FIGHT AND FRUSTRATION:THE BIRTH OF A HISTORY

He spurned Dewan's post,to write History

In Travancore,when the brothers,the King Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma(1860-1880) and heir apparent,Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma(1880-1885) quarreled,several officers found themselves at the receiving end.One among them was Dewan Peishcar P Sankunni Menon (Shangoonny Menon  in English records),and when at the height of the war between the brothers,he was offered the post of Dewan,he resigned his job,and wrote,A History of Travancore from The Earliest Times.Later,his son,K P Padmanabha Menon,surpassed his father as a Historian,by writing,History of Kerala and History of Cochin.

Sankunni Menon had entered Travancore service at the salary of Rs 10 a month during King Swati Thirunal(1829-1847)and rose to become one of the four Dewan Peishcars,as a loyal and honest officer.Two years after Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma(1846-1860) ascended the throne,the King received a letter from Madras Government(1849),on the great exhibition planned in London in 1851,on produce,manufactures and arts of the countries of the Empire.The letter asked for a contribution from Travancore.The King formed a Committee,with Resident Major General W Cullen,Dr Paterson,Durbar Physician,Kohlhoff,Judge of Apellate Court and Raman Menon,Dewan Peishcar as members.Sankunni Menon was its Secretary.An ivory State Chair,in the shape of a throne was already under construction,by artisans,for the use of the King,and it was decided to sent it to London,and gift it to the Queen after exhibition.The happy Queen sent an acceptance letter to the King,which was presented by General W Cullen,Resident,in the Durbar,to the King,on 27 November,1851.A sketch of this was published by the Illustrated London News,on 31 January,1852.

General Cullen presenting letter of Queen Victoria to Uthram Thirunal

Though the King Ayilyam Thirunal had faith in Sankunni Menon,after the exit of Dewan T Madhava Rao,the new Dewan A Seshaiah Sastri and the Resident John Child Hannyngton got themselves involved in the palace intrigues,and they began to view Menon with suspicion.Rao had to quit as a victim of palace politics,and Seshaiah was his class mate.Amaravathi Seshaiah was born in a poor family in Amaravathi,Thanjavur,and he had moved to Madras,while at 9,with his uncle,Gopala Iyer.After degree,he enterd revenue service as Clerk in 1848,and was a Tahsildar,when he was appointed Dewan of Travancore,in 1872.He quit after receiving an anonymous letter on a plan to finish him off,by the King Ayilyam Thirunal.The letter was written by Kerala Varma Valiya Koyil Thampuran, the poet and play wright,the friend turned foe of the King.He admitted author ship of the letter later.

Ivory Chair sent to Queen Victoria

It was Hannyngton,as State Secretary of Madras,who signed the Mullapperiyar agreement of 999 years,with Travancore Dewan,V Rama Iyengar, later in 1886,during Visakham Thirunal.

There were people jealous of Menon's proximity to the King.When Hannyngton complained to the King about Menon,the King told him that he,as someone who had known Menon for long,has complete faith in Menon,and he doesn't believe in the scandals.Hannyngton pressed for the removal of Menon once again,stating old age as reason.The King silenced him by saying,Menon has been given additional charge of Kollam Division,since Kollam Peishcar Rama Rao has gone on leave.

K P Padmanabha Menon

Upset with scandal mongers,Menon gave a written complaint to the King.Here is the King's reply dated 9 April,1877.

My dear Peishcar,

I was quite delighted with your letter and its enclosure.Be assured that you shall always have my unqualified support,kindness and protection,as I cannot have a more truly loyal,attached and devoted servant and more faithful dependent than yourself.I have arranged with the Dewan for the continuance of the Military guard of which you had written.With best wishes,

Rama Varma.

Dewan Seshaiya

Dewan Seshaiah quit in 1877,became Dewan at Pudukottai(1878-1894).He became famous as builder of the city of Pudukottai and the Pudukulam Lake.He was Dewan Regent during 1886-1894.

After Seshaiah quit,the King asked for Menon's consent to be appointed in place of him.Menon told the King that writing  Travancore History was under way,and he would like to go on leave to complete it.It was completed and published in 1878.He didn't live long there after.

To complete the History,Menon built a home on the banks of Periyar river at Puthenvelikara,near North Paravur.It had a library and lit by the warmth of oil lamps, he would wade through information,collate it,and write down drafts,with the assistance of his son,Padmanabha Menon.In a letter to his son,Menon had said,"History would judge that my decision to spurn the offer of the post of Dewan for writing the book,was right".

Puthenvelikkara Home

When the  news of Menon's death came,the King said:"He was the pilot to all my journeys.He has gone as a pilot of my last journey!".

Sarvadhikaryakkar P Govinda Pillai,on behalf of the King,sent a letter of condolence, to K P Sankara Menon,Menon's son,on 18 March 1880(Sankara Menon wrote the biography of Kesari Balakrishna Pillai).Ayilyam Thirunal had went into a coma after the resignation of Menon,without signing the appointment order of,P Govinda Pillai,succeeding Menon.The King died on 30 May 1880.He followed the pilot.

Padmanabha Menon was a lawyer and an assistant to H H Shepherd,who was Advocate General in Madras.Shepherd was made a Judge of the High Court,later.Menon moved to Cochin,practiced at the appeal court,before moving to Travancore.He was a member of the Marumakathayam Committee, appointed to recommend changes in the laws pertaining to customs of Nairs.

