Constanzo Beschi

• Honorific Prefix — Servant of God • Other Names — வீரமாமுனிவர் (Veeramamunivar) • Name — Constantine Joseph Beschi • Born — 8 November 1680 • Birthplace — Castiglione delle Stiviere, Duchy of Mantua • Died — 4 February 1747, Kingdom of Cochin, Sampaloor, Chalakudy, Thrissur Kerala • Resting Place — St Francis Xavier's Church, Sampaloor, Kerala • Religion — Christianity

Born in Castiglione delle Stiviere, in the district of Mantua, in Italy, on 8 November 1680, Beschi got his secondary education in the Jesuits' High School at Mantua, which taught rhetoric, humanities and grammar. After becoming a Jesuit in 1698, he was trained in Ravenna and Bologna, studying philosophy for three years from 1701–1703 in Bologna, and theology for four years from 1706–1710. His studies also included Latin, French, Portuguese, Greek, and Hebrew. He was ordained as a priest in 1709. On hearing about the work done in India by the Jesuits returning to Italy from India, Beschi was eager to come to India. He requested and obtained permission from Superior General Michelangelo Tamburini to be sent to the Jesuit mission at Madurai in South India. Sailing from Lisbon he reached Goa in October 1710, from where he proceeded immediately to South India. He arrived in Madurai in May 1711.

Inspired by what was done in China, Beschi adopted the native Tamilians' lifestyle in his life and in his missionary work. For example, he adopted the saffron coloured robe generally worn by a sannyasi (Indian ascetic). He visited several important centres such as Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, and Madurai to learn the Tamil language. He met with persecution in 1714–15 and escaped a death sentence. This gave him more time to master the Tamil language in which he soon showed great proficiency. Because of his boldness in defending the correctness of his convictions, he was fondly called Dhairiyanathar (The Fearless Guru). During the first six years, he worked as a missionary in Elakurichy, a town near Tiruvaiyaru, Ariyalur district. Then he served as parish priest in Kamanayakkanpatti, one of the oldest Christian communities in Tamil Nadu. He worked in the Thanjavur area till 1738 and settled in 1740 on the Coromandel coast where he remained till the end of his life. He helped build the Poondi Matha Basilica at Poondi near Thanjavur, Vyagula Matha Church at Thanjavur, The Perianayagi Madha Shrine, Konankuppam at Mugasaparur in Konankuppam, and Adaikala Maadha Shrine at Elakurichi. These churches are now Catholic pilgrim centres. He died at Sampaloor in Ambalakaadu in Thrissur, Kingdom of Cochin (now a part of the state of Kerala), and is buried at St. Francis Xavier's Church, Sampaloor, where his tomb can be seen. Robert Caldwell, one of the eminent Tamil linguists and historians, in his book 'A Political and General History of Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli) in the Presidency of Madras: From the Earliest Period to the Cession to the English Government in AD 1801' opines that, based on the writings of his biographer and the letters written to Europe at the same time, "It is certain from authentic records that Beschi was "Rector" of Manapar (present Manapad) in 1744 and that he died there in 1746. This was in the 66th year of his age and the 40th of his residence in India. It is very probable that Manapar was the first place in the Tamil country where Beschi resided after he left Goa, in consequence of which he might naturally wish to end his days there." He, in the same book (page 243) further states that his body was laid in rest in the oldest church of Manapad which has been now completely buried in the sand.

In 1968, the State of Tamil Nadu erected a statue for Beschi on the Marina beach in the city of Madras as a recognition for his contribution to Tamil language and literature. A tablet was installed in his native place Castiglione delle Stiviere in 1980 to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Beschi. In it, it is mentioned that Beschi is called the Dante of the Tamil language. The fifth world Tamil Congress held at Madurai in January 1981 erected his statue in the city of Madras. While in India, he studied the languages of Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, and Urdu. On 3 August 2025, Beschi was formally declared as “the Servant of God”.