The Kulusekhara
Dynasty of Travancore (or Tiruvankur) is of very ancient
lineage, tracing its origins to the Royal House of Vanad
and dating from 1100 AD. They attained considerable power
during the reign of Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, during the
early years of the fourteenth century. Marco Polo claimed
to have visited his capital at Quilon, a centre of
commerce and trade with China and the Levant.
Europeans were attracted to the region during the late
fifteenth century, primarily in pursuit of the then rare
commodity, pepper. The Portuguese were the first to
arrive, followed by their later rivals, the Dutch, during
the seventeenth century.
Following the failure of the senior Kolatbunad
matrilineal line, two sisters were adopted from the
Kolathunadu house in 1749. The succession has continued
in the female line of that family ever since.
Raja Martanda Varma I is judged as one of the greatest
and most able rulers of the state. He expanded his
domains by annexing several petty principalities and
reducing the powers of his vassals. Extremely devout, he
surrendered the realm to Sri Padmanabha (Vishnu),
thereafter ruling as a deputy or representative of the
deity on earth. His nephew and successor, Rama Varma,
consolidated his inheritance and kept Hyder 'Ali and Tipu
Sultan of Mysore at bay. He encouraged poets and
musicians and patronised the arts to the end of his long,
forty-year, reign.
Rama Varm's successors entered into an alliance with the
British in response to the threats to their independence
from Tipu Sultan. A British resident was appointed to the
court and a modern military force established. The Nayyar
Brigade served with distinction in many of the campaigns
in South India, during the early nineteenth century.
Raja Pala Rama Varma III, who ascended the throne in
1813, has an unrivalled reputation as a scholar, composer
and polyglot. Great advances in education, medicine,
industry and welfare were made during the Sri Rama Varma
VI (r. 1885-1924) and Bala Rama Varma II (r. 1924-1971).
They selected the very best administrators from all over
India to fill positions in the government. By the advent
of India independence, the state had achieved an envied
place as a model government. Many reforms, especially
those in the fields of education, religious toleration,
and advances of the lower castes, being ahead of the rest
of the country.
The reigning Maharaja and his gifted Chief Minister were
not at all keen on seeing their state absorbed into the
greater mass of India. After two years of prevarication,
union with the neighbouring state of Cochin was affected
with a good deal of arm-twisting and heavy-handed
persuasion from the central government and apparent local
"popular opinion". Maharaja Bala Rama Varma II
remained a popular figure throughout, serving as
Rajpramukh until the abolition of that post in 1956.
Consequently, the absorption of the state into India
proceeded at a pace somewhat slower than other parts of
the country. His death in 1991, two decades after
the abolition of princely titles and civil lists, was
observed with an outpouring of grief. His younger
brother, succeeded as Head of the Royal House.
SALUTE:
19-guns.
FLAG:
24'x12' A rectangular red flag with a white conch in the
centre.
STYLES & TITLES:
The ruling prince: Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Sri Patmanabha
Dasa Vanchi Pala (personal name) Varma,
Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Bahadur, Shamsher
Jang, Maharaja of Travancore, with the style of His
Highness.
The Heiress Apparent: Sri Patmanabha Sevini Vanchi Dharma
Vardhini Raja Rajeshwari Maharani (personal name)
Bai, Senior Maharani of Travancore, with the style of Her
Highness.
The Heir Apparent: Maharaj Kumar (personal name)
Varma, Eliya Raja of Travancore.
The consort of the ruling prince: Shrimathi (personal
name) Pillai.
The sons of the ruling prince: Sri (personal name)
Tampi.
The daughters of the ruling prince: Shrimathi (personal
name) Ammaveedu
NB: all members of the ruling family receive two names,
an official name and a name associated with the star
under which they are born. The latter usually end with
the suffix Tirunal.
RULES OF SUCCESSION:
The family follows the Marumakkathayam law of
matrilineal inheritance, according to male primogeniture.
1. The surviving younger brothers of the Maharaja,
according to age, and by the same mother.
2. The sons of the sisters of the Maharaja, according to
age. The sons of elder sisters succeeded before those of
the younger sisters.
3. The sons of the eldest maternal aunt of the Maharaja,
according to age.
4. The sons of the daughters of the eldest maternal aunt
of the Maharaja, according to age. The sons of elder
daughters succeeded before those of the younger sisters.
The two senior Princesses of the Royal House, the mother
of the Maharaja and her sister, received the principality
of Attingal in appanage. They were consequently styled
the Senior and Junior Rani of Attingal, respectively.
Their husbands, known as Koil Tampurans, came from one of
four or five princely houses who were closely related to
the Royal House.
ORDERS &
DECORATIONS:
None.
GLOSSARY: Kiritapati: Possessor of the diadem. Kulashekhara: Head (Shekhara) of the race (Kulam). Mani Sultan: the Pearl of rulers. Nal: "star", the usual suffix to the
star name of a member of a junior princely family. Shamsher Jang: Sword of War Patmanabha Dasa: Servant of the lotus-navelled
(i.e. Vishnu, the state deity). Tampuran: Prince. Tampuratti: Princess. Tirunal: "star", the usual suffix to the
star name of a member of the ruling house.
SOURCES:
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 1900-1959.
Chiefs and Leading Families in the Madras Presidency,
First Edition, Madras Govt. Press, 1915.
History of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs and Leading
Personages in the Madras States, Govt. of India Press,
New Delhi, 1941.
Lakshmi Raghunandan, At the Turn of the Tide. The Life
and Times of Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi, The Last Queen
of Travancore. Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi Memorial
Charitable Trust, Bangalore, 1995.
SPECIAL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
John D. McMeekin, "PHALHERVEX".
