The area near Manorama Kavala, Cherthala, was once known as Mulachiparambu and was the site where Nangeli, in 1803, cut off her breasts to protests against the breast tax imposed on the lower caste women of Travancore. Photo: H. Vibhu
Nangeli gained her place in history as the woman who cut off her breasts to protest against an inhuman tax imposed in erstwhile Travancore
Many books and histories have been written about caste oppression in Kerala and the men and women who fought the injustice. Yet the story of one woman’s protest has almost faded away from the collective memory of the State.
Nangeli, who lived in Cherthala in Alappuzha over 200 years ago, gained her place in history as the woman who cut off her breasts to protest against the inhumanmulakkaram (breast tax) that was imposed in the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore.
CASTE OPPRESSION
Kings of the time ensured the subjugation of the lower castes by imposing heavy taxes on them. Their wealth was built on some of the worst taxes imposed anywhere in the world. Besides the tax on land and crops, peasants had to pay taxes for the right to wear jewellery, the right of men to grow a moustache, and even the right of women to cover their breasts.
The heavy taxes ensured that the lower castes were kept eternally in debt, while members of the upper castes flourished.
“Nangeli was a poor Ezhava woman from Cherthala. Her family could not afford to pay the taxes and was in debt to the rulers,” says D. Sugathan, advocate and former MLA from Alappuzha.
“The tax collector, then called the parvathiyar, came to her house one day and demanded that she pay the tax,” he says. The legend goes that Nangeli cut off her breasts and presented them to theparvathiyar on a plantain leaf. The tax collector fled in fear, while Nangeli bled to death at her doorstep.
Her husband Chirukandan came home to find his wife lying dead and mutilated. He is said to have jumped into her funeral pyre out of grief.
“The incident happened in 1803. It created a lot of anger and the practice of collecting breast tax was put to an end here by 1812,” says Mr. Sugathan, who mentions Nangeli’s story in his book ‘Oru Desathinte Katha, Kayarinteyum’.
While Nangeli’s sacrifice put an end to one form of caste oppression, the land where she lived came to be known as mulachiparambu – the plot where the woman of breasts lived.
“Nangeli’s story is unique also for the fact that it is the first recorded instance of a man committing sati,” says Ajay S. Sekher, a teacher of English at the Tirur centre of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. A blog post written by Mr. Sekher, who researches issues of caste and gender, has introduced many to the story of Nangeli and mulachiparambu.
An earlier generation of political leaders grew up hearing about Nangeli’s protest and its significance in Kerala’s history. Leaders C. Kesavan and K.R. Gowri Amma have mentioned her in their autobiographies.
‘UNIQUE RESISTANCE’
“Nangeli’s story is an articulation of a unique resistance and struggle against a Brahmanic patriarchy. The tradition of such resistance by leaders such as Gowri Amma could perhaps be traced all the way back to Nangeli,” says Mr. Sekher.
The legend of Nangeli’s mutilation of her own body in protest against oppression has been handed down through generations.
Today, however, her tale is preserved only in the memories of a few old-timers and researchers. There are no memorials to her name, no books extolling her courage.
The name mulachiparambu too has been covered up, perhaps due to embarrassment. The plot, divided up between several owners, is situated near the SNDP office at Manorama Junction in Cherthala.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Nidhi Surendranath / Kochi – October 21st, 2013
The Chinese ambassador to India, Le Yucheng, on Sunday visited the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi. He took part in casting the fishing nets and raised the hopes of several fishermen who are looking to the Chinese government to protect and preserve these nets.
However, the ambassador was non-committal. He said that the nets reminded him of the Chinese explorer, Zheng He, who is believed to have visited Kerala six times.
“I will surely promote tourist flow from China to Kerala. Wait for a few months, and I assure you that thousands of Chinese tourists will be heading your way,” said the ambassador. Last year, a Chinese embassy team that visited Kochi had offered help to restore the aged fishing nets that dot the shoreline of Kochi. However, the offer was declined by the Kochi corporation.
“With this visit, we hope that he would grant some funds for the restoration of nets as most of them are now being made from metal rather than traditional teak wood. Authorities also don’t seem to care about it any more,” said Hansel Joseph, a fisherman.
The Chinese fishing nets are facing a threat as authorities, including the Heritage Conservation Society, DTPC and Kochi corporation, have turned a blind eye to its plight. Many of them were removed recently.
