ABSTRACT
On the death of Swathi Thirunal, his younger brother, Uthiram Thirunal was installed on the throne. During his reign he introduced so many reforms. He made so many administrative and social reforms for the betterment of the people of Travancore country. In this article the scholar has been taken a step to analyze all the reforms of Uthiram Thirunal Maharaja in a nutshell.
On the death of Swathi Thirunal, his younger brother, Uthiram Thirunal was installed on the throne. He decided to avoid the trouble prevailing between the previous Dewan and the Resident Cullen. So he confirmed Krishna Rao as Dewan. Krishna Rao had been looked upon by many as a political adventurer bent on furthering is fortune. However, when he was entrusted the reigns of administration, he set himself to serve the master faithfully and to the best of his abilities. He was Dewan for over a decade (1847 – 1857) and during all these years the Resident, the Maharaja and the Dewan pulled together as a team. The result was that the administration went on smoothly. To relieve the Dewan from the pressure of heavy work, it was decided to appoint two Division Peishkars one over the districts north of Changanassery and the other over the districts south of Neyyatinkara. The central districts were to be directly under the control of the Dewan in 1856.
Abolition of Slavery
The Christian Missionaries while preaching among the common people came into contact with the slaves and knew the gruesome realities connected with slavery. These missionaries through a series of memorandums and petitions ventilated the grievances of slaves and pressurized the Indian Government to find an early solution to this social evil. In 1841 Rev. Abbs, J., observed the plight of the slaves of Southern Travancore in person. The other missionaries also noticed that evil and expressed thus: “We cannot but feel sorry for these poor sufferers; and if consistently with their higher objects, we can produce for them some relief from their temporal distress, it is our delight to do so”. The missionaries declares that the “state was caste ridden and by no means a model which it had long been represented to be. The missionaries believed that it was the inalienable right of the lower classes of Travancore as of any other people to fight for their right and to enjoy the fruits of their soil. They also believed that the government deprived the people of their rights and oppressed them. Further, the people also had not a right to alter it or abolish it. They held that it was crime against man and god, they were not willing to permit any longer to a rule that had caused the division of individuals for the free use of force and deprived the majority of their rights and privileges. Thus both from the religious and socialistic points of views, the conditions were favourable for the missionaries and as such their activities could be justified.
In 1847 the missionaries submitted a memorandum to Utram Thirunal Maharaja portraying the plight of the slaves for considerations. It was with this petition that the demand for the abolition of slavery in Travancore began. The Missionaries pleaded to the Maharaja, to pass a law in reference to the slave population of Travancore, similar to that passed by the government of Bengal and now in operation with regard to slaves in the Honorable Company’s territories. Encouraged by this Act, the several Mission societies in Travancore presented in March 1847 an address to the Maharaja through the Resident proposing the entire and immediate emancipation of all slaves in Travancore.
Tinnevelly – Travancore boundary
In December 1851, the boundary between Tinnevelly and Travancore on the Shenottah side was clearly defined as proposed by General Cullen as early as 1846, and the adjustment of the boundary was agreed to by the Maharaja and finally sanctioned by the Madras Government. General Cullen’s suggestions were briefly these:
- The existing line from the Shanar Ghaut to Shenottah should be maintained.
- From Shencottah the line should go straight across the south east angle of the Sivanallur Maniam and then continuing along the boundary of the Maniam and by Achanputur to the Peak.
- Pumblipatam, Puliyara and all other lands possessed by the Company within or west of the above lines to be ceded to Travancore and the Kalagad and Sabarwareen Kara Maniams ceded to the Company, thus giving to Travancore a compact district completely protecting and covering all the approaches to the passes into Travancore.
- Malayankulam and the lands east of the Travancore lines south of Panagudi being of no particular value to Travancore, to be ceded to the Company on an equivalent reduction in the annual subsidy.
Famine and Financial Breakdown
When Krishna Rao came to office he found the treasury empty and the pay of officers in arrears, but by a regular and methodical collection of taxes and by enforcing retrenchment in all departments, including even the Palace, he was soon able to restore the fondness of the State to normal level. He paid off the State debits and even gave a remission of the arrears of taxes to afford relief to the tenancies. Everything went on well till 1852, when due to excessive rains; a famine broke out in the land. Relief measures were undertaken and it affects the Travancore State very much. Tax remissions had to be given, and this meant loss of revenue. Smuggling of pepper out of the State and tobacco into it lobbed the State of the good share of income. The death of Rani Parvathi Bai (1852) resulted in a further drain from the treasure. There was thus a financial breakdown, however he pay of officers fell in arrears.
The Political Crisis
Dewan Krishna Rao was not very popular with the officers as he used to flog public servants openly for corruption. They became more discontented with him when their pay fell into arrears. They started a vigorous press agitation in the Athenaeum, the popular Madras newspaper. Articles appeared in it which charged the Dewan with corruption, proration and oppression. The London Mission workers of South Travancore presented memorial after memorial to the Government of Madras in which they pointed out that the administration had failed to redress the grievances of the Nadar converts. They also brought against the Dewan several serious allegations such as keeping prisoners in custody without investigations meting out barbarous punishments in jails and packing the judiciary with incompetent and corrupt officers. The administration was painted by the memorials in the blackest manner possible. Lord Harris recommended the Governor General Dalhousie for the appointment of a commission to enquire into the state of the country, but Dalhousie disapproved of the British Government on the abuses which appeared to prevail with suitable advice and warning under Article 9 of the treaty. Lord Harris, therefore addressed a letter to the Maharaja in which he pointed out that ‘grave abuses’ prevailed in every branch of administration in Travancore- that the tribunals, civil and criminal were venial and enjoyed no confidence of the people that the Sirkar servants were not punctually paid; that the native Christians were maltreated; that the revenue system, made up as it was, of monopolies, was productive of much oppression and crime as well as demoralizing in its effect; and that public works were altogether neglected. He characterized the stage of the country as ‘critical’ and said that the “Honorable Court of Directors would not permit their continuance”, ‘It is much to be feared that the contingency against which Article 5 of the treaty is directed is not far distant unless averted by timely and judicious reforms’, concluded the Governor (November 1855)
Early in 1856 the Maharaja wrote to the Governor thanking him for his advice and assuring him that action have been taken to remedy the evils. A loan of 5 lakhs was taken from the Padmanabha Swamy temple and all arrears of pay were cleared. Retrenchment was proposed in all departments, the Dewan and the Judges were asked to order better administration of the departments under them, and the question of abolishing the monopolies was taken up for serious consideration. The recall of Dalhousie, the breakout the Great Indian Mutiny and the death of Krishna Rao changed the situation in favour of Travancore.
– Dr. M. Mohana Kani*
Assistant Professor of History, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli – 627 012
References
1. Agur, C.M., Church History of Travancore, New Delhi, 1990.
2. Joy Gnanadason, A Forgotten History, Nagercoil, 1994.
3. Kusuman, K.K., Slavery in Travancore, Kerala Historical Society, Trivandrum, 1973.
4. London Missionary Society Report, 1814, P. 72.
5. Nagam Aiya, V., The Travancore State Manual, Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III, and Vol. IV, Trivandrum, 1906.
6. Parameswaran Pillai, History of Trivandrum, Trivandrum, 1944.
7. Samuel Matter, Native Life in Travancore, London, 1883.
8. Velu pillai, T.K., The Travancore State Manuel, Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III, and Vol. IV, Trivandrum, 1940.
9. Yesudas, R.N., British Policy in Travancore 1805 – 1859, Trivandrum, 1977.