Padmanabha Menon,known for his sedentary habits, finished writing History of Kerala(4 volumes)using a portion of Aluva Palace,in 1910.It was published only in 1924,five years after his death,on May Day,1919.KP Padmanabha Menon stayed at his mother Parvathy Amma's house at Edapally,Krishnathu Puthenveedu,which is still there at Blossom Road,Punnakkal.The Puthenvelikkara House was pulled down in the 1990s before it could be made a monument.

Reference:

1.Dewan Peishcar Sankunni Menon/R Kulathu Iyer

2.Sarvadhikayakkar P Govinda Pilla/P Damodaran Nair

See my Post,A GREAT POET AS HOSTAGE IN TRAVANCORE

THE GHOST OF MARAR EMERGES FROM THE SEA

Babu Paul saw the ghost in the Bath room!

Dr D Babu Paul has seen a ghost,only once,after he took charge as Cochin Port Trust Chairman on March 25,1984.It was not an ordinary ghost,but a VIP ghost,riding a black horse,in a three piece suit.

The first Chairman,the legendary Robert Bristow had left in 1941; the predecessors of Babu Paul were,Milne,Marar,Sreenivasan,Venkateswaran,Venkitaraman,Subramanya Iyer,KPK Menon,P S Padmanabhan,AKK Nambiar,U Mahabala Rao and T N Jayachandran.

Old Harbor House

The Port became operational on May 26,1928,when the ship,Padma entered the Port.Then the discussions on building  the wharfs  and other activities, were led in Shimla, by Joseph William Bhore,who was the Dewan in Cochin during 1914-1919.A Sub Committee,consisting of Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer,Thej Bhadur Sapru,Cochin Dewan C G Herbert,Central Finance Secretary Allen Parsons and Finance Member Sir James Grig was formed,and they took all the decisions,in four sittings.According to an article A V Menon wrote in Malabar Herald,the King,Rama Varma XVI,the King who died in Madras(1914-1932),as he was known later,prayed publicly, before he gave the final sanction.A lamp with four wicks was lighted.Since the King was 70(born on 6 October 1858),he placed 71 silver coins on a bronze plate before the lamp.He closed his eyes and prayed for 10 minutes.He ended the prayer thus:"My God,Poornathrayeesa,every thing has been examined.Even then I beg you,nothing negative should happen to the State with this.If my signing this now,as an obedient servant of you, is wrong,please do pardon me!".70 silver coins were gifted to the people present.The King laid foundation to the fourth phase on 12 August 1936.

KWP Marar

Sir J W Bhore(1878-15 August 1960) joined the ICS in 1902,and is remembered as the Chairman of Central Health Survey and Standing Committee that chartered a course for public health investments and infrastructure in India.He was Under Secretary,Madras,when he was appointed Dewan of Cochin,succeeding A R Banerji.He was acting High Commissioner of India,during 1922-'23 and Secretary to the Simon Commission,in 1928.He married Margaret Wilkie/Stott in 1911.She died in Bhopal in May,1945,and Bhore died in Guernseu,Channel Islands,15 years later.

Babu Paul admits in his service story,Katha Ithu Vare(The Story So Far),that several ghosts haunted the Chairman,from the past.Then,shockingly,he records seeing the ghost of the former Chairman,KWP Marar!

Ever since I read about Marar in the book in 2008,I had been searching for information on Marar,and an image of him.I had mentioned him,in my post,Three English Mad Men. I spoke to Babu Paul,who said Marar's cricketer son,M P Govind,was his batch mate,in the Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram-but they were not in touch.

The little information now I have on Marar,is from London and Assam.The London Gazette of 6 November 1928,records that,Kottil Walappil Parameswara Marar was selected to the Indian Civil Service,after open competition,on 4 October,1928.There were only 11 Indians in the list,three South Indians among them,only one Malayali.The other South Indians were,Nellicheri Swaminathan Arunachalam and Hundi Srinivasa Kamath.The Other Indians in Marar's 1928 batch:Santosh Kumar Chatterjee,Prasanta Chandra Chaudhuri,Manilal Jagdishbhai Desai,Ranjit Gupta,Karuna Kumar Hajara,Mohammad Karamatullah,Purushottam Mangesh Lad and Mulkraj Sachdev.

Babu Paul

Marar was the fourth Malayali to get into the ICS,after KPS Menon(1922),N R Pillai(1923), and M C B Koman.Pillai was the first Cabinet Secretary of Independent India.

Babu Paul told me that Govind belonged to Thrissur;there is a Kottil Valappil,in Kottapuram,Poothole,Thrissur.

The Edinburgh Gazette of 4 January 1935 records that Marar was given the New Year award of Kaisar-i-Hind Medal of the first class for public service,as Deputy Commissioner,Nowgong,Assam.

Marar was the second Chairman after Bristow,post 1947;till 1945,it was taken over by the Navy,during the Second World War.Marar belonged to Assam cadre of the ICS ,and was,,Superintendent of Census Operations,Secretary,Supply in Assam and Joint Secretary,Agriculture,Delhi,in 1944-'47 ,before he was appointed Chairman,Cochin Port Trust.Malayala Manorama of 31 July 1948,reports,Marar's appointment as,Administrative Officer,Cochin Port,and the three line report says,he belongs to Thrissur. 

Census and partition of Assam

Marar had a very controversial career in Assam,as Superintendent of Census Operations in 1941.The controversy finds a place in the book,India Divided (page 321)by the first President of India,Rajendra Prasad.The earlier census in Assam was in 1931,and compared to it,there was a fall in proportion in the 1941 census,in the whole of Christians,and to a less extend,in the case of Hindus and Buddhists.The explanation of Marar was that the previous census was on the basis of Religion,where as the 1941 census was on the basis of community.A Khasi will be a Khasi,not a Hindu or a Christian.