On the second day of his official visit to Kerala, Le Yucheng visited other popular sites in Fort Kochi. “Kochi is rich with culture and heritage and I was told that it would be a shame not to visit these places,” he said.
The ambassador, who received an invitation to visit Kerala from chief secretary Jiji Thomson, arrived at Kumarakom on Friday along with a four-member team. His official tour of Fort Kochi began from the Dutch Palace and Jewish Synagogue in Mattancherry, following which he visited St Francis Church and the iconic Chinese fishing nets. He was also presented with a replica of the ‘cheenavala’.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kochi / by TNN / August 10th, 2015
Model of a kitchen at a Kerala home exhibited at the Museum of History and Heritage inThiruvananthapuram. — Photo: S. Gopakumar
Cooking vessels line the hearth; firewood adds to its authenticity. Nearby sits an uppu marava (salt container), and at right, in a corner, is an ennakudam (oil pot). There are also a few spice boxes, in varying shapes, a couple of mulanazhi and a marakkal used to measure cereals, and a rectangular wooden vessel for collecting strained rice gruel water. This is how a 150-year-old Kerala kitchen is recreated at the Keralam – Museum of History and Heritage at Park View, near the Corporation office, in the city.
The museum does not see a significant footfall, unlike the Napier Museum or the Natural History Museum. On some days, it receives fewer than 30 visitors, mostly domestic tourists and those from abroad who are drawn by its mention on the must-see list in the Lonely Planet travel guide book. Doordarshan has also telecast a documentary on the museum.
Not many are aware of the museum. It is in a prime location, but is easily missed owing to inadequate signage. The display boards are not prominent enough, it is pointed out.
Space constraint
“The museum faces space constraints. It does not have seating arrangements for families to relax during or after a tour,” says museum Executive Director S. Raimon.
Prem P. Mahesh, guide-lecturer at the museum, blames paucity of parking space. Vehicles have to be parked at the museum and zoo parking space opposite, or along the road to Nanthancode or Kanakakkunnu. A common ticket for both the zoo and the heritage museum will attract more visitors, it is pointed out.
“Museums usually have the concept of a cafe. This museum does not have one,” Mr. Raimon says. There is a Tourism Department canteen, but it is not exclusively for the museum’s visitors.
Night museum
Many suggested keeping the museum open till 8 p.m. “One finds such night museums in the West,” Mr. Raimon says.
The museum at present receives groups of schoolchildren towards the fag end of the year, courtesy visits by its authorities to schools.
Target groups
However, it is also looking at improved visibility among groups such as the Technopark staff.
It plans to reach out to them through online campaigns and exhibiting its photos and brochures. “We are planning to hold such an exhibition during Onam,” Mr. Raimon says.
The museum is keen on attracting more visitors. “This will address the issue of fund shortage, and the future of the museum as a self-sustaining unit will be secure,” Mr. Mahesh says.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by R.K. Roshni / Thiruvananthapuram – July 10th, 2015
The legendary sword of Velu Thambi Dalawa, the ruler of erstwhile Travancore, which has drawn visitors in great numbers to Napier Museum will be returned to the National Museum, New Delhi. The museum officials have received a formal order to hand over the sword.
The archaeology department under ministry of culture had earlier received a communication from the Centre demanding that the sword be returned to National Museum.
G Premkumar, director of archaeology department, said that the order has already been issued. “The sword was brought to the state as loan from National Museum. We received a communication as per the direction from the President of India stating that the sword should be returned,” said Premkumar.
A team has been assigned by the National Museum to transport the sword from the state to New Delhi. B Joseph ,director of museum and zoos, said that the museum administration was entrusted with the task to conserve and display the sword and it will now be returned.
The sword had been in possession of Kilimanoor royal family till 1957 when it was handed over to the then President Rajendra Prasad and then taken to National Museum.
The state government had been renewing yearly insurance for the sword and the period expires on Thursday. As per the records, Dalawa who had been in hiding during the late 1800s, reached Kilimanoor Palace where he had supper at the oottupura. In return for the hospitality and refuge, Dalawa offered his sword with a condition that it shall never reach the hands of English East India Company. The palace members kept the word and hid the sword among the immense weaponry maintained at the palace. A few days after Dalawa took refuge in Kilimanoor palace he stabbed himself to death at the Bhagavathi temple at Mannadi near Adoor.
