Ivory Throne
Page 86
CHAPTER 15: A PALACE COUP
1. Letter dated 24/03/1818 from the Resident to the Chief. Sec. Madras (IOR/R/1/1/1532 (2)).
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid. Chathayam Tirunal is referred to in these documents as the Amah Rajah while her daughters are Burnee Ternal (Bharani Tirunal) and Ootarum Ternal (Uthram Tirunal). The pretender prince, Visakham Tirunal Kerala Varma, is called Kerul Warmah.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Letter dated 28/11/1810 from the Resident to the Chief Sec. Madras (IOR/R/1/1/1532 (1)).
10. Letter dated 24/03/1818 from the Resident to the Chief. Sec. Madras (IOR/R/1/1/1532 (2)).
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Report for the First Half of October 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
22. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, p. 734.
23. Princely India dated 27/07/1932.
24. Report for the Second Half of August 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224), and the Princely India dared 13/07/1932.
25. Report for the First Half of October 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
26. Ibid.
27. Louise Ouwerkerk & Dick Kooiman, No Elephants for the Maharaja, p. 121.
28. Report for the First Half of October 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
29. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 121.
30. John Bright-Holmes, Like It Was: The Diaries of Malcolm Muggeridge, p. 124. Muggeridge added: ‘I have always had illusions about him…the sort of charm engendered by promiscuity and living beyond your income, the sort of bonhomie etc. etc. When I actually met him, I found him rather dingy and commonplace. There was certainly no sparkle. We spoke about politics. He seemed uneasy. I have a feeling [and here Muggeridge was wrong] that his innings is drawing to a close. Of course, it’s been a pretty good one.’
31. Louise Ouwerkerk & Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 121.
32. Report for the First Half of October 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
33. Letter dated 02/01/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2734).
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
37. Ibid.
38. Ibid.
39. Letter dated 02/11/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/888/207).
40. Ibid.
41. Letter dated 14/11/1935 from the Pol. Sec. GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/2/888/207).
42. Letter dated 20/11/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/888/207).
43. Letter dated 02/11/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/888/207).
44. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph and Tragedy in Travancore, p. 11.
45. Letter dated 31/08/1936 from the Maharajah to the Resident (IOR/R/2/888/207).
46. Letter dated 01/09/1936 from the Maharajah to the Resident (IOR/R/2/888/207).
47. A. Raghu, CP: A Short Biography, p. 31.
48. The Resident was first of the opinion that there was a ‘remarkable unanimity of opinion here that [CP] would refuse such an offer if made [i.e. the Dewanship] as it would not, it is judged, pay him, but that he will have his own nominee appointed instead.’ The Political Secretary, however, felt it was ‘most unlikely’ CP would decline such an offer. See IOR/R/1/1/2859.
49. A. Raghu, op. cit., p. 34.
50. Quoted in Thomas J. Nossiter, Communism in Kerala, p. 99.
51. Letter dated 02/01/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2734).
52. Letter dated 02/11/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/2/888/207).
53. Letter dated 02/04/1928 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/L/PS/10/1118). This conversation was had when Mr Dodwell, the Maharajah’s teacher, was saying his goodbye, and it was reported that the Junior Maharani was upset that her sixteen-year-old son had said this openly. Louise Ouwerkerk also noticed this, later saying how ‘asked his opinion out of the blue, [the Maharajah] evaded an answer until he had “thought it over”.’ See Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 74.
54. Mahadev Desai, The Epic of Travancore, p. 98.
55. Shreekumar Varma, ‘Benign Presence’, The Hindu dated 05/02/2006 at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/benign-presence/article3219363.ece (accessed 03/04/2015).
56. B.R. Ambedkar, What Congress and Gandhi have done to The Untouchables, p. 317.
57. Ibid.
58. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, p. 768.
59. A. Sreedhara Menon, Kerala History and its Makers, p. 210.
60. G. Mahadevan, ‘Temple Entry Proclamation the Greatest Act of Moral Freedom’, The Hindu dated 12/11/2011 at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/temple-entry-proclamation-the-greatest-act-of-moral-freedom-uthradom-tirunal/article2620727.ece (accessed 07/10/2014).
61. See letters in IOR/R/2/889/226.
62. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, p. 753.
63. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., p. 42.
64. Dick Kooiman, Communalism and Indian Princely States, pp. 131–32.
65. The Indian Express dated 08/04/1939.
66. Dick Kooiman, ‘Political Rivalry among Religious Communities’ in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 28, No. 7, 1993, p. 293.
67. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph and Tragedy in Travancore, p. 276.
68. Dick Kooiman, ‘Political Rivalry …’, op. cit., p. 288.
69. Marthanda Varma, Travancore: The Footprints of Destiny, p. 118
70. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph …, op. cit., p. 118.
71. Notes on the Present Position of Christians in Travancore by the Travancore Peace Bloc (1946).
72. Ibid.
73. Ibid.
74. See Memorandum of Grievances submitted to Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer KCIE, Dewan of Travancore by a Deputation of the All Travancore Joint Political Congress (1936) and Full Notes of Proceedings of the meeting between the All Travancore Joint Political Congress and the Dewan on 28/10/1936 (IOR/R/2/889/220).
