C. Minakshi

Minakshi was interested in history from an early age and visited historic sites as Mannargudi, Pudukkottai, Villuppuram and Kanchipuram.

She wanted to her master's degree at Madras Christian College but her candidature was initially rejected on grounds of being a woman.

However, Minakshi persisted and the authorities relented when her eldest C. Lakshminarayanan, who was working as a professor in the college gave a written undertaking to take care of her.

Her doctoral thesis on "Administration and Social life under the Pallavas" was published in 1938 by the University of Madras as a part of a history series by eminent historian K. A. Nilakanta Sastri.

Finally, in 1939, Sir Mirza Ismail, the Diwan of the Mysore kingdom offered her a job as assistant professor at the Maharani College in Bangalore.