![Rama Varma Maharaja of Travancore (1857–1924)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Rama_Varma_Maharaja_of_Travancore_%281857%E2%80%931924%29.jpg)
Sir Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (1857–1924) was
Maharajah
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
of the
princely 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 ...
between 1885 and 1924, succeeding his uncle Maharajah
Visakham Thirunal (1880–1885).
Early life and education
Mulam Thirunal Rama Varma was born on 25September 1857 to Prince Raja Raja Varma of the
Changanassery Royal Family and
Maharani Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore, niece of Maharajah
Swathi Thirunal
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 4 ...
. His mother died when he was only a few days old. The Maharajah had an elder brother, Hastham Thirunal. After the usual vernacular
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
studies, the two princes were placed under the tutorship of Annaji Rao B.A. and later under Raghunath Rao B.A. at a country house built specially for the purpose. Hastham Thirunal soon had to stop his studies owing to ill health and so Rama Varma remained the only pupil under the tutor. He was initially taught subjects such as history, geography, arithmetic and grammar. His great-grandmother was the Maharani
Gowri Lakshmi Bayi
Maharani Ayilyom Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi (1791–1815) was the Maharani of the Indian state of Travancore from 1810 till 1813 and Regent from 1813 till her death in 1815 for her son Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. She was the only Queen of Travan ...
of Travancore.
Chief Reforms
![Raja Ravi Varma, Maharaja Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Raja_Ravi_Varma%2C_Maharaja_Moolam_Thirunal_Rama_Varma.jpg)
The Travancore Legislative Council was established in 1888, three years after Moolam Thirunal became Maharajah. This was the first Legislative Council for a native state in the history of India. It was later succeeded by the
Sree Moolam Popular Assembly, the first legislature in Indian history to have elected members.
In 1886 a proclamation was issued relieving people of the requirement to pay of penalties on documents executed on unstamped government cadjan leaves (paper was not yet in common use in Travancore). In 1887, the penalty for non payment of stamp duty was reduced as it was found to be a huge burden. The same year, another royal proclamation was passed relinquishing the right of the government in property left by a person under the
Marumakkathayam
Marumakkathayam was a system of matrilineal inheritance prevalent in regions what now form part of the southern Indian state Kerala. Descent and the inheritance of property was traced through females. It was followed by all Nair castes, Ambalav ...
matrilineal system of inheritance when a person died without heirs. Likewise under the then system, when a tenant of a
Jenmi
Jenmi is the term used to refer to the landed aristocracy of Kerala. They formed the landowning nobility as well as the landed gentry of the region during Medieval times, and the majority of the estates and feudal properties were owned by this ...
or landlord died heirless, instead of the land passing in entirety to the landlord, it passed with sovereign right to the government who auctioned it later. This was abolished.
In 1888 the Anchal post system was improved with stamps of new values introduced. Moolam Thirunal's reign also saw major changes in the transport sector in Travancore. The first bus services began in 1908 on two routes starting from Trivandrum. The first bus on the Trivandrum-Nagercoil route was started by Arumana Narayanan Thampi, son of
Visakham Thirunal while the first bus on the Trivandrum-Kollam route was started by Joseph Augusti Kayalackakom, a textile merchant of Trivandrum. Ten years later in 1918, the first train reached Trivandrum as the
Chenkotta-Quilon railway was extended to Trivandrum.
Several other reforms were also brought in by Moolam Thirunal in fields including education, medicine, law and order and the civil service. Sanitary departments were opened and female education progressed. Changes were brought in the management of prisons and the public works department was reorganised. A life insurance system was also introduced by the Maharajah. In 1898, in recognition of his accomplishments, the British rewarded Moolam Thirunal with the grant of a personal salute of 21 guns.
In 1886, Thirunal allowed the construction of a paper mill in
Punalur
Punalur is a Municipality in Kollam district of Kerala State in India. It is the headquarter of the Punalur Taluk and Punalur Revenue Division. It's situated in the eastern part of Kollam district of Kerala, on the banks of the Kallada River an ...
to be built by T.J. Cameroon.