This is what we have in the book of Rajendra Prasad.When I read it,I was shocked:it meant,Marar,in the case of tribes,ignored conversion.So what would have happened in Assam?

An adjournment motion was moved by Provincial Congress Chief,Siddhinath Sarma,in the Assam Assembly,on 4 December,1941.

Port Trust Building,1948

Marar's census refrained from providing religious classification in Assam.The compilation for communities was done with reference to,"race,tribe and caste",not religion,as it was in the case of 1931 census.It evoked strong criticism;it led to debates in news papers and Assembly.Congress criticized the Government for manipulating the census.It was alleged that,it was under the Assam Provincial Government's insistence that Marar,as Superintendent,issued a special circular to the Deputy Commissioners and census officers in Assam,to compile a data on the basis of community.Marar wrote:

The basis for community is the answer to question S3,but generally the communities are,unavoidably mixed up and where community cannot be ascertained in answer to question 3,to question 4 will be the basis;eg,if a Kachari has not in answer to question 3 mentioned that he is a Kachari,and is returned under 4 as Hindu,Muslim or Christian,he will be shown as Hindu,Muslim or Christian as the case may be,but if he is returned as Kachari against question 3,he will be entered such,irrespective of his religion.

Saadulla

The Lahore Session of Muslim League,on March 24,1940,for the first time had adopted a resolution for Pakistan and partition.Though the term Pakistan,was not there,it termed,Muslim majority areas in the North Western and Eastern zones of India,as 'sovereign' and 'independent' states,and demanded a Muslim home land.

In the back drop of this,the census assumed added importance,since Assam had a Muslim League Chief Minister during 1939-1946,Moulavi Saiyid Sir Muhammad Saadulla(1885-1955).In Bengal too,it was alleged that the League Ministry had doctored the 1941 census to inflate the Muslim demographic strength.

Bhore with wife Margaret

Marar's Assam Tables is there,in Census of India,Vol IX,unscathed.

On a Black horse,in a three piece Suit

Marar's home in Cochin was,the present Port Trust Office,in Willingdon Island.He was poisoned to death after a few months of becoming the Chairman. After death,according to Babu Paul,Marar used to emerge from the sea, riding a black horse,travel by the side of the present Harbor House,to the old building.He was certain to rise from the sea,if it was a friday and new moon.If  the security guard was found,sleeping,he would beat him up with a Cain.The ghost Marar would go up to Malabar Hotel,then return  by the same route,to the Chairman's Jetty,to disppear into the perennial waters.

One day,Marar appeared in Babu Paul's bath room,wearing a three piece suit.It was a weekend,when Nirmala,his wife and children had gone to their native home.Babu Paul had returned from a dinner and was,alone.

Cochin Port Trust

Next day,Babu Paul searched for the pictures of former Chairmen,found a picture of Marar-Yes,the same person!He kept those pictures in his room,with admiration.Today Marar,maybe tomorrow,Vankataraman!Babu Paul,was not afraid of ghosts;but he felt,discretion is the better part of valour.

Babu Paul located Mrs Marar,and invited her to be present the next Republic Day.It was when she arrived with family,Babu Paul realized that the handsome cricketer Govind,who was called Thadiyan Govindan(plump Govindan) in the College,was Marar's son.Babu Paul shuddered when Leela Marar told him that,Marar's favorite hobby was riding horses.And he had a liking for black horses!Friday,new moon,black horse,the attack on the security guard,the apparition in the bath room-Babu Paul refrained from being alone at the Harbor House.He was haunted by the fear,till the death of his own father;there after,he found solace in the fact that he has a savior in the nether world.

There is a Marar Road in the Island,now.

"Was it a hallucination,after all"?,I asked Babu Paul."Maybe,maybe not",he said and went on to reminisce the discussions he had with the enlightened people at the time,hinting at the possible existence of ghosts.

It is past midnight, 1.08 AM now-I am.....a bit scared.Babu is distant, but,old Harbor House,for me,is just 20 minutes away!

Reference:

1.Katha Ithu Vare/Babu Paul
2.India Divided/Rajendra Prasad

3.Tribal Politics in  Assam 1933-1947/Suryasikha Pathak(teaches History at Assam University,Silchar).
4.Partition of Bengal and Assam,1932-1947:Contours of Freedom/Bidyut Chakrabarty 

Note:The image of Marar,was cropped by me from a Photo Division picture of the meeting of Indian Oil Seeds Committee,on 16 October 1947,presided by Minister for Commerce,C H Bhabha.

See my Post,THREE ENGLISH MADMENTHR

 

 

THE BANISHMENT OF SIR RAMUNNI MENON

An excommunication 8 years before Thatri,in 1897

Three important questions:1.Who introduced Music as a subject in Madras University?2.Who proposed a monthly allowance to Mathematical genius,Ramanujan's wife,Janaki Ammal?3.Who stayed in M S Subbulakshmi's home before her?Please take your time to answer,while I tell you the story of Ramunni Menon.

In 1892,the 20 year old Kankoth Ramunni Menon(1872-1949) from Villadam,Thrissur,traveled down to Tripunithura to meet the King,Chingamasathil Theepetta Thampuran(The King who died in the month of Chingam),Kerala Varma V(1888-1895).Menon had studied in Maharaja's College ,Ernakulam and Presidency College,Madras,passed BA Zoology,and was planning to go to England for higher studies.After meeting the King,he met the heir apparent,Rama Varma,who wielded great influence over the King.