According to Shankunni Menon, the author of Aithihyamala, the Dalawa asked his brother to stab him, which his brother refused to, following which the Dalawa stabbed himself. Since the self-inflicted wound did not prove mortal, he cried out to his brother ‘cut my neck,’ and the brother in one stroke severed the neck from the body.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Aswin J.Kumar, TNN / July 08th, 2015
Pokku Moosa Maraykkar was a prosperous merchant of Poovar who had close links with the royals of erstwhile Travancore.
Pokku Moosa Maraykkar, a Muslim merchant who was instrumental in introducing young Kesava Pillai to Karthika Tirunal Rama Varma, is a name that is seldom remembered in popular history. Kesava Pillai began as an accountant in Pokku Moosa Maraykkar’s warehouse. Later, he became a trusted officer to the royals and rose to the position of Dewan. It is said that Raja Kesavadas, as he was later known, had a special place in his heart for his early mentor’s family.
Although Pokku Moosa Maraykkar’s name is often associated with Raja Kesavadas, it seems that Maraykkar was an important person who had sided with Marthanda Varma during one of the most turbulent phase in the history of erstwhile Travancore.
According to local lore, Pokku Moosa was a member of Valiya Kallaraikkal Veedu, a prominent family of traders who operated from Thengapattanam and Poovar. In 1918 A.D., Amshi K. Raman Pillai wrote about Raja Kesavadas and his association with Kallaraikkal Veedu.
Pillai is of the opinion that Maraykkar was the one who supplied goods to Valiya Kottaram in Thiruvananthapuram, and through this connection the merchant entered into the good books of the royals.
he existing wing of the old Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar./ Photo: Sharat Sunder Rajeev / The Hindu
Kallaraikkal Veedu, the ancient house of Pokku Moosa, was a landmark structure in Poovar. This structure has now been replaced by a concrete structure. However, local residents still associate the house with Marthanda Varma. It is said that when Marthanda Varma was hounded by the Ettuvettil Pillamar, he had once sought refuge at the Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar. Later, after he vanquished his enemies, Marthanda Varma bestowed the family with honours. The patriarchs of the family were granted the title of ‘Maraykkar’, and thereafter they were considered as nobles in their community.
Kallaraikkal family had a branch in Thengapattanam, where an old well, supposedly dug following the order of Raja Kesavadas, was spotted by Amshi K. Raman Pillai.
The ancient buildings associated with the family, unfortunately, fell prey to modernisation.
In Poovar, a stone’s throw away from the site of the Valiya Kallaraikkal Veedu is located a house of a family member who is struggling to keep up with the changing times.
“This house is more than 150 years old,” says Hassan Kannu who occupies the house. According to Hassan Kannu, in olden days the Kallaraikkal family owned many edifices in the locality and his house is perhaps one of the last to survive.
“This house had seen better days when my ancestors had enjoyed royal patronage,” says Hassan, “I still remember my elder brother’s nikâh, when a horse adorned with silver ornaments was sent from the royal stable to take the groom for the procession,” he adds. This tradition has been recorded by Raman Pillai in an article.
Pillared verandah opening to the inner yard of the existing wing of the old Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar /. Photo: Sharat Sunder Rajeev / The Hindu
The old house, Hassan explains, still retains some traces of its glorious past. The main entrance, a thick wooden door, opens to a spacious yard, with wide verandahs on either side. “Only a small fraction of the house still exists, the padippura, the nalakam, the courtyard wing, and other associated structures have been demolished to make way for new constructions,” says Hassan.
“I don’t know for how long I will be able to maintain the house, but I will do my best,” he adds with a smile.
[The author is a conservation architect and history buff]
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Hidden Histories / by Sharat Sunder Rajeev / Thiruvananthapuram – July 03rd, 2015
The book ‘Kadalarivukalum Neranubhavangalum’, authored by marine researcher Robert Panipillai, can be regarded a treasure trove of information on the fishing community and the vast traditional knowledge they possess.
Many mysteries of the Thiruvananthapuram coast are unravelled in the 155-page book through extensive research that was undertaken by the author over a period of around 15 years. Particularly engaging is the chapter that has findings on the Dutch ship that sank off the Varkala coast in 1754.
