8. See Selections from the Records of the Madras Government, Vol. 13, p. 110.
9. Mark de Lannoy, The Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, p. 145. In fact in a meeting with Martanda Varma the Cochin Rajah elected to stand because while Martanda Varma was forbidden to sit, he was more powerful and the Cochin Rajah did not wish to offend him by taking a seat even if custom permitted it.
10. Selections from the Records of the Madras Government, Vol. 13, p. 100. Also see Susan Bayly, op. cit., p. 67 where she quotes a contemporary record from the Mackenzie Collection in which Martanda Varma himself tells how he built two great temples and ‘thus we have done in charity but now I am desirous of wearing the Janava [sacred thread]…round the neck and I am informed by the learned Brahmins that to enable me to do so I should have a Golden Cow made and must worship it, after which I am to entertain many Brahmins and make them glad, then may I wear the sacerdotal thread’. Adrian Mayer, the sociologist, who interviewed Sethu Lakshmi Bayi shortly before her death shared his interview transcripts with me in which also the Maharani herself remarks that hiranyagarbha was needed so that the ruler could be ‘made into the Maharajah’.
11. Abraham Eraly, The First Spring, p. 303.
12. See P. Shungoonny Menon’s work, for example.
13. P. Shungoonny Menon, A History of Travancore, pp. 171, 289.
14. As late as the 1940s a British Resident would record this ‘peculiarly unassailable’ position of the Maharajah because of Martanda Varma’s actions which made the rulers ‘sanctified hereditary officials of the temple in the eyes of all good Hindus’. See letter dated 24/04/1944 from the Resident to the Sec. to Viceroy (IOR/L/PS/13/1285).
15. K.K. Nair, By Sweat and Sword, p. 90.
16. Ibid. p. 88.
17. Susan Bayly, op. cit., p. 68.
18. Ibid., p. 58.
19. Jonathan Gil Harris, The First Firangis, p. 75.
20. Report of the Travancore Banking Enquiry Committee, Vol I, p. 22.
21. Robin Jeffrey, The Decline of Nair Dominance, p. 4.
22. Selections from the Records of the Madras Government Vol. 13, p. 54–55.
23. He was later known as Rajah Kesava Das.
24. Robin Jeffrey, op. cit., p. 13.
25. Nagam Aiya, Travancore State Manual Vol. I, pp. 417–18.
26. ‘It was the immemorial right of the people to approach the king directly with their demands and grievances,’ tells Louise Ouwerkerk, ‘and stories of great gatherings of people directly approaching the king abound in Travancore history.’ Hiranyagarbha and other ceremonies put a distance, but Velu Tampi still marched right in and had his way, when it was needed.
27. Nagam Aiya, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 420.
28. Ibid., p. 424.
29. Ibid., pp. 430, 432.
30. He declined and is said to have passed on information to the Company.
31. Nagam Aiya, op. cit., Vol I, p. 436.
32. Ibid., p. 445.
33. James Welsh quoted in Robin Jeffrey, op. cit., p. 6.
34. Ibid., p. 16.
35. Michael H. Fisher, Indirect Rule in India, p. 215.
36. Ibid., p. 214.
37. Robin Jeffrey, op. cit., p. 7.
38. Michael H. Fisher, op. cit., p. 215.
39. Nagam Aiya, op. cit., Vol. I, p. 492.
40. Robin Jeffrey, op. cit., pp. 148–49.
41. Nagam Aiya, op. cit., p. 493.
42. Robin Jeffrey, op. cit., p. 67.
43. Minute dated 28/01/1871 in IOR/R/2/891/251.
44. See letters and correspondence in IOR/R/2/891/251.
45. Quoted in Robin Jeffrey, op. cit., p. 67.
46. Ibid., p. 69.
47. Ibid., p. 148.
48. Ibid., p. 8.
49. Ibid., pp. 99–100.
50. Ibid., p. 295.
51. Ibid., p. 154.
52. Ibid. pp. 149, 146.
53. Ibid., p. 198.
54. Report for the Second Half of March 1925 (IOR/R/1/1/1531).
55. Letter dated 15/08/1928 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (Raghunandan, pp. 326–28).
56. Supplementary to Report for the Second Half of February 1938 (MSS EUR F154/46).
57. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol IV, No. 11, p. 507.
58. Ibid.
59. O.M. Thomas, Under the Knife, p. 18
60. Ibid., p. 20.
61. Ibid., pp. 19–21.
62. Ibid., p. 68.
63. Ibid., p. 69.
64. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol IV, No. 10, p. 434.
65. Letter dated 03/01/1926 from the Dewan to the Valiya Koil Tampuran (Raghunandan, p. 223).
66. Letter dated 16/03/1926 from Miss Watts to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan, pp. 224–26).
67. Ibid. The officers were the Commandant of the Nair Brigade and the Police Commissioner who altogether cost the state more than the Dewan. They were both British officers.