King Kerala Varma

Rama Varma,who later came to be known as His Abdicated Highness,after his abdication in 1914, casually asked Menon,whether the question of his social position after his return from Engaland had been considered and a definite understanding on it arrived at-it was the practice among higher castes then to excommunicate the person who crossed the sea.Rama Varma told him the precaution was highly necessary as the majority of the people of the State was still very orthodox in social and religious matters, and might object to his re admission into society.Menon said,if he could have Rama Varma's sympathy and support,there would be no trouble.

Rama Varma replied that his sympathy,or for that matter,the sympathy of the King,would be of no avail in such matters,so long as society was not ready to accept a drastic change.Menon then told Rama Varma,that the King has given him,permission.Rama Varma,by his on version,was surprised,and asked him,whether there was any discussion as to his position,on his return."No",Menon said.

Ramunni Menon

Rama Varma,met the King the very next day,and asked him,why he consented to Menon's request.The King said,the man was determined to go,and if the request was declined,he might approach the Resident,and other influential persons and through them bring pressure,and it would be difficult to with stand.Rama Varma asked,whether the King had at all thought about Menon's position,after his return from England.The angry King barked:"That is an event to come after two or three years.Who is going to live till that time?'".
King Kerala Varma(1845-1895)was the son of Manku Thampuran and younger brother of King Rama Varma(1864-1888),who died in Mithunam.He was well versed in English,and went on a pilgrimage to Kasi,Gaya and Calcutta in 1893 and died in September,1895.

Menon went to England,did his MA in Zoology at Christ's College,Cambridge,and had first class in both parts of the Natural Sciences Tripos.On his return from England in 1896,he wrote to Rama Varma,who had ascended the throne,in 1895.In the letter Menon said that,his first duty on his return from England was to pay the King his respects,but that he was obliged to put it off for fear of social difficulties.The King replied that,his precaution was wise,in the sense that the King should not misunderstand him.Menon reached Tripunithura after some time,and did not attempt to mingle with his people,didn't enter temples,or touch the public wells,or tanks.

Rama Varma

Rama Varma told him that the objection of the orthodox section of the people to his readmission to caste privileges and rights was still very strong,and if the question was hastily brought to the front,the chance was that it would have to be decided against the reformers.Rama Varma asked him to wait for few years.

Rama Varma,one day in 1897, received the news that Menon was going to marry from one of the influential Kuruppam houses.Varma warned a branch of that house in Tripunithura,against the alliance,and they sent a telegram.By that time, the Sambandham has already taken place,and the bride continued to enter temples,and enjoyed all the caste privileges.The orthodox people protested,and apprehending grave consequences,Varma called the Dewan P Rajagopalachari(1896-1901 in Cochin;1906-1914 in Travancore.Father of former Minister,S Varadarajan Nair) and explained the situation.Both felt sorry for Menon,who didn't heed the advice to wait.Varma told the Dewan to take immediate action to preclude the couple from enjoying caste privileges.It was resolved to issue a temporary order prohibiting Menon and wife from entering temples and enjoying caste privileges,pending an enquiry,at an early date to arrive at a final decision.The issue of the order created a huge sensation.

Iyengar

The leading Nairs were taken into confidence,and were requested to give their views.In the Thrissur Palace,a two day conference of the Vaidikas was arranged,and on King's request,Sir V Bhashyam Iyengar,attended.Legal Luminary Sir V C Desikachar,the Dewan and district Judge Ramachandra Iyer also attended.The scholars were unanimous in their view that Menon had forfeited his caste and could not be re admitted even after prayaschitham.The papers were given to Iyengar for his views.Iyengar advised the King was the final authority,but he would recommend readmission of the accused after necessary explanatory rituals.He also suggested taking Menon's explanation on the polluting acts brought against him,and that if he admitted them,his wife also must be asked whether she and Menon were not living as man and wife.What action was decided upon should apply equally to both.The couple replied to the questions sent to them,admitting allegations.Final order was issued confirming the initial order.

Rajagopalachari

Some time later,Dewan met Menon accidentally and asked him why he acted so hastily in marrying the Thrissur girl without giving a chance to offer the Darbar's advise,and if he was in a hurry to marry,why he could not select a lady from British Malabar,where these things didn't matter much.According to Rajagoplachari,Menon said,he acted on the advice of certain enemies in the garb of friends.Rama Varma kept a big file on Menon,even after abdication.

The decision of Rama Varma may conform with the edicts in the Manusmrithi,but his final decision was neither democratic,nor secular.He ignored the sane advise by the expert,Bhashyam Iyengar,who asked the King to readmit Menon after purifying rituals;he ignored an individual's right to study,wherever he want.The King's own family proved him wrong in later years by Lalan Thampuran marrying the sister of V K Krishna Menon,who studied in England.Oh!Krishna Menon belonged to British Malabar!Nonsense.
Rajagopalacahri,who presided over the decision to banish the young Ramunni Menon,became the Dewan of Travancore in 1906,at 44,had a sambandham with a Nair woman,Ambujam,and S Varadarajan Nair,Former KPCC President and Minister was born.There is a road in the city,in his consort's name,Ambuja Vilasam Road,where she stayed. 

Christ's College,Cambridge

Madras University

Ramunni Menon went to orthodox Madras where scholarship was valued,much better than in Cochin,joined the Madras Education Department in 1898 and became the Zoology Professor at Presidency College,his alma mater,in 1910.Students held him in high esteem;his classes were known for lucidity of expression.He,for several years studied certain forms of Coelenterates,and was conscious to a degree,with the result that he was not able to produce the amount of research work,that one must have expected.