A team led by Mr. Panipillai, which included two divers, conducted the expedition from Anchuthengu (or Anjengo) earlier this year to find the wreckage of the ship, nearly 9.7 km northwest of Anchuthengu at a depth of 43 metres.
The ship was later identified as ‘Wimmenum’ (named after a place in Holland) of the Dutch East India Company, as per information obtained by the researcher through archived documents in the Netherlands. The ship had been built in the Amsterdam wharf in 1752. It sank after being attacked by ‘Angrians’, believed to have been a group of pirates, in the Malabar coast, as per the Dutch archives. The ship had a crew of 356 members.
Visuals that were obtained by Mr. Panipillai during the expedition found the wreck to be home to a large number of varieties of marine species. It had a length of around 8 metres, while the archived documents showed that the ship had a length of 42.25 metres and weighed 1,150 tonnes.
The book also traces the link that ship had with the ‘Dutch Bell’, made of brass, at the Janardhana Swamy Temple in Varkala.
The bell, which has been found to have been made from Wimmenum, has the inscriptions of Michael Everhard, who was a soldier aboard the ‘Wimmenum’ ship, and of Pieter van Belson, a person who hailed from Middelburg in the Netherlands and had manufactured the bell.
“Several facts that have been obtained for the preparation of the book were from local fishermen. It was a matter of shame that the traditional knowledge of the community remained largely ignored by scientists and others in positions of authority. I hope the book serves to ensure that the authorities regard fishermen in an entirely new light and appreciate the vast knowledge they possessed regarding marine life,” Mr. Panipillai told The Hindu .
The book, which has been published by Current Books, was jointly released by Thomas, a fishermen, and Thiruvananthapuram Archbishop M. Soosa Pakiam, here on Saturday. Among the other attractive features of the book are the images of marine species and also those that reflect upon the lives of fishermen.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Sarath Babu George / Thiruvananthapuram – July 05th, 2015
In what can be termed yet another feather in the cap of this illustrious institution, Government Brennen College, Thalassery, has been accorded special heritage status by the University Grants Commisson (UGC). The college, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, has been sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for the conservation of valuable articles of historic and archaeological importance.
“We have received a communique in this connection from the UGC. The recognition and financial support would go a long way in preserving several articles of historic significance in the college dating back to the colonial period,” said principal P M Ismail. “Every department in this historic college has something or the other, including rare furniture, and they need to be preserved.”
As a start, the college plans to set up a small museum on its campus. Later, steps would be taken to preserve vintage buildings, too. “From the specimens and microscope in the zoology department to various other articles and documents in other departments, the college is a treasure trove that needs to be preserved for posterity,” said Valsalan A, head of the history department, who took the initiative – along with colleagues Dinesan V, Gireesh Vishnu Namboodiri and Sudheer Kumar P – to obtain UGC aid as part of recommendations in the 12th Plan.
The college, incidentally, also houses the remains of a fort on its campus, which has been described as a redoubt (temporary fortification) in William Logan’s Malabar Manual. This too needs to be protected, Valsalan said. Since there are limitations to use the UGC aid for this purpose, their plan is to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the coming days, he said.
The college was established in 1862 by Edward Brennen, a master attendant at Thalassery port, as a free school in Thalassery town. Later, in 1890, it was elevated to the status of a II-Grade College, and was shifted in 1958 to the new building at Dharmadam. In 2011, the college was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council with A-grade.
Now, with this rare accomplishment, the college plans to organize a year-long 125th anniversary celebration, which would be finalized later, the principal said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / by P. Sudhakaran, TNN / July 04th, 2015
The Thalassery Revenue Reference Library is a treasure trove of history. Thousands of important revenue records of the country and the state, especially Malabar, are stored here. But curiously enough, the government is yet to appoint a librarian to curate these documents.
It is the only reference library under the revenue department outside of the state capital. The valuable books and records here throw light on various historical events of North Malabar; some of the most important ones pertain to the British Raj of the 19th century.
Records not available elsewhere in the state or country are available at the Thalassery Revenue Reference Library. Among them are detailed records of the revenue department, which used to handle functions that are now handled by various departments. But the library, housed in a beautiful building in the Thalassery sub-collector office compound, is now no one’s baby.