75. S. Ramnath Aiyar, A History of Travancore, pp. 126, 128.
76. Letter dated 02/01/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/888/210).
77. Ibid.
78. Letter dated 26/09/1935 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/888/207).
79. Ibid.
80. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 70.
81. James Chirayankandath, ‘Communities at Polls’, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 27, No. 3, 1993, p. 657.
82. Robin Jeffrey, ‘Temple Entry Movement in Travancore’, Social Scientist, Vol. 4, No. 8, 1976, p. 18.
83. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, pp. 740–41.
84. Ibid. p. 743.
85. James Chirayankandath, op. cit., p. 657.
86. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph …, op. cit., p. 137, and Notes on the Present Position of Christians in Travancore op. cit.
87. Travancore: The Present Political Problem by the All Travancore Joint Political Congress, p. 1.
88. Dick Kooiman, ‘Communalism and Indian Princely States’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 30, No. 34, 1995, p. 2129.
89. James Chirayankandath, op. cit., p. 659.
90. Louise Ouwerkerk & Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 68.
91. James Chirayankandath op. cit., p. 646.
92. Ibid. p. 660.
93. Ibid.
94. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 87.
95. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, p. 747.
96. George Mathew, Communal Road to a Secular Kerala, p. 94.
97. James Chirayankandath, op. cit., p. 660.
98. Ibid.
99. Ibid., p. 662.
100. D
ick Kooiman, ‘Communalism and Indian Princely States’ op. cit., p. 2129.
101. Ibid.
102. Letter dated 06/11/1936 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/2/889/220).
103. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph …, op. cit., p. 151. The movement included Muslims, Ezhavas, Latin Catholics, Syrian Catholics, Jacobites, Marthomites, Protestants, and organisations represented included the SNDP Yogam, the Wajanathul Muhamadiyya Association, All Travancore Muslim Service League, Travancore State Catholic Congress, and so on.
104. George Mathew, op. cit., pp. 94–95.
105. James Chirayankandath, op. cit., p. 661.
106. Robin Jeffrey, ‘Temple Entry Movement in Travancore’ op. cit., p. 18.
107. Ibid.
108. Ibid.
109. Robin Jeffrey, Decline …, op. cit., p. 210.
110. Robin Jeffrey, ‘Temple Entry Movement in Travancore’, op. cit., p. 20.
111. Ibid.
112. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 142.
113. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., pp. 128–29.
114. Marthanda Varma, op. cit., p. 131.
115. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 92.
116. Robin Jeffrey, ‘Temple Entry Movement in Travancore’ op. cit., p. 20. Sir CP sometimes went out of his way to preserve Hindu principles. In 1944, for instance, when capital punishment was abolished in the state, the Resident wrote that the basic reason was that for centuries Brahmins and women were not liable to it and now the government was being criticised for favouring Brahmins. CP decided to do away with capital punishment as a whole instead of adding Brahmins to the list. See Letter dated 24/11/1944 from the Resident to the Sec. to Viceroy (IOR/L/PS/13/1285).
117. George Mathew, op. cit., p. 95.
118. Memorandum of Grievances…, op. cit.
119. Resident’s note dated 07/08/1936 (IOR/R/2/889/223).
120. Ibid.
121. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., p. 162.
122. Notes on the Present Position of Christians…, op. cit.
123. Robin Jeffrey, ‘Temple Entry Movement in Travancore’, op. cit., p. 22.
124. George Mathew, op. cit., p. 111.
125. B.R. Ambedkar, op. cit., p. 318.
126. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., p. 129.
127. James Chirayankandath, op. cit., p. 663.
128. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 222.
129. Dick Kooiman, ‘Communalism and Indian Princely States’, op. cit., p. 2129.
130. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph…, op. cit., p. 193.
131. Ibid. p. 118.
132. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 129.
133. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., p. 151.
134. T.K. Velu Pillai, Travancore State Manual, Vol. II, p. 767.
135. Ibid.
136. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., p. 151.
137. Author’s interview with Dr R.M. Varma, who remembers this visit by Gandhi to Satelmond Palace.
138. Mahadev Desai, op. cit., p. 151.
139. Ibid. p. 235.
140. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
141. Letter dated 24/04/1937 from C.P. Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/22).
142. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 95.
143. B.R. Ambedkar, op. cit., p. 318.
144. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
145. Author’s interview with Lakshmi Raghunandan.
146. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 93.