When he retired in 1927,he was made Vice Chancellor of Madras University,and he planned out three University Labs for Zoology,Botany and Biochemistry during his tenure,till 1934.He was honorary Director of the Department of Zoology of the University,which he built up.Zoology in South India,owes a lot to him,which I didn't know,as a student of Zoology,in his former Maharaja's College.

Indira Menon

He completed new University buildings,was life member of the Senate,and was elected to the Madras Legislative Council,twice.He represented the University at the Congress of Universities at Edinburgh in 1931;he was Chairman of Inter University Board during 1932-'33,and was Member of the Council of States of India,till it was dissolved in 1934.

He was not one of those who wanted to be in the lime light,and to the solace of Rama Varma,he was too, conservative,concentrating on Music and Sanskrit in final years.

He was knighted on the new year day of 1933,invested with Knighthood on 3 March by the Viceroy Earl of Willingdon at Newdelhi,and thus became Dewan Bahadur Sir Ramunni Menon.

He proposed  to G H Hardy,in a letter dated 28 July 1920,a monthly annuity of Rs 20 per month to Ramanujan's wife,Janaki Ammal,for handing over her husband's documents.He introduced Music as a subject in the University and in 1944 presided over the Madras Music Academy's annual celebrations,and he was one of the founding fathers of the Tamil Isai Sangham.He was maternal grand father of Musicologist Indira Menon,and her sisters,singer Kalyani Menon and Historian Narayani Gupta.Menon wanted the best tutelage for his grand daughters,and so T Brinda was brought in as Guru.Indira's father VRK Menon was in the ICS; nephew,Ramu Damodaran,of  the IFS,became a famous news caster.

Indira was born in 1935 in the house that M S Subbulakshmi made famous as Kalki Gardens.It was the residence of Ramunni Menon for a short while,during which time,Indira was delivered.Many years later,Indira went to Kalki Gardens with her mother,and was pointed out the room were she was born.M S told her that it was her boudoir!

Reference:

1.Reminiscences/Rama Varma

2.Ramanujan:Letters and Commentaries/Srinivasa Ramanuja Aiyangar

3.A Life Well Lived/Indira Menon

See my Post,HIS ABDICATED HIGHNESS:THE COMPLETE STORY

TWO TUSKS: A FIGHT BETWEEN THE KING AND RESIDENT

An Elephant died and they fought over Tusks

Early in 1904, the Cochin Police arrested some persons at the Mattancherry market, trying to sell two elephant tusks. They could not explain how they got it. They were charged before the Sub Magistrate of Cochin for possession of Government property, and the Cochin Forest officers put in a claim before the Magistrate for the tusks, since an elephant had been found dead in the Cochin Forests.

The Travancore Forest officers put forth a claim before the Magistrate for the tusks, because, an elephant had died in the Travancore forests too. The accused pleaded that the tusks were those of the Travancore elephant.

We don't know the original elephant, but while the case was proceeding, the Resident of Travancore and Cochin, Gordon Thomson Mackenzie at the instance of the Travancore King, Sri Mulam Thirunal, wrote to the Cochin Dewan, N Pattabhi Rama Rao, that he should look into the matter. The Cochin King, Rama Varma XV, His Abdicated Highness, was furious.

Mackenzie, second from left, with Sri Moolam Thirunal

On which side are you? Travancore or Cochin?One tusk for Travancore, and one for Cochin?

Gordon Thomson Mackenzie was a Resident from 1899 July to November 1904. He is famous in the Church as the person who wrote the classic, Christianity in Travancore in 1901, as a chapter in the Travancore State Manual of V Nagam Aiya. In the preface, written on October 23,1901, Mackenzie thanked Dr E Thurston of Madras for providing information, meaning Thurston is the real father of the work. Edgar Thurston was the author of the monumental work in 7 volumes, Caste and Tribes in Southern India. Thurston (1855-1935), educated in Medicine, lectured Anatomy at Madras Medical College while holding the position of Superintendent, at Madras Museum. His earlier interests were Numismatics and Geology, researching Anthropology and Ethnography when Mackenzie sought his help.
Since Mackenzie had a missionary zeal, two warring Christian groups, Anjuttikkar and Ezhunnuttikkar sent Memorials to him, and according to Nagam Aiya, the Anjuttikkar took the further step of writing to him, not to give "undue importance" to their rival group," in an official document like the State Manual of Travancore".Nagam Aiya, who was assigned to write the first State Manual, was the Settlement Peshkar, in Travancore.

Mackenzie had succeeded F A Nicholson, and here is the assessment of Mackenzie, by Rama Varma, from his Reminiscences:

He was a good-hearted, conscientious, straightforward man with many more good qualities of heart. He was also firm to some extent. But inability and commonsense he was very deficient. He was very fond of making speeches and thought himself a speaker. His speeches were generally irrelevant. He had a low opinion of the education of the people of the place and made very offensive remarks about them, and within a very short time of his taking charge of his exalted office, he became very unpopular with the local public. He had had a very good education, and his brother's officers had given him the name of "educated fool".It was rumoured at the time that he was shunted to the Resident's post because he had no chance of promotion in the regular line. We found him very sympathetic.He supported us in every possible way.As we did not attach much value to the soundness of his advice or opinion, we did not trouble him often for either.

That Mackenzie supported the Cochin Darbar, seems to be an understatement by Rama Varma.