Courtesy: Archaeology Department’s oversight
It is the interest in history that A.C. Mathew, a revenue divisional officer here in 1996-2001, had that led to the setting up of the library. Mathew and his colleagues went around revenue offices from Manjeri to Kasaragod on holidays to find these books and documents and bring them to Thalassery, with permission from the department.
In 1992, the archaeological department had collected thousands of documents from Thalassery sub-collector’s office. The documents stored at the library are those that escaped the scrutiny of archaeology officials. The RDO and other employees of the revenue department spent from their own pockets to preserve these documents in plastic covers. Later, following newspaper reports, then minister K.E.Ismail allotted Rs 1 lakh to have those books bounded.
The library building was built on a grant of Rs 3 lakh given as part of the central government’s project to strengthen the revenue department. In between, there was an attempt to move the books and documents to Thiruvananthapuram, but then chief minister E.K.Nayanar intervened and stopped it. The public was also allowed to refer these documents. There are many who have done research here for their doctoral degrees.
In 2010, then revenue minister K.P. Rajendran and home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan visited the library and gave the nod for the creation of a librarian’s post. But even after five years, the post is vacant. Apparently, the officials are still in a search for a revenue department staffer who is also qualified in library science!
From the collection:
There are many valuable documents here related to the freedom struggle, from leaders’ speeches to secret police reports to administrative procedures:
In 1922, those interned in Kannur central jail over the Mappila rebellion had attacked jail wardens with knives and other weapons procured from the jail kitchen. Several were killed in the shooting that followed. The reports on their post-mortems as well as information related to the rebellion not available elsewhere are in the Thalassery Revenue Reference Library.
The properties of those who were banished to Andamans over the rebellion were confiscated. The list goes like this: a sleeping mat, iron rimmed pestles for grounding rice, a red oxen with horns curved forward…
Another document is the order issued by William Logan, the sub-collector here in 1860, to shoot tigers that were terrorising travellers on the way to Ancharakandi.
Also available are documents on encounters with police at Morazha, Thalassery Jawaharghat and Mattannoor; and those about Gandhiji’s fast at Yarvada jail and the Agakhan Palace. Among the documents are the various orders issued by British officials on the steps to be taken if Gandhiji dies during his fast, such as not allowing black flags or even mourning processions.
There are also other interesting documents. Among them is a complaint by local people that a revenue official called Krishnan Nair refusing to accept property tax at the office and instead going to homes to collect it; also he had demanded bribe in the form of cow’s ghee and chicken eggs while visiting homes.
Another document shows that an Anglo-Indian in the service of the British army had entrusted the care of his mentally ill mother to the sub-collector as per the law. The official put her in the care of the Sacred Heart Convent. The letters that followed between the woman’s son, who served in the North-West Frontier Province, and the sub-collector and the convent authorities show the selfishness of man. The son writes to the sub-collector and the convent about how much he earns and asserts that despite saving as much as he could he cannot give more than Rs 2 per month for her care.
Among the thousands of priceless documents available here are Logan’s Malabar Manual, the work called Treaties and Engagement of British Affairs in Malabar published in 1870, the Manual of British Administration in Malabar Presidency published by the Madras government in 1882, a true copy of Magna Carta, the report on the commission that probed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Rowlatt Act.
Will the authorities wake up to ensure this history of north Malabar is preserved before it is claimed by time and neglect for ever?
source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> News> Kerala / by V.K. Jayanthan / Sunday – June 21st, 2015
Ruler with a visionA painting of the erstwhile Maharaja of Cochin, Rama Varma XV, and right, his statue at Subhash Parkphotos: The Hindu
The statue of Rama Varma XV, the Maharaja of Cochin, that stands in Subhash Park, now marred by a dash of unimaginative gold paint, is a pointer to forgotten facts and fascinating tales beyond the sparse information on the plaque. A little digging leads to a fascinating phase of history.
The Maharaja, popularly called Rajarshi, and also the Abdicated Highness, ruled Cochin from 1895-1914. Well-versed in English and a Sanskrit scholar, he was a forward-looking ruler who turned Cochin into one of the most progressive of Indian states of the time. The seeds of modern Cochin were sowed during his reign as he initiated permanent reforms in Revenue and Accounts, introduced the Shoranur-Cochin railway line, established the Sanskrit College at Tripunithura, brought in the village panchayat bill and the Tenance Act were among the many innovative schemes he launched.
