Travancore Royal Family

The Travancore Royal Family belongs to the Kulasekhara Dynasty of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1949. The Royal family, alternatively known as the "Kupaka" Royal Family, "Thripappur Swaroopam", "Venad" Swaroopam, "Vanchi" Swaroopam etc, has its seat today at Trivandrum in Kerala, India. The last ruling Maharajah was Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. The present head of the royal family is Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma.

History of the Dynasty

The Travancore Royal family claims descent from the Cheras of the three South Indian "Mandala" Kingdoms namely "Chera Mandalam", "Pandya Mandalam" and "Chola Mandalam". A branch of the Chera family was sent to the extreme north of Kerala where they settled and came to be known as the "Mooshika" Royal family or the later Kolathiris while another branch was deputed to go south to grapple with the Pandyan invasions. This became the "Kupaka" Royal family and were the original ancestors of the Travancore royal family [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 25] . Later Kerala was ruled by a line of "Perumals" of whom Cheraman Perumal was the last and he is said to have divided Kerala among his relatives and friends and left for a pilgrimage [Keralolpathi] . However the Kolathiris and Travancore were already existent, although under the suzerainty of the Perumals [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 43] . From the 11th century onwards began the rise of independant Travancore or Venad as it was known then. Ravi Varma Kulasekhara (1299-1314) invaded the territories of the Pandyas and Cholas and performed imperial coronations at Madurai and Kanchipuram and thus threw of the Pandyan hegemony in the region [ Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai pages 104-105] . However his success was short lived and after him his successors could not hold on to these acquisitions of the Pandyas and Cholas. The line of kings after Ravi Varma continued through the Marumakkathayam law of succession and family. Soon after Ravi Varma's death two princesses were adopted from the Kolathiri Royal family and installed as Ranis or Queens at Attingal. The Venad Royal family continued thus in the female line. Whenever there were no females to take forth the line, princesses were adopted from the Kolathiri family, the latest adoption being in 1994 [http://www.hinduonnet.com/2000/11/25/stories/0425404q.htm] . Travancore went briefly under the subjugation of the Vijayanagar Empire but soon regained its independence. Umayamma Rani who reigned towards the end of the 17th century was a prominent ruler. Marthanda Varma, the "maker of modern Travancore" and Dharma Raja were powerful rulers who reestablished the power of monarchy in the state and destroyed that of the nobles. By the early 19th century the kingdom became a princely state under the British. Swathi Thirunal was one of the most popular rulers of the 19th century.

Padmanabha Dasas

The Travancore royal family style themselves as "Padmanabha Dasas" or servants of Padmanabha since 1750 when Maharajah Marthanda Varma made over the state to the deity of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and vowed that from that that day on, the royal family would rule the state on behalf of Him [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 348] . The title of "Padmanabha Dasa" is prefixed to the name of every Travancore King while females call themselves "Padmanabha Sevinis". This important donation of the state to the temple was known as "Thripadidanam".

Adoption

The first adoption to the Travancore royal family was in the early 14th century from the Kolathiri family. Since then the senior most females of the family are styled as the Ranis of Attingal with the titles of "Attingal Mootha Thampuran" (Senior Rani of Attingal) and "Attingal Elaya Thampuran" (Junior Rani of Attingal) for the senior most Ranis [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 121] . This adoption resulted by the late 17th century in the branching of the Royal family into four families namely the branch at Trivandrum, another at Kottarakara known as "Elayadathu" Swaroopam, the "Peraka Thavazhi" branch of Nedumangad and the Quilon branch. The later two branches died out into the 18th century whereas the last Rani of Kottarakara fled after battle with Marthanda Varma [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 301] . In 1630 two males were adopted from the Cochin Royal Family [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 202] sowing the seed of dissension between the branches of the Royal family. Later in 1684 one male and two females were adopted from the Kolathiri family, from which family all subsequent adoptions were made, by Umayamma Rani [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 228] . In 1688 two males, including
Rajah Rama Varma, and two females were adopted and Marthanda Varma was born to one of these princesses [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 232] . In 1718 a princess was adopted, whose son was the later king Dharma Raja and whose great grandson was the poet Irayimman Thampi . In 1748 again four princesses were adopted and Balarama Varma (1798-1810) belonged to this line [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 347] . The next adoption of 1788 brought forth the famous Maharanis, Gowri Lakshmi Bayi and Gowri Parvati Bayi and all the male rulers up to 1924, the last ruler in this line being Moolam Thirunal [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 399] . In 1858 two princesses were adopted from a branch of the Kolathiri family residing at Mavelikara since the 1790s, but by 1901 both these princesses and all their issue passed away [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 582] . In 1900 again two princesses were adopted from Mavelikara, granddaughters of Raja Ravi Varma, including the Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi [Travancore State Manual Vol II by Velu Pillai page 706] . The latest adoption occurred in 1994.

