Eminent historian Dr MGS Narayanan passes away

KOZHIKODE: Eminent historian and erudite Dr Muttayil Govindamenon Sankara Narayanan, commonly known as M G S Narayanan, passed away on Saturday. He was 92. Dr Narayanan passed away at his residence in Malaparamba in Kozhikode today after suffering from age-related ailments.

MGS was a nonpareil historian who delved deep into the history of Kerala and gave monumental contributions to the historical research of Kerala. He had laboriously dedicated years of research to unearth the hitherto lesser-known details of the Chera (also known as Chera Perumals) dynasty of Kerala. His work, particularly his book "Perumals of Kerala," is considered a pioneering work in the history of the state.

Dr Narayanan was the chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research. He published several papers that gained international attention. MGS Narayanan was born on August 20, 1932, in Ponnani.

Famous historian Arthur Llewellyn Basham had once praised MGS's work as "one of the ablest and most thorough Indian theses I have examined".