The world knows about the indefatigable efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the integration of the country after independence , because the princely states had been given the option of deciding their own fate. Patel, the Home Minister, known as the ‘iron man’ had to apply his whole knowledge, experience, foresight and diplomacy to accomplish this arduous task as each maharaja or nawab was creating different problems. Our scriptures have highlighted the qualities of a successful king and Sardar Patel demonstrated that he possessed all of them. We also know that out of over 500 princely states, the most problematic were J&K, Junagarh and Hyderabad. However, not so difficult was the case of Travancore. The solution of this state shows his deft handling.
When the king died, his son Rama Varma (He had a very long official name) was just a minor. So the Queen, Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bai started functioning as the dowager mother. When the problem of integration was being sorted out separately with each state, Rama Varma was still not adequately matured.
In Delhi, he had audience with the sardar who enquired to know about his decision with regard to getting merged with India. The young Maharaja said that his family was devoted to Lord Padmanabhan and hence he would decide only when the Lord gave him permission to do so. The intelligent Sardar Patel got up, straight went to his worship room and quickly came back to inform Rama Varma that Swami Padmanabhan had given the permission. Varma did not take even a second to think over and immediately signed on the annexation documents, kept in front of him. Sardar Patel, encashing the unflinching faith of the young Maharaja in his deity, could sort out the issue perhaps in the easiest way.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteEnded up here by accident but after reading ur take on Travancore integration, i had a good laugh. I am from the former Travancore & after reading ur blog, i came to the conclusion that u don't have even the foggiest idea about Travancore Kingdom & its traditions or even its integration to India. I have no diploma in journalism or any thing but i will atleast check the facts before writing an article. The least u could do before writing this was to check on Wiki then ur 'article' wouldn't have degraded into the petty farce that it currently is !
For ur information, Travancore was the last one to accede. The King, H. H. Sree Padmanabhadasa Vanchipala Sir Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma III, Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Maharajah Raja Ramaraja Bahadur Shamsher Jang Maharajah of Travancore, GCSI, GCIE who was 37(as far as i know an adult age), agreed to sign the accession only in June 1949 !.......When the king died, his son Rama Varma (He had a very long official name) was just a minor. So the Queen, Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bai started functioning as the dowager mother. When the problem of integration was being sorted out separately with each state, Rama Varma was still not adequately matured................
This is hilarious.
This is from Wik :Sree Padmanbhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma ( GCSI, GCIE ) (November 7, 1912–July 20, 1991), popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Travancore, in southern India till 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancore till 1991. Sree Chithira Thirunal was the eldest son of Junior Maharani of Travancore, H.H. Sree Padmanabhasevini Vanchipala Dyumani Rajarajeshwari Maharani Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi, and Sri Pooram Nal Ravi Varma Koyi Thampuran of the Royal House of Kilimanoor. He was privately educated, and became the Maharajah of Travancore, at the age of 12, upon the death of his maternal great uncle, the then Maharajah of Travancore Sree Moolam Thirunal, on August 7, 1924. He reigned under the regency of his maternal aunt, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi (1924-1931), until he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers on November 6, 1931. [1]