The Sree Moolam Popular Assembly in the erstwhile state of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

was the first popularly elected legislature in the history of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Its predecessor legislative council was formed in Travancore in 1888 with eight appointed members. Sri Mulam Thirunal Ramavarma, who became maharajah of Travancore in 1886, established it in an order issued on 30 March 1888. In 1898, the strength of the council was increased to 15, comprising nine officials and six non-officials. In 1904, a lower house called the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly (known in the local language as ''Sree Mulam Praja Sabha'') was formed with 88 members to provide for increased participation of the people in the administration. Its membership was limited to representatives of landlords and merchants. Although not a legislature, it was intended to give the people an opportunity to bring to the notice of the government their requirements, wishes or grievances, and to make government policies and measures better known to the people. The members of the Assembly were not elected but chosen, two from each

taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

, by the District heads from among landholders who paid an annual land revenue of not less than Rs.100, and landholders or traders whose net annual income was Rs.6000 or above. In 1905, the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly began to have elected members. Out of the new strength of 100 members, 77 were to be elected and 23 were to be nominated. Voting right was limited to persons who paid an annual land revenue of not less than Rs.50, or whose net income was not less than Rs.2000. University graduates with not less than ten years of standing, and having their residence in the respective Taluk, were also eligible to vote. In 1907, the Assembly was conferred the right to elect members of the upper Legislative Council. The Upper Council had 15 members—nine officials and six non-officials. In 1919, the Council was remodelled raising its strength to 25, out of which eight were elected members. In October 1921, the total strength of the Council was further raised to 50, with the majority elected members. In 1932, the Legislative Council of Travancore and Sree Moolam Popular Assembly were replaced with a formal

bicameral system Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...

consisting of an Upper House, the Travancore Sri Chitra State Council, and a Lower House, the Sree Moolam Assembly. This bicameral system continued to function until September 1947 when it gave way to a constituent assembly that later led to the merger of

Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

state and its accession to India following independence.

Members

Among the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly members were: *

Ayyankali Ayyankali (28 August 1863 – 18 June 1941) was an Indian politician, prominent social reformer, educator, economist, lawmaker, and a revolutionary leader. He worked for the advancement of the oppressed people in the princely state of Travancor ...

: He became a member of the Prajasabha on December 5, 1911 and held that position for 25 years * C. Kesavan *

E. V. Krishna Pillai E. V. Krishna Pillai (14 September 1894 – 30 March 1938) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature and member of Sree Moolam Popular Assembly of Travancore. He was known to be a multi-talented personality and excelled as an advocate, Member ...

* J. Thomas Kayalackakom *

K. C. Mammen Mappillai K. C. Mammen Mappillai (1873 – 31 December 1953) was an Indian journalist, who became editor of the Malayalam language daily Malayala Manorama after his paternal uncle Kandathil Varghese Mappillai died. Besides being a noted journalist, he was ...

Kumaran Asan Mahakavi Kumaran Asan (Malayalam: എൻ. കുമാരൻ ആശാൻ) (12 April 1873 – 16 January 1924) was a poet of Malayalam literature, Indian social reformer and a philosopher. He is known to have initiated a revolution in Malayalam ...

M. K. Mackar Pillay Manadath Kunju Mackar Pillay (1880 – 1966) was an Indian industrialist, banker, philanthropist, and politician who served in the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly. He was a leading cashew and lemongrass exporter, and founder of the eponymous Mac ...

Muloor S.Padmanabha Panicker Mooloor S. Padmanābha Panicker (a.k.a. Mooloor Asān or Sarasa Kavi, meaning "humour poet") (1869-1931) was a poet and a prominent social reform activist from the Travancore region of present-day Kerala. Early years Padmanābhan was born in hi ...

T. K. Madhavan T. K. Madhavan (2 September 1885 – 27 April 1930) was an Indian social reformer, journalist and revolutionary, who was involved with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam. He hailed from Kerala and led the struggle against untoucha ...

T. M. Varghese Thandaaneth Mathai Varghese (1886–1961) was an India freedom fighter, lawyer, statesman, former minister and politician from Kerala. He was born in a Mar Thoma Syrian Christian family and the eldest son of Thandaaneth Mathai at Pallick ...

Kochu Hassan Kunju Bahadoor {{unreferenced, date=June 2014 Kochu Hassan Kunju Bahadoor (1835–1926) was born to a Muslim family in Quilon district (now Kollam district) in the Indian state of Kerala. His father was a well-known trader in Travancore, Sahib Bahadur Syed Kun ...

Pallithanam Luca Matthai Pallithanam Luca Matthai (also known as Pallithanathu Mathaichan) was born in 1880 in Kainady village, Kuttanad, British India. His father, Mathai Luca Pallithanam, was among the pioneers of kayal cultivation (reclamation of cultivable land fro ...

Poykayil Yohannan Poykayil Yohannan (17 February 1879, in Eraviperoor – 1939), known as Poykayil Appachan or Poykayil Kumara Guru Devan, was a dalit activist, poet and the founder of the socio-religious movement Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha ("God's Society o ...

Pattom A. Thanu Pillai Raja Shri Pattom A. Thanu Pillai (15 July 188527 July 1970) was a participant in the Indian independence movement who later served as the chief minister of Kerala from 22 February 1960 to 25 September 1962. He was known as the 'Bhishmacharya' o ...

* N. J. Kuncheria * Alummottil kochu kunju channar * Sahib Bahadur Athan Ahamed: Kunnathunad Taluk Group II * A.R Raman Pillai : Parur Taluk * Narayana Pillai Krishna Pillai : Kunnathunadu Taluk Group I * Aipe Antony : Muvattupuzha Taluk *

Kavarikulam Kandan Kumaran Kavarikulam Kandan Kumaran was a social reformer and Sree Moolam Prajasabha member from Kerala, India. He was a member of the Sree Moolam Prajasabha from 1915 to 1932. In 1911 August 29 he founded the organization ''Brahma Pratyaksha Sadhujana ...

, member from 1915 to 1932

References

{{reflist Political history of Kerala Kerala Legislative Assembly Kingdom of Travancore Legislatures in Indian princely states