Upon completion, it became India's oldest paper mill. By the time of Raja's demise, the
India Security Press
The India Security Press is a government press is a subsidiary of the Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a public undertaking of the Indian government. The company is charged with the task of printing passports, vi ...
had been a customer for the mill.
[
]
Dewans
All through the reign of Maharajah Sir
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
Rama Varma he was assisted by able men as Diwans or Prime Ministers. These most illustrious personalities included:
* Diwan V. Ramiengar (1880–1887)
* Diwan T. Rama Rao (1887–1892)
* Diwan S. Shungrasoobyer C.I.E. (1892–1898)
* Diwan K. Krishnaswamy Rao
Diwan Bahadur Kanchi Krishnaswamy Rao (1845–1923) was an Indian civil servant, judge and administrator who served as the Diwan of Travancore from 1898 to 1904.
Early life and education
Krishnaswamy Rao was born into Deshastha Madhva Brah ...
(1898–1904)
* Diwan V. P. Madhava Rao (1904–1906)
* Diwan S. Gopalachari (1906–1907)
* Diwan P. Rajagopalachari (1907–1914)
* Diwan M. Krishnan Nair (1914–1920)
Family and demise
Since the Royal House of Travancore followed the Nair
The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histo ...
Marumakkathayam
Marumakkathayam was a system of matrilineal inheritance prevalent in regions what now form part of the southern Indian state Kerala. Descent and the inheritance of property was traced through females. It was followed by all Nair castes, Ambalav ...
system of matrilineal inheritance the presence of females was very essential in the family. Since the family had failed to exist in the female line, on the suggestion of Rani Lakshmi Bayi, two princesses, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (5 November 1895– 22 February 1985) was the monarch, though designated as the Regent due to British policy, of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her yo ...
and Sethu Parvathi Bayi
Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi (1896–1983), better known as Amma Maharani, was the Junior Maharani (Queen) of Travancore as well as a promoter of Indian Classical music. She was the mother of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last Kin ...
were adopted from the cousin Royal family at Mavelikara
Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River.
Etymology
The name Mavelikara ...
. Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi succeeded Maharajah Moolam Thirunal Sir Rama Varma as Regent in 1924 till 1931, when her nephew & heir to the throne, Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma attained the legal age and became the last Maharajah of Travancore.
Maharajah Sir Rama Varma married twice, both noblewomen of the Thampi
The Thampis and Kochammas are the sons and daughters of the maharajahs of Travancore and their consorts belonging to Samanthan Nair caste
Thampis and Thankachis form a part of the Nair caste and had no title of succession to the throne. The v ...
clan of the Nairs as tradition. His first wife (married in 1880) was ''Nagercoil Ammachi Panapillai Amma
Ammachi Panapillai Amma was the title held by the consort of the ruling Maharajah of Travancore as well as those of other title-holding male members of the Travancore Royal Family.Travancore State Manual Vol ii 1940 by TK Velu Pillai and TSM Vol I ...
Srimathi Kunjulakshmi Pillai Anantha Lakshmi Pillai Kochamma'', of the Nagercoil Ammaveedu
Ammaveedus were the residences of the consorts of the Maharajahs of Travancore in Trivandrum. The descendants of the Maharajahs were considered as members of these Ammaveedus, with a status subordinate only to royalty. The chief four Ammaveedus ar ...
family, whose aunt was the consort of Ayilyam Thirunal
Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma (1832–1880) was the ruler of the princely state of Travancore in India from 1860 to 1880. His reign was highly successful with Travancore gaining the appellation of "model state of India". Ayilyam Thirunal was ...
. She died prior to the Maharajah's accession to the throne in 1882 giving birth to an only son, Nagercoil Sri Narayanan Chempakaraman Thampi, who remained aide de camp to his father till his death. Following this the Maharajah remained single for more than a decade. The Maharajah's second wife was ''Vadasseri Ammachi Panapillai Amma Srimathi Lakshmi Pillai Karthyayani Pillai Kochamma'', of the Vadasseri Ammaveedu family.