68. Letter dated 22/04/1926 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1531).
69. Letter dated 16/03/1926 from Miss Watts to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan pp. 224–26).
70. Note by the Dewan in Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 252.
71. Report for the Second Half of January 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
72. Ibid. See also Report for the First Half of February 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
73. Report for the First Half of February 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
74. Report for the Second Half of January 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
75. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol VI, No. 3, p. 118.
76. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 316.
77. Report for the Second Half of April 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
78. Report for the Second Half of June 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
79. Report for the First Half of June 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
80. Report for the First Half of May 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
81. Report for the Second Half of August 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
82. Report for the Second Half of September 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
83. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol VII, No. 10, p. 481.
84. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 300–01.
85. Ibid., pp. 301–02.
86. Ibid., p. 302
87. Letter dated 12/02/1928 from the Resident to the Maharani Regent (Raghunanandan, p. 304).
88. Report for the First Half of September 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1746).
89. Report for the Second Half of March 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1746).
90. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 303.
91. Ibid. p. 316.
92. Letter dated 15/08/1928 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1760).
93. Letter dated 15/08/1928 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (Raghunandan, pp. 326–28).
94. Letter dated 15/08/1928 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1760).
95. Ibid.
96. Ibid.
97. Report for the First Half of August 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1760).
98. Report for the First Half of April 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1746).
99. Letter dated 15/08/1926 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (Raghunandan, pp. 326–28).
100. Letter dated 15/08/1928 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1760).
101. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 331.
102. Telegram dated 22/08/1928 from the GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1760).
103. Letter dated 21/08/1928 from the Dewan to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan, p. 332).
104. Report for the First Half of April 1929 (IOR/R/1/1/1819).
105. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 333.
106. Report for the Second Half of April 1929 (IOR/1/1/1819).
107. Report for the Second Half of June 1929 (IOR/R/1/1/1819).
108. Report for the Second Half of April 1929 (IOR/R/1/1/1819).
109. Letter dated 27/10/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/885/175).
110. Letter dat
ed 17/08/1928 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (Raghunandan, pp. 330–31).
CHAPTER 10: BLACK MAGIC
1. Quoted in Nagam Aiya, Travancore State Manual, Vol. I, p. 452.
2. His full name was Tampi Martandan Iravi and he was a son of Karthika Tirunal Dharma Rajah who succeeded Martanda Varma.
3. Nagam Aiya, op. cit., p. 457.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid., p. 458.
6. T.K. Vijayamohan’s ‘Ummini Tampi’ in T.K. Ravindran ed. Journal of Kerala Studies, Vol V, Part 1, 1978, p. 268.
7. Ibid.
8. T.K. Vijayamohan’s ‘The Institution of Devadasis in Travancore’ in T.K. Ravidran ed. Journal of Kerala Studies Vol V, Part 1, 1978, p. 472.
9. Ibid., p. 476.
10. Ibid., p. 477.
11. Ananda Lal, The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre, p. 32 (2004) (Delhi: Oxford University Press).
12. Rupika Chawla, Raja Ravi Varma, p. 318.
13. See Vikram Sampath, Voice of the Veena (Google Books).
14. See V. Gangadhar, M.S. Subbulakshmi (Google Books).
15. J. Devika, ‘The Aesthetic Woman’ in Modern Asian Studies, Vol 39, No 2, 2005, p. 481.
16. T.J.S. George, MS: A Life in Music, p. 91.
17. J. Devika, op. cit., p, 483.
18. R. Nandakumar quoted in ibid., p. 482. And he still got in trouble for this!
19. Krishnaveni Ammal’s memorandum in IOR/Q/13/1/11.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. T.J.S. George op. cit., p. 83.
23. T.K. Vijayamohan, ‘The Institution of Devadasis in Travancore’ in T.K. Ravindran ed. Journal of Kerala Studies, Vol. V, Part 1, 1978, p. 478.
24. Letter dated 20/06/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/2/885/175).
25. Letter dated 15/11/1929 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (IOR/R/2/885/175).
26. The Princely India dated 13/07/1932.
27. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol. X, No. 12, p. 619.
28. Ibid.
29. J. Devika, En-gendering Individuals, p. 109.
30. Ibid.
31. Saju Chelangad, ‘The Forgotten Star’ in The Hindu dated 24/11/2013 at http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/the-forgotten-star/article5383387.ece (accessed 24/11/2014).
32. Ibid.
33. Saju Chelangad, ‘Of Monarchs and Movies’ in The Hindu dated 09/03/2014 at http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/of-monarchs-and-movies/article5764301.ece (accessed 24/11/2014).
34. ‘Mixed fortunes for the daughters of Travancore’ in The Economist (blog) dated 28/03/2013 at http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/03/women-kerala (accessed 10/08/2014).
35. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol. X, No. 12, p. 614.
36. Lakshmi Raghunandan, At the Turn of the Tide, p. 133.
37. Narayani Harigovindan, A History of the Employment of Women in the Government Services of Travancore, p. 107. The motion was defeated since it was argued that there was no law preventing equal chances in any case.