147. Report for the First Half of February 1927 (IOR/R/1/1/1644).
148. Report for the Second Half of September 1930 (IOR/L/PS/10/1118).
149. Author’s interview with Dr R.P. Raja.
150. Supplementary to the Report for the Second Half of February 1938 (MSS EUR F154/46).
151. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
152. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
153. Ibid.
154. Letter dated 27/07/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
155. Letter dated 23/09/1938 from C.P. Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/23).
156. See Bundle No. 25, File No. 1194 KSA. In a letter dated 23/07/1932 the Dewan informed the Sarvadhikaryakkar of the Maharajah that as per precedent, the last Regent had ‘her name continued to be shown above that of the Elayarajah.’ To this on 10/08/1932 the Sarvadhikaryakkar responded: ‘I am commanded by His Highness the Maharajah to inform you … that Her Highness’ place in the Almanac will be shown after that of His Highness the Elayarajah.’
157. B.R. Ambedkar, op. cit., p. 319.
CHAPTER 16: THE ULTIMATE ECLIPSE
1. ‘The hopes of Lakshmi Bayi, the sister of the Maharajah of Travancore have again been disappointed,’ wrote the Resident in his Report for the First Half of April 1936. ‘Such an occurrence happening a second time will be a severe blow to the mother of His Highness as it gravely endangers the change of the succession to the gadi being retained in her line.’ Evidently the ‘calamity’ occurred after Kochukunji had Dr Mary and her staff withdraw, and placed the pregnant princess under the care of an ayurvedic practitioner (IOR/L/PS/13/1283).
2. Report for the First Half of January 1938 (IOR/R/1/1/3047).
3. Letter dated 24/04/1944 from the Resident to the Pvt. Sec. to Viceroy (IOR/L/PS/13/1285).
4. Report for the First Half of January 1938 (IOR/L/PS/13/1283).
5. Letter dated 23/09/1938 from CP Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/23).
6. Author’s interview with Indira Varma.
7. Author’s interview with Kerala Varma, the son in law of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi.
8. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
9. Charles Allen and Sharada Dwivedi, op. cit., p. 180.
10. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
11. Ibid.
12. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
13. Author’s interview with Kerala Varma; he was the son of Vasudevan Nambutiri of Puliyadu Illam of Thittappally and of Ambika Cherukutty Tampuratti of Kilimanoor.
14. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
15. Lakshmi Raghunandan, At the Turn of the Tide, p. 414.
16. Ibid.
17. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
18. Author’s interview with Kerala Varma.
19. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
20. Letter dated 19/07/1929 from Louise Ouwerkerk to her mother (MSS EUR F232/60).
21. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
22. Author’s interview with Indira Varma.
23. Ibid.
24. Letter dated 12/03/1938 from ‘Molly Gardner’ to ‘Verra Rattler’ (TRF).
25. Letter dated 23/09/1928 from C.P. Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/23). The actual ceremonies were more detailed and are explained in Kulathu Iyer’s The Pallikettu… op. cit. Also see Thirumadampu of His Highness Martanda Varma by K.P. Subramonia Iyer, who notes on pp. 5–6 how these materials from Princess Lalitha’s wedding were used for the ‘thread ceremony’ of the Maharajah’s brother, a decision which was ‘a supreme act of self-sacrifice on the part of His Highness the Maharajah, for generally no pandal as such is used for a similar occasion a second time’.
26. Letter dated 23/09/1928 from C.P. Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/23).
27. Ibid.
28. Letter dated 27/07/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
29. Letter dated 13/06/1935 from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Sarvadhikaryakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
30. Letter dated 23/03/1935 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
31. Letter dated 26/10/1935 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
32. Ibid.
33. Letter dated 02/08/1933 from the Chief Secretary to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
34. Letter dated 07/11/1934 from the Chief Secretary to
the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
35. Letter dated 24/01/1934 from the Chief Secretary to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
36. Letter dated 17/02/1934 from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Chief Secretary (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
37. Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly, p. 28 (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
38. Proceedings of the Fourth Meeting of the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly, p. 12 (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
39. Ibid.
40. Letter dated 06/09/1910 from the Chief Secretary to the Senior Dewan Peishkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
41. Travancore Land Revenue Manual (1915), Vol. III, pp. 1,15, 67 (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
42. Travancore Land Revenue Manual (1936), Vol. III, p. 17 (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
43. Letter dated 13/02/1939 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
44. Letter dated 31/03/1939 from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Sarvadhikaryakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
45. Letter dated 05/05/1939 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
46. Letter dated 13/10/1114 ME from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Sarvadhikaryakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
47. Ibid.
48. Ibid.
49. Letter dated 21/07/1939 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
50. Letter dated 27/07/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
51. Ibid.
52. Letter dated 19/12/1938 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
53. Letter dated 05/08/1938 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Nithiachilavu Karyakkar (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
54. Letter dated 27/07/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
55. Ibid.
56. Ibid.
57. See the voluminous exchange of letters on these topics in IOR/R/1/1/3371 Annexure G.
58. Letter dated 27/07/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3371).
59. Ibid.
60. Letter dated 14/08/1939 from the Resident to the Senior Maharani (IOR/R/1/1/3372).
61. Letter dated 30/08/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3372).
62. Letter dated 25/09/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3372).
63. Ibid.
64. Letter dated 26/09/1939 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to T.S. Sankaranarayana Iyer (IOR/R/1/1/3372).
65. Letter dated 27/09/1939 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/3372).