She originally belonged to the Kaipally family of Palkulangara but was adopted before marriage to the Maharajah into the Vadasseri Ammaveedu in 1899. She was born to Krishnan Nair (Nagercoil Ammaveedu) and Lakshmi Amma. She was the sister of play writ and author, Vadasseri Krishnan Thampi, who also was the Principal (1917 to 1934) of Sanskrit College in Trivandrum. Her other two sisters were Kalyani Pillai Kochamma and Bhageerathi Pillai Kochamma. She was first married to T. Sankaran Thampi, Palace Manager, from which marriage she had a son, V. Sri Velayudhan Thampi in 1898. From her marriage to the Maharajah she had a daughter, Vadasseri Shrimathi Kartyayani Pillai Bhagavathi Pillai Kochamma, in June 1901. Her elder son was also adopted by Moolam Thirunal (This was not the first instance of a Maharajah espousing an already married woman. Moolam Thirunal's uncle Ayilyam Thirunal's consort was also already married before she became royal consort in 1862). Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer
Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer (Malayalam: ഉള്ളൂർ എസ്. പരമേശ്വര അയ്യർ; 6 June 1877 – 15 June 1949), born Sambasivan but popularly known as Ulloor, was an Indian poet of Malayalam literature and a histo ...
writes about the Maharajah's consort in ''Progress of Travancore Under HH Sree Moolam Thirunal'':
Sankaran Thampi of Sankaramangalam
T. Sankaran Thampi (1857 - 1930), the principal favourite and relative of the Maharajah, was the all-powerful Palace Manager, the power behind the throne. He belonged to Sankaramangalam Family, a branch of Cheruvallil Tharavad at Karicode
Karicode or Karikodu is a neighbourhood of Kollam city in India. It is about 5 km away from Kollam city centre. Karicode is the 23rd ward in Kollam Municipal Corporation council. The place is very famous because of the educational instituti ...
in Quilon
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city ...
. His emergence as the leading favourite of the Maharajah limited the influence of another favourite Saravanai Ananda Narayana Aiyar. Thampi was often referred to as Sree Moolam Thirunal's Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall (c. 1284 – 19 June 1312) was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of Edward II of England.
At a young age, Gaveston made a good impression on King Edward I, who assigned him to the househ ...
.
Sankaran Thampi was closely associated with C. V. Raman Pillai. Two of Thampi's brothers were Tahsildars. Thampi survived the Dewanship of VP Madhava Rao, who tried to displace him. He remained powerful until the Maharaja's demise in 1924.[Jeffrey, Robin. 'The Decline of Nair Dominance'. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers and Distributors, 2014.]
Official full name
Officially he was also known with his full name, style and honours: ''Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
His Highness
Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adject ...
Sri
Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific.
The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanes ...
Padmanabhadasa Vanchipala Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma Kulasekhara Kiritapathi Manney Sultan Maharajah
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
Raja Ramaraja Bahadur Shamsher Jang, Maharajah Of Travancore.''
Honours
*GCSI: Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:
# Knight Grand Commander ( GCSI)
# Knight Commander ( KCSI)
# Companion ( CSI)
No appointmen ...
*GCIE: Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:
#Knight Grand Commander (GCIE)
#Knight Commander ( KCIE)
#Companion ( CIE)
No appoi ...
*FRAS: Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society
Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland are individuals who have been elected by the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science lite ...
See also
* Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
* Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (5 November 1895– 22 February 1985) was the monarch, though designated as the Regent due to British policy, of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her yo ...
* Visakham Thirunal
* Kappazhom Raman Pillai
Kappazhom Raman Pillai was from Nair community who served as the Dewan Peshkar of the Government of Travancore. As Dewan Peishcar, he held the powers of the Collector, the Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police.
Interests
Using 'Angadan' as ...
* Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (later)
* Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populatio ...
* Sri Moolam Thirunal Palace
Sri Moolam Thirunal Palace or SMP Palace or SMT Palace is a palace situated near the heart of the city of Kollam, in the state of Kerala, India. It was constructed in 1936 as a commemorate for the shashtabda poorthi (60th birthday) of the then r ...
* Sree Moolam Popular Assembly
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thirunal, Moolam
Travancore royal family
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India
Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society
1857 births
1924 deaths
Moolam
Hindu monarchs
19th-century Indian royalty
20th-century Indian royalty
People from Changanassery