Seshayya Sastri was born in the village of Amaravati in Tanjore district, Madras Presidency in 1828 in a poor Hindu family.

In 1872, Seshayya Sastri was appointed Diwan of Travancore and served from 1872 to 1877, when palace intrigues forced him to quit.

Seshayya Sastri was born on 22 March 1828[1] in the village of Amaravati in Tanjore district[2] He was the youngest of six children and his father was a Vaidika priest.

In Madras, he learnt Tamil from a private tuition master and had his first English lessons at a school run by a Portuguese named Francis Rodriques.

Seshayya Sastri rigorously practised oratory and drama along with his close friend Ramiengar.

Sastri took charge in April 1866 and served for a year till he was appointed Vice President of the Tanjore municipality.

[6] In August 1877, Seshayya Sastri resigned as Diwan of Travancore and retired to Trichinopoly where he was appointed Vice-President and Secretary of the Mansion House Famine Relief Committee.

In January 1878, Seshayya was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council and served till August 1878 when he took charge as the Diwan of Pudukkottai.

[10] At the suggestion of his Tanjore-born wife,[11] Ramachandra Tondaiman adopted the name "Brihadambaldas" with consent of Dewan Seshayya Sastri.

[7] Seshayya Sastri, who was the Dewan, ruled Pudukkottai as Regent till Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman came of age.

In 1901, Seshayya Sastri was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India in the King's Birthday Honour's List.