Rajarshi Rama Varma

After an extended tour of Northern India, Rama Varma reached Tripunithura, from Tirupathi, on 22 January 1903. The new Dewan N Pattabhi Rama Rao had taken charge, in his absence in September. The King had a huge liability over the newly opened Ernakulam-Shornur railway line, and steps had to be taken to raise a loan of Rs 10 lakhs. Having secured assurance from the Government of Madras, a formal application was made to Resident Mackenzie, in June 1902. In November, while the King was in Benares, he received a telegram. When he got it, his throat was touched by Dr Subba Rao, since he was feeling rather hoarse, and not expecting it to be from an official,  handed over the telegram to the first prince, to open and read. It was from Mackenzie, on the loan. It said, Lord Curzon's Government refused to sanction the loan but promised to lend a lakh of rupees for expenses in connection with the King's Delhi tour. The tour was expected to cost two lakhs, and Mackenzie, in his telegram, said, two lakhs was excessive. The King records:

 This was more than what I had bargained for. I did not mind the refusal to lend the money as I had more or less anticipated it. But the curt remark of two lakhs being excessive for the Delhi tour implied a charge of my being lavish in spending public funds on my account and it hurt me very much.

As the contents of the telegram became known to others, the King became perplexed. On reaching Delhi, the King discussed the matter with James Thompson, a former Resident, who had been there as a member of the Madras Governor's Council. It was agreed that the King should write to the Dewan asking him to report to the Resident that the original estimate of two lakhs was fair and that the Government of India should not have passed the criticism before calling for details.

On his return, the King wrote to  Dewan Rao, gave detailed particulars of the tour expenses and compared them, with those incurred by his predecessor for his tour to Benares. Rao forwarded a copy to the King, and a long one of his own, to the Resident. The Resident didn't report it to his Government, but wrote to Rao, to advise the King not to press the matter, as he apprehended further trouble if the King persisted. Though Rao agreed with the Resident, the King persisted, his letter was sent by the Resident to Madras, and in June 1903, Mackenzie wrote that the tour expenses were moderate.

Pattabhi Rama Rao

So, in the Tusks case, Mackenzie was informed that it was within the jurisdiction of a judicial tribunal, where Travancore was also represented and that the Executive could not interfere. The Travancore Darbar withdrew from the proceedings before the Magistrate. The Magistrate, after recording evidence, held the tusks confiscated, according to rules.

Mackenzie again repeated his demand that the Dewan should examine the Travancore claim himself. It was again pointed out to him, that it was not a political question, but for the Court to decide. An angry Mackenzie rated Rao severely and wrote to Rama Varma, insinuating that the prestige of Cochin is at stake, because of the grabbing spirit. The King protested at the wild charge recklessly made by Mackenzie, and the Resident wrote to Madras. After some time, the Resident informed the Dewan that he had instructions from Madras, to ask the Dewan to look into the merits of the Travancore claim. Rama Varma wrote to James Thompson, acting Governor of Madras, on how Mackenzie traduced the Darbar. The Madras Government held that Mackenzie's interference was wrong, but the tusks were forwarded to the Travancore Darbar.

Rama Varma writes: I had the satisfaction of having gained an important constitutional point. Mr Mackenzie retired from service soon after.

The King is free to believe he proved a point. He would have been right in his actions if the Magistrate had found the tusks belonged to Cochin. The tusks were forwarded to Travancore because the Magistrate of Cochin found the Travancore claim true. Then what point, Your abdicated Highness, you did prove?

It is easy to guess what the Magistrate found: The culprits poached an elephant in Travancore, removed the tusks, and tried to sell them in Cochin. So, the claim of Cochin that a wild elephant had died in Cochin at that time, was baseless. If the foundation of a case is untrue, where is the constitutional case?

It is evident that the king was waiting for the elephantine rebuff he got the previous year from Mackenzie.

And spending two lakhs on a Delhi tour, in 1902-I leave it to the public imagination.

Dewan Pattabhi Rama Rao was a business partner of the master builder of Madras, Thatikonda Namberumal Chetty, who built the Merry Lodge Palace(now Kerala Varma College) for Rama Varma, at Thrissur, in 1914. The bricks to build the Ripon Building which houses the Madras Corporation, came from kilns owned by Chetty and Rao at Choolaimedu. Nemali Pattabhi Rama Rao Pantalu(born 1862) was born in Cuddapah, joined Madras Revenue Settlement Department in 1882, and was Asst Commissioner during 1895-1902, before becoming Dewan.

Reference:

The Reminiscences and Continuation of the Events till 1915/Rama Varma.

© Ramachandran

See my Post,HIS ABDICATED HIGHNESS:THE COMPLETE STORY

RAJARSHI RAMA VARMA: THE UNTOLD STORY

A strained relationship between the British and own Royal House

When he was fed up with the actions of some British officers, Sir Sri Rama Varma XV, the Cochin King, went to the Ayyanthole Karthyayani Temple at Thrissur. Seeing the bell hung over the temple dome outside the Sanctum was very small, he decided to offer a big one and called a bronze smith, and gave instructions, to get the sound right.

Ringing the bell in a Hindu temple, is a knock at the entrance of the God, asking permission to enter. It has a twang to create the required sound. A temple bell is a symbol of antarala, the space between the sky and earth. In Sathapatha Brahmana, it is mentioned that evil should be driven out by invoking good-quality sound.

The new big bell was offered by the King and was hung. When he pulled the twang, he suddenly felt a disturbing tone, of discordant notes. The saddened King said: It is a hint by the Goddess, of the fading voice of the King. If it is the will of the Almighty, let it be so.