A booklet published sometime in the 1930s, which is available at Mahatma Library and Reading Room, Tripunithura, provides invaluable information about the construction of the statue. It records that a ‘largely attended public meeting’ held on October 23, 1912, at which representatives from all parts of the States were present it was resolved to celebrate the shashtipurthi or the 60th birthday of the Maharaja on December 25, 1912. It was also decided that the ‘unique event be celebrated everywhere in a fitting manner, that an address of congratulation should be presented to the Highness on that auspicious day and that a suitable memorial be raised in honour of the occasion.’
The birthday was celebrated with pomp and gaiety. The members of the committee, appointed at the public meeting, went to the Hill Palace and presented the Highness an address of congratulation inscribed in a silver book and enclosed in a casket. At a meeting on September 24, 1913, it was decided that a ‘permanent memorial should take the form of a bronze statue of the Highness to be erected on the foreshore of Ernakulam.’ Out of the subscriptions for the occasion a sufficient sum of money remained with the committee for the statue. The Diwan A.R. Banerji who was going to England ‘on furlough’ agreed to get the statue made. He advised the committee to entrust the work to Ernest G. Gillick of Chelsea, a noted British sculptor, whose statue of the Maharaja of Bikaner had impressed Banerji.
In October 1915 the committee entrusted the work to Gillick for 800 pounds. He was also asked to make six plaster of Paris life-size busts of the Highness at an aggregate cost of 100 pounds to be installed at the headquarters of the six Taluks of the State. The work was expected to be completed in a year but the dislocation to the work caused by the War and his assistants joining the army the preparation of the mould itself took a year. When the mould was ready there was a strict embargo laid on all private metal work and no metal casting could be done without the license from the Ministry of Munitions. When the embargo was removed Gillick requested for a revision of the original amount as costs had increased manifold. An additional sum of 500 pounds with a proportional enhanced amount for the busts was made. This entailed an extra expenditure of Rs. 1,000 for the committee.
The work was complete by June 1922 and the following December the statue was received in Cochin. Gillick expressed a wish that a pedestal for the statue be designed and furnished drawings for the same. This work was carried out in Pallavaram stone in Madras by the well-known engineering contractor Diwan Bahadur T. Namberumal Chettu Garu.
Gillick did not have the advantage of seeing the Highness in person and had to work on a few indifferent photographs with some personal instructions from Diwan J.W. Bhore, his wife, and I.N. Menon, the Maharaja’s son. Yet he was able to sculpt a remarkably good likeness of the Highness.
The statue was unveiled by Viscount Goschen of Hawkhurst, Governor of Madras on the afternoon of October 13, 1925 in the presence of Lady Goschen, her daughters, CWE Cotton, Agent to the Governor General, the Elaya Raja of Cochin, and an overflowing crowd of people from all parts of the State. It was the first statue in Cochin.
The entire cost for the statue was raised through public donations. The committee in the booklet published the complete receipts and expenditure incurred and the complete list of subscribers to the Memorial Fund. The total expenditure for the statue was Rs. 33,960, the remaining amount, it was decided, would be utilised for the maintenance of the ornamental garden surrounding the statue.
Interestingly, when the statue was unveiled Rama Varma XV was not the Maharaja. He had abdicated the throne in 1914 for reasons that are still not very clear. Some believe that he had differences with the British over his pro-German politics; others opine that he abdicated due to ill-health, while there are other stories that gained ground. But the abdication did certainly create a furore; it shocked his subjects as such an act was unheard of in the kingdom.
“There is this account that the Maharaja was forced to abdicate after he had hosted a party to the officers of a German cruiser. It is still believed by many that the ship was SMS Emden. This is wrong as Emden never came to Cochin. But there are records that reveal that the Maharaja did host a garden party to the officers of the German cruiser SMS Gneisenau in 1911. This had nothing to do with the abdication,” informs V.N. Venugopal, a history buff.
This was not a political act as the visit of the ship coincided with the arrival of the German crown prince Wilhem to India in December-January1911.Wilhem was a State guest at the Viceregal Lodge and Gneisenau was anchored at the Cochin harbour. The party held at Bolghatty Palace with the approval of the British. However, the detractors of the Highness attempted to hail this as a pro-German stance and use this against him later.