38. Dewan’s Address to the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly (1931).
39. J Devika, En-gendering …, p. 117.
40. Narayani Harigovindan, op. cit., p. 115, and J Devika, En-gendering …, p. 182.
41. Narayani Harigovindan, op. cit., p. 119.
42. Report on the Administration of Travancore for 1927–28 p. 177.
43. Letter dated 28/06/1929 from Louise Ouwerkerk to her mother (MSS EUR F232/60).
44. Report of the Unemployment Enquiry Committee (1928), p. 17.
45. Ibid., p. 18.
46. Dewan’s Address to the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly (1928).
47. J. Devika, En-gendering …, p. 331.
48. Ibid.
49. Report on the Administration of Travancore for 1926–27, p. 139.
50. Resolution of the Board dated 27/05/1929 (Bundle No 22, File No 1241/29 KSA).
51. Letter from V. Mary dated 29/05/1929 (Bundle No 22, File No 1241/29 KSA).
52. Letter dated 10/12/1929 from the Board to the Chief Sec. (Bundle No 22, File No 1241/29 KSA).
53. J. Devika, En-gendering …, pp. 183–84.
54. Quoted in Robin Jeffrey, ‘Governments and Culture’ in Pacific Affairs, Vol. 60, No. 3, 1987, p. 466.
55. Dewan’s Address to the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly (1930).
56. Report for the First Half of October 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1746).
57. Report for the First Half of November 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1746).
58. Letter dated 20/06/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/885/175).
59. Report for the First Half of January 1928 (IOR/R/1/1/1746).
60. Dewan’s Note dated 11/01/1928 (Raghunandan, pp. 292–96).
61. Ibid.
62. Ibid.
63. Ibid.
64. Ibid.
65. Ibid.
66. Letter dated 22/02/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
67. Nagam Aiya, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, p. 65.
68. Letter dated 22/02/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849)
69. Ibid.
70. Ibid.
71. Ibid.
72. Ibid.
73. Ibid.
74. Ibid.
75. Note that 23/02/1929 from the Dewan to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan, pp. 357–60)
76. Letter dated 22/02/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
77. Ibid. In his diaries auctioned at Bonham’s Harvey could speak of the ‘wicked uncles’ and ‘relentlessly ambitious’ mother of the Maharajah, also adding that he was ‘superstitious and convinced of the absurdest possibilities’ and once described to him a story about how a certain sorcerer turned bullets into water. See description of the diaries at https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18942/lot/370/ (accessed 20/06/2014).
78. Ibid.
79. Ibid.
80. Letter dated 23/04/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
81. Ibid.
82. Letter dated 22/02/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
83. Vijaya Raje Scindia with Manohar Malgonkar, The Last Maharani of Gwalior, p. 137.
84. Letter dated 22/02/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
85. Ibid.
86. Ibid.
87. Ibid.
88. Ibid.
89. Letter dated 13/03/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849). It must be mentioned here that the Resident mentions one or two incidents, which, however, I have chosen not to include in this book.
90. Dewan’s Note dated 23/02/1929 to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan, pp. 357–60).
91. Letter dated 25/02/1929 from the Resident to the Dewan (Raghunandan, p. 363–64).
92. Letter dated 07/03/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
93. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 366.
94. Letter dated 09/04/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
95. Ibid.
96. Letter dated 08/03/1929 from the Junior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
97. Letter dated 26/04/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
98. Ibid.
99. Letter dated 23/04/1929 from Captain Harvey to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
100. Letter dated 09/04/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
101. Letter dated 06/05/1929 from the Pol. Sec. GOI to the Chief Sec. Madras (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
102. Letter dated 30/05/1929 from the Chief Sec. Madras to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
103. Letter dated 19/03/1929 from the Pol. Sec. GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
104. Mr Cotton’s letter dated 05/12/1927 quoted in letter dated 09/04/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
CHAPTER 11: IN LETTERS OF GOLD
1. Letter dated 09/04/1929
from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/1849).
2. Report for the Second Half of April 1929 (IOR/R/1/1/1819).
3. Ibid.
4. I am grateful to Abhed Kiran Kandamath for telling me about this story.
5. Report for the Second Half of June 1929 (IOR/R/1/1/1819).
6. Ibid.
7. Letter dated 29/06/1929 from Mr Watts to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan, pp. 368–69).
8. Letter dated 05/09/1929 from the Resident to the Maharani Regent (Raghunandan, p. 376).
9. Letter dated 20/06/1929 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/885/175).
10. See Bundle No 265, File No 404 KSA.
11. See Reports on the Administration of Travancore for 1923–24 and 1928–29.
12. Ibid.
13. Supplement to the Western Star dated 19/11/1928.
14. Ibid.
15. See Report on the Administration of Travancore for 1923–24 and 1929–30 and Dewan’s Address to the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly (1931). The 62 lakhs mentioned includes not only budgetary allocation but also expenses incurred on telephone, electricity, and other schemes then underway.
16. The Feudatory and Zemindari India, Vol. X, No. 7, p. 326.
17. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. IV, p. 158.
18. Ibid.
19. Dewan’s Address to the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly (1928).
20. Robin Jeffrey, The Decline of Nair Dominance, p. 103.
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