He wrote to the British Resident, James Andrew, that he was abdicating the throne, in August 1905, just a month after the verdict in the sensational trial of Kuriyedathu Thatri, a Nambudiri Woman, who spelt out 65 names of the males she slept with. This trial of chastity created a furore in the State since the males were very powerful and from the higher castes. Here is the King's view of the trial, from his Reminiscences:

Early in 1905, I had to engage myself in another sensational social question. A Nambudiri woman was suspected of leading an immoral life. According to customary law, a social tribunal is appointed by the Raja to enquire into the misdemeanours of Nambudiri ladies. The tribunal examines the lady in a Smarthavicharam and if she confesses her lapses before the tribunal she and the men mentioned by her as being involved are excommunicated by the Raja. The men were not told what their offence was nor were they given a chance to clear themselves from the one-sided accusation of the woman of ill fame.

This curious system, though it offended against the elementary canons of jurisprudence, has the sanction of established usage from time out of mind and was one of the bulwarks of the Nambudiri social system very jealously preserved by that community.

Rajarshi Rama Varma

In the case which cropped up in 1905 a large number of persons belonging to several communities were implicated by the woman in the Smarthavicharam.The injustice of condemning this motley group without giving the men concerned an opportunity to refute the allegations of the woman was realized by me. In consultation with Sir V Bashyam Iyengar, I framed certain rules for the conduct of Smarthavicharam. The persons alleged by the fallen woman to have had illicit intimacy with her were furnished with copies of her allegations and they were called upon to show cause why they should not be dealt with according to the customary law. They were allowed to cross-examine the woman and to adduce evidence. All persons denied having had anything to do with the woman. But they could not refute the charges. Some of them engaged counsel and wanted to import the procedure of law courts. This I could not permit, as legal subtleties were out of place in the enquiry which was a quasi-religious one and related only to questions of fact. Any violent breach from the past was bound to evoke strong opposition from the conservative Hindus whose sentiments had to be respected.

Sixty-four persons were involved in the enquiry and all of them were excommunicated. This evoked strong resentment among the educated section of the people. I had anticipated this. But I was not for superimposing any violent changes on society when they were repugnant to the feelings of most conservative people.

P Rajagopalachari

I have quoted at length, because this incident juxtaposed conservatism against modernism, and conservatism won, and the King was on the part of the conservatives. He was always on the part of conservatism, if we look at his role in excommunicating K Ravunni Menon of Villadam, Thrissur, for going to study in England and entering into a sambandham with a Nair woman on his return. I am not going into details, but it is sufficient to say that his strong stance in such matters was the cause of the rift between him and his younger brother, who died as heir apparent. Members of the Tripunithura royal family say that the King was against Kurur Unni Nambudiripad, a friend of his brother, who had eschewed Congress ideals. Kurur was a cousin of Parkutty Nethyaramma, wife of Rama Varma XVI, who succeeded the King. Her daughter Ratnam had married Ramunni Menon Palat(R M Palat), son of Sir C Sankaran Nair, who studied at Oxford and became a Minister in the Madras Government.

Fight with the new generation Residents

John Rees

P Rajagopalachari was the Dewan from December 1896, and N Pattabhi Rama Rao succeeded him, in September 1902, and was there till 1907. The King's problems seem to have aggravated a few months before, Thatri's trial, in December 1904, when James  Andrew, who was Collector, Thanjavur, succeeded Gordon Thomson Mackenzie, as Resident. Two well-furnished bungalows, one at Thrissur and one at Cochin were at his disposal and was accorded other facilities regarding supply of boats and provisions. When Dewan Rao wanted a change in this, the King asked him to wait, till the Resident's visit. During Andews' first visit to the King in December, a hitch occurred, and he complained to the King. Though the Dewan met the Resident on the order of the King to settle the issue, Andrew lectured the Dewan on the curtsies due to him. Soon the Government of India ordered that the Residents should not accept from the Durbars any privileges such as rent-free houses or conveyances. The government wanted the Bolghatty Residency either for purchase or on a long lease. The lease at Rs 6000 per annum was fixed, and the deed was executed in 1909.

R M Palat

The King went to Kodaikanal in 1904, and the King of Pudukotta was there. The King liked a house, Haddon House, which was up for sale; the King wished to buy it from his private funds. He had known, in connection with the purchase of the Tulloch's Garden for the Darbar, that the government didn't look with favour, the acquisition by ruling Chiefs of landed property in British India. The King thought that purchasing a small house from his private funds would not be objected to. But the Government rejected his wish. A King in British India was a mere slave. When the King wanted an extension of the Dewan Rajagoplachari, in 1901, he demanded a salary of Rs 1650, but the Government objected to it. 

F A Nicholson

In  1905, the King ordered the seizure of Rs 50 per month for six months from the pay of Dr Coombes, the Chief Medical Officer, Thrissur, for failing to properly treat a convict of the Central Jail, who was mortally wounded by a warder. While the convict needed treatment, Dr Coombes directed shifting him to the Mental Hospital, Thrissur, and he died. The allegation was that this was done to help the assailant- no statement was available from the convict. The King ordered an enquiry by Narayana Marar, Puisne Judge of the Chief Court, and based on his report, Robinson, Superintendent of the Jail, was removed, and Coombes punished.

Before the arrival of Andrew, the King had fought with the Resident Gordon Mackenzie, over two tusks seized in Cochin, after his claim that the tusks belonged to Travancore. It is a different story. At that time, the Resident was common to Travancore and Cochin. The Residents in the tumultuous period were James Thompson, John David Rees, F A Nicholson, Gordon Thomson Mackenzie and James Andrew. Rees, the King feels, torpedoed all reforms and often went to the Government Press, carrying tales to the Governor of Madras, Sir Arthur Havelock (1896-1900), against  Dewan, Rajagopalachari, and his reports were leaked by the Governor's private secretary to the King and Rajagopalachari.

