CHAOS:AN INVALID KING RULED FOR 24 YEARS

Corruption and Nepotism was Order of the Day

It is when we go through the life story of the abdicated King of Cochin,Rajarshi Rama Varma,we come across his fight with an invalid King,Mithuna Masathil Theepetta Thampuran(The King who died in the month of Mithunam),Rama Varma XIV,who ruled the Kingdom,during 1864-1888.The King(1835-1888),a pawn in the hands of the Dewan and a courtier,called the Cheruvathur Nambudiri,entertained wild allegations of the coterie against Rajarshi Rama Varma,his younger brother,Kerala Varma and his cousin,the first prince Kerala Varma,and made their life,hell.This cousin was the son of King's own brother.

The King was the son of Manku Thampuran and the nephew of the former King,Ravi Varma(1853-1864).He was the brother of Kunjipilla Thampuran,Kavamma Thampuran,and Maharaja Kerala Varma,Chinga Masathil Theepetta Thampuran(1888-1895).Since he was invalid through out his reign,his Dewan T (Thottakkat)Sankunni Menon,son of former Dewan,Edakunni Sankara Warrier(1840-1857)and Kizhake Thottakat Ammini Amma,virtually reigned and when the Dewan retired on 22 August 1879,due to ill health,his brother,Govinda Menon,succeeded.

 Rama Varma XIV

Records show that Rajarshi took no hand in public affairs,during the reign of Rama Varma XIV.The King had been a confirmed invalid,easy going,shrewd but averse to all intellectual and physical effort,and always anxious to take the line of least resistance in political and administrative matters.He was assisted by loyal and able Dewan Sankunni Menon,who had been Deputy Collector of Tirunelveli before he was appointed Dewan.The King gave him a free hand,and he was not altogether free from all taint of self-seeking and nepotism;but if he looked after his interests,it was without detriment to the welfare of the State.The King's brother,Vira Kerala Varma,often advised the King not to surrender his individuality,so completely as to be wholly led by the Dewan,but the King resented such advice.On one occasion,when the Elaya Raja tendered such advice,the King's reply was immediate and incontrovertible.The King told his brother,that being conscious of his own limitations-physical and intellectual-he had to use his judgement in selecting an efficient ,honest and loyal Dewan,and having done that, the only proper and wise thing to do was leave him alone to do his duty and not meddle with his discretion at every stage.

Dewan Sankunni Menon

Sankunny Menon's successor,Govinda Menon,retired from Madras service,though loyal,was far less efficient  and results of the King's weakness very soon became obvious,especially after,Sankunny Menon's death.The King's timidity was taken advantage of by his courtiers ,the most prominent and unscrupulous among whom was, Cheruvathur Nambudiri.Being invalid,the King was dependent on Cheruvathur,even for domestic ministrations,for the King had to be bathed and clothed by him,and in due course,Cheruvathur made himself indispensable to the King and began to wield immense influence which he exploited to his own selfish ends.Even the Elaya Raja,the King's own brother,was denied  easy access to the King,and the entire royal family became highly critical of the King and the administration.Corruption in the King's Court and in the public services,became order of the day,and the British Resident failed to intervene.There was very little contact between the King who could not speak English and the Resident.The King had permanently commissioned the Dewan to transact all business with the Resident on his behalf ,and even when courtesy calls by the Resident were proposed,the King would plead indisposition.But when a visit became unavoidable,the King would go to his favorite room in the southern wing of the palace whence the golden crown of the temple of the family Deity is visible and stand in devout prayer for some time,so that the Resident's visit might pass off without any mishap.In public functions,Crown Prince,Vira Kerala Varma represented the King,and he was knighted by the British,before he became King.

Rajarshi

Rajarshi and the Elaya Raja Vira Kerala Varma, the King's younger brothers, were very deeply attached to each other,and the King disliked them because of their definite and open disapproval of his policies.The King some times annoyed and bullied Rajarshi,who in spite of his deep respect and love for his cousin,was driven to the extremity of retaliation.The cause of vexation was most of the time trivial,and there was little harmony in the relations between the King and Rajarshi ,and during the comparatively long period of the reign,neither the Rajarshi or his brother had any opportunity of being in any way associated with the ruler in any of his activities,public or private.

Dewan Govinda Menon

The corrupt and sycophant courtiers who disliked and dreaded the Rajarshi were eternally active in their search for discord.Rajarshi's brother published anonymous reports and letters against Cheruvathur in news papers to no avail.When Rajarshi became a paramour to the married 16 year old daughter of the Elaya Raja's wife,in her first husband,Cheruvathur and Company spread the story that the affair was not out of love,but out of selfishness,because she being the daughter of the heir apparent.Rajarshi wrote to Dewan Govinda Menon,on 11 April,1886:

Cheruvathur and some of his comrades were for some time back trying to annoy me in various ways,especially by spreading bad reports about me,and my royal cousin-unfortunately for me-seemed to connive at their attempts;but as you know I took very little notice of it though His Highness's taking sides with them was really unpleasant to me...I shall wait and see if you can render me satisfaction by warning His Highness of the grave consequences of such folly;and if I fail,I tell you before hand that I shall myself take measures to annoy my offenders up to the last.

Rama Varma XVI

The King's dislike of Rajarshi and his cousin was aggravated by such letters of retaliation and Rajarshi's occasional visits to the palace afforded the King fresh chances for accusation. 
A letter to the British Resident by Rajarshi,after he became King,is proof to the rampant corruption in the system.When Simon,Head of the Police retired,Rajarshi appointed Davis,at the recommendation of the Resident.After a year,Rajarshi wrote: With the old Mr Simon as the Superintendent of Police,there was only one corrupt man in the whole force;with Mr Davis as the Head,there is only one man in the whole Police force who is not corrupt! 

There is not much contribution attributed to the King Rama Varma XVI,except he built Puthen Malika and Mani Malika(Clock Tower)in Tripunithura.He visited Madras in 1876 to meet the Prince of Wales,and was the first Cochin King to be knighted.

The King died in August,1888.With the accession of Vira Kerala Varma ,Cheruvathur Nambudiri,Chief of the corrupt courtiers,went into self exile.Though he could not be proved guilty of misappropriation of palace funds,he had to retire with a heavy cloud of suspicion.Govinda Menon retired in 1889.

Equally inefficient was the King,Madrasil Theepetta Thampuran(The King who died in Madras),Rama Varma XVI,who succeeded Rajarshi Rama Varma in 1914.He was known as Rama Varma Kunjikidavu Thampuran(1858 October 6-1932 March 27),born to Pana Nambudiripad and Kavamma Thampuran.He was the brother of King Ravi Varma Kunjappan Thampuran( Midukkan Thampuran,1941-1943),King Ravi Varma Kunjappan Thampuran(1943-1946),Kunjipilla,Kunjikavu,Kerala Varma Kelappan Thampuran and three others.

He was interested in curing snake bites and comprehending the language of the lizards.He was paralytic after a stroke,undergoing ayurvedic treatment constantly at Ollur or Shornur,leaving administration to his able wife,Thrissur Vadakke Kurupath Parukutty Nethyaramma.He gave the permission to build the largest Church in India,Basilica of Our Lady of Dolorous,in Thrissur.

Reference:

1.The Rajarshi of Cochin/Ed by I K K Menon

2.Cochin State Manual/C Achyutha Menon

See my Post,PARUKUTTY NETHYARAMMA RULED COCHIN