Titles and Precedence

* The senior most male of the Royal family, born in the female line, to a Rani of Attingal, becomes Maharajah with the title of "Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchi Pala (Personal Name) Kulasekhara Perumal". Other titles include "Shamsher Jang", "Raja Rama Raja Bahadur", "Manney Sultan" etc.
* The senior most female of the Royal family is the Maharani and holds the title of "Attingal Mootha Thampuran" and is known as "Sri Padmanabha Sevini Vanchi Dharma Vardhini Raja Rajeshwari Maharani (personal name)".
* The second princess is known as "Attingal Elaya Thampuran", third princess as "Attingal Kochu Thampuran".
* The heir apparent is known as the "Elaya Raja".
* Consort of the Maharani is known as the "Valiya Koil Thampuran".
* Consort of the Maharajah is known as the "Ammachi" and holds the title of "Panapillai Amma". The Maharajahs children do not succeed to the musnud under the Marumakkathayam law and instead get a title of nobility, immediately below royalty, namely "Thampi".

Marriage and Other Customs

The marriages of the princesses are known as "Pallikettu"s [http://www.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=1412646] while those of the Maharajahs are called as the ceremony of bestowing the "Pattum Parivattavum". The form of marriage is Sambandham and the consorts of the princesses are from certain select families of Kshatriya caste whereas the consorts of the Maharajahs belong to houses known as Ammaveedus and belong to the Nair caste. The spouses of the princesses and Maharajahs are not considered royalty owing to the prevalent Marumakkathayam law. The Royal family is of the Kshatriya caste and follows all the customs as prescribed by tradition. Sri Padmanabhaswamy is the chief family deity.

Palaces

The Padmanabhapuram Palace was the main residence of the Travancore Maharajahs whereas the Ranis of Attingal resided at that place in their own palaces. Later the royal family moved to Trivandrum wherein the females resided at the Sree Padam Palace. Presently the Royal family members live at Kowdiar Palace in Trivandrum.

The Royal Family

The Royal family at present consists of the descendants of the two princesses adopted in 1900 from Mavelikara. Sethu Lakshmi Bayi was the last ruling Maharani of Travancore whereas the last Maharajah, who signed the instrument of accession and amalgamated the state into India in 1949 was Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. The Royal family consists, in the line of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi two daughters, Princesses Uthram Thirunal Lalithamba Bayi and Karthika Thirunal Indiri Bayi and their families. In the line of the Junior Maharani, adopted in 1900, namely Sethu Parvati Bayi, are the last Maharajah, his brother Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, present head of the royal family and the family of their late sister Princess Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi. Presently the senior most female in the Royal Family with the title of "Attingal Mootha Thampuran" is H.H. Uthram Thirunal Lalithamba Bayi.

The Indian Constitutional Amendment of 1971 terminated the status of the royal families of the erstwhile princely states as rulers and abolished their rights to receive privy purses. However the other clauses of the agreements signed between the Government of India and the Princes in 1947 legally still hold. The Royal Family of Travancore has no administrative authority since 1971. Till 1956 Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma served as "Rajpramukh" of Thiru-Kochi. Later in 1971 while the family lost their privy purse and other privileges, the rights of the family in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple were respected and the head of the family still fulfills his duty towards the temple as the Maharajah of Travancore [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2003/03/30/stories/2003033000700700.htm] .

ee Also

* Travancore
* Attingal
* Kerala
* Royal Family
* Marthanda Varma

References