Rama Varma(?), Mackenzie, Sri Mulam Thirunal and Augusta Mary Blandford

The King sank deep into a persecution complex. He made the proposal to abdicate, in August. He writes: I found a determined attempt everywhere to thwart me. I bore it up, as being incidental to my position as Ruler, as long as I could. But my troubles instead of diminishing, only increased.

Rees caricature/Leslie ward

The attitude of Resident Andrew became more and more formal and the King failed to get the degree of consideration and sympathy he used to get from Thompson and Nicholson. The Residents were disposed to be more critical than helpful. The King says the general level of people selected for the office of the Resident was not high, enough to be of any substantial help to the King in solving the many intricate problems. The King records: Thus, neither Mr Mackenzie nor his successor Mr Andrew could help us in formulating the settlement proposals (the Government had sent the draft of the proclamation for the Settlement of Land Revenue to the Resident, towards the close of 1904).

The King goes on record: Both (Governor) Lord Ampthill and Sir James Thompson were my best friends. But both of them were to quit India shortly for good. I was not quite sure of getting any substantial help in the conduct of the administration from their successors and was afraid of my experience with the Resident repeating itself in the Madras Government.

The King is off tangent when he opines that, the general level of the Residents was not high; at his time, people who had been in the ICS were sent as Residents. For instance, John Rees(1854-1922) was not a mediocre person, as the King had made him out to be. He entered the Indian Civil Service in 1875, was Under Secretary, Madras and member of the Governor's Council in the 1890s. He was Resident of Travancore and Cochin thrice,1895 April-July,1896 August-December and 1897 July-1898 August. He was a great supporter of the Raj, retired in 1901 and was MP for two terms in Britain, from 1906-1910(Montgomery)and 1912-1922(Nottingham). He married Mary Catherine Dorner, who was a Correspondent of George Orwell, and their daughter, Rose Mary, was an aviator. Rees was a reputed author on India, and his books include, Tours in India, The Mohammedans, The Real India and Modern India.

Bhashyam Iyengar

James Thompson, the King's friend, entered ICS in 1869, was Collector in Madras during 1889-1895 and was made Resident of Travancore and Cochin in 1895. He was Resident for only a year, from 1895 July to 1896 August, in the first year of the King. Thompson was elected to the Madras Legislative Council in 1898 and was Governor during 1904 April-December.

The Tramway Scuffle

For the King, even within the State, things were in disarray. Several officers made a sustained effort to discredit the administration. They ridiculed Dewan Pattabhi Rama Rao and did not promptly carry out his orders. Intrigues were common. Two officers, Alwar Chetty and Haffield were the worst sinners in disobedience to the Dewan, and they were asked by the King to mend their ways. In 1899, V Alwar Chetty from Madras was made Conservator of Forests, in place of Kohloff, and an Engineer, Haffield was selected for construction work, especially, the Parambikulam tramwa y. Hatfield and  Chetty quarrelled over the tramway work and both adopted a recalcitrant attitude towards the Dewan. Haffield lost his enthusiasm for pushing on with the tramway and Chetty planned to get rid of him. Haffield applied for leave off and on and asked for a pay hike. Chetty appointed Pereira as an Engineer to assist Haffield without consulting him. Hatfield left the State service on 20 September 1905. Lord Ampthill had agreed to open the Cochin Forest Tramway on 3 October!

Cochin Forest Tramway

The King observes: My caution and reluctance to force social reforms on an unwilling public were severely criticized by the fire eaters. The line of action pursued by me in Professor Ramunni Menon's case and the Smarthavicharam case was not to the liking of the English-educated people. Not satisfied with criticizing me for my decision, they were uncharitable to impute motives to me. With all their rationalistic view of things, they could not appreciate the difficulties of the ruler.

At the family front too, there was rebellion. The Civil List was not a fixed item. As the family began to increase rapidly, he thought that some check should be imposed on the allotment of funds from general use for the use of the family in justice to the taxpayers whose interests he was bound to protect. This necessitated retrenchment in various facilities in the palaces. Many of the princes and especially the ladies, were up in arms when the King tried to impose some supervision on them.

The King concludes: Finding myself in this situation, I thought I had better retire from the field to give place to those who could carry on better...I thought it my duty to do the work of administration properly and as I found many hindrances in my way to thwart my work, I had no other alternative, but to retire. I was not enamoured of the pomp and circumstances of my position. If I was not in a position to fulfil my function as a ruler, I had no business to stick to it. 

The king was a prisoner of his Orthodoxism, moulding himself on Sanskrit edicts, trying to be a textbook King. Everyone in the royal family was afraid of him, and fear is not a democratic trait. He has yet to mention selling off the 14 caparisons of Poornathrayeesa Temple at all, by him, to raise funds for the Shornur railway line. The royal family members always felt that it was bad financial management.

After abdication in December 1914, he attended a Chakyar Koothu performance. While describing the moment when Sri Rama left Sita, taking into account the public perception, the Chakyar looked at the former King and asked: Ozhinjatho, Ozhippichatho? abdicated,or removed?

From then on people began to refer to him, as His Abdicated Highness.  

   

Reference:

The Reminiscences and Continuation of the Events till 1915/Rama Varma
Note: The caricature of Rees appeared in Vanity Fair, in February 1907.

© Ramachandran

See my Post, TWO GERMAN CRUISERS AND ABDICATION OF  COCHIN KING