ceylon