Others point out that there were other reasons, perhaps more serious, that forced the Highness to take this step. Perhaps the most plausible of theories that led to the abdication was a brewing hostility between the Highness and the British government on numerous issues. For instance, letters reveal that the government did not favour many of his requests. His requests to buy a house in Kodaikanal and to give an extension to Diwan P. Rajagopalachari with an enhanced salary were summarily turned down.
“His attempts to effect radical changes in social and religious matters, selling 14 gold caprisons of the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple and cutting the allowances of the princes to fund the Shoranur-Cochin railway, and effecting a cut in the rations to the royalty during the time of World War I, gave rise to severe criticism. It is said that the British managed to influence his brothers and relatives, declared that he was mentally and physically weak, forcing him to abdicate,” says Ramabhadran Thampuran, the sixth generation of the Maharaja’s thavazhi or lineage.
Interestingly, the Maharaja had in 1905 expressed his willingness to abdicate. This happened a month after the verdict to excommunicate and banish Kuriyedathu Thatri, in the caste inquisition or smartha vicharam . Most of those banished were rich, influential and well-connected. They spread rumours that the trial was stopped when Thathri was about to give away the name of the Highness. But the government refused to accept his ‘resignation.’ The Governor Lord Oliver Russell Ampthill wrote that there ‘is nobody at present who is fit to succeed you as Raja of Cochin and to govern the state without detriment to the interests of the people.’
But in 1914 there was no such reaction. The government accepted his letter without much fuss. He walked out of the palace with just one trunk containing his and his wife’s clothes. After abdication the Highness stayed on at Ernakulam for some months, while his palace at Thrissur was being built and then shifted to Merry Lodge Palace, the present Kerala Varma College, in 1915. The British also ensured that there was no mention of him in historical references other than a fleeting reference to the ‘king who abdicated.’
Rama Varma made just one parting request to the Government – an allowance for his maintenance during his retired life and a portion of the allowance, ‘not less than Rs. 100 a month’, may be continued after his lifetime to his wife and her children. The Maharaja passed away January 29, 1932. During a chakyarkoothu performance after his abdication, the chakyar while describing a moment when Rama leaves Sita, looked at the ex-Maharaja and asked, ‘ ozhinjatho , ozhippichatho ?’ (abdicated or removed). One never knows for sure.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by K. Pradeep / June 20th, 2015
History stands still under the leaky roof of a single-storey building at Anjarakkandy, where the apprehensions of a British planter culminated in the country’s land registration system.
The tiled building, as such, is not part of history, though it has been enjoying a spot in history as the first sub-registrar office in India, opened in 1865.
Though the building now can’t boast of providing better shelter from the elements of nature, the registration department is planning to celebrate the office’s sesquicentennial anniversary.
“The department has decided to organize a gala function to commemorate the 150th year of the first land registration in the country, which led to the setting up of a separate department for the purpose,” O A Satheesh, district registrar in Kannur, said. Minister for registration and civil supplies Anoop Jacob would inaugurate the function on Friday.
The land registration was the culmination of the process of demarcating boundaries of lands of local residents by Murdoch Brown, remembers K Narayanan Nambiar, a land document writer.
“His act of demarcating boundaries led to the setting up of a department for land registration not only in India, but also in the whole of Asia,” he recollected his predecessors’ words.
Brown’s decision to demarcate land also has an interesting story.
When he bought land, he felt that if not clearly demarcated, there would be confusion over the ownership. He opened an office in his bungalow and started signing and giveing title-deeds to the owners of each plot.
The Englishman soon found that some landowners were manipulative and to avoid malpractices, he started keeping a copy of title-deeds in his office, thus beginning the formal registration of land.
Later on January 1, 1865, the British government, through an order dated December 5, 1864, approved the sub-registry office, which operated out of his bungalow, with Brown as deputy registrar. The office was shifted to the present building on March 11, 1877, in the land provided by Brown.
The present condition of the building has been pathetic as no effort was made to maintain the original architecture and old records.
A day after the inauguration of the sesquicentennial celebrations, Kerala might receive the first monsoon shower. The staff, as usual, would rush for plastic sheets to cover and protect shelves from water leaking through the roof.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / May 27th, 2015
