Empowered by their matrilineal heritage and enlightened by education, the two Maharanis left an indelible mark on Kerala’s history
My Royal Connexion
I was born in Thiruvananthapuram (earlier known as
Trivandrum), the holy city of Ananta, or Lord Vishnu. It is difficult to
imagine that this serene city was once the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of
Travancore, which acceded to India in 1949, soon after independence.
Travancore, a princely state from 1729 to 1949, was
ruled by the illustrious Travancore Royal Family—one of the oldest ruling
dynasties in India—governed successively by kings and women regents.
When we were young, many from the older generation
often spoke nostalgically about the reign of the Maharajas and Maharanis. Under
their rule, Trivandrum was not just the capital, but also a vibrant centre of
education, art, music, and culture. Maharaja Raja Ravi Varma was celebrated for
his paintings—his depictions of gods and goddesses once adorned Hindu homes
across India. The musical compositions of Swathi Thirunal continue to resonate
in South Indian classical concerts even today.
Walking along the city’s Main Road (now Mahatma Gandhi
Road), one is still reminded of that royal past. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the
iconic Secretariate building, the 150-year-old University College, the Public
Library, the Observatory, the Museum, and the Water Works—all stand as
monuments to the enlightened rule of the Travancore monarchs.
I still remember watching Raja Chithira Thirunal, the
last Maharaja of Travancore, ride majestically in his car, its conch-shell
insignia gleaming, on his way to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple every morning as I
walked to school. During temple festivals, we children eagerly joined the
celebrations led by the Maharaja—his frail figure carrying a sword, leading the
grand procession to the sea for the ritual Aaraat (bathing of the
deity).
Two Travancore princesses (though only titular) were
my seniors at the Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, where I studied.
Epitomes of grace and dignity, they mingled freely with other students and
participated in cultural activities like any of us. From then on, my
fascination with the Maharanis of Travancore deepened.
The Great Maharanis
Among the remarkable women who ruled Travancore, two
stand out for their vision and leadership. Though separated by a century, both
left indelible marks on Kerala’s social and cultural life.
1. Maharani Gauri Lakshmi Bayi (Reigned 1810–1815)
Maharani Gauri Lakshmi Bayi ruled Travancore from 1810
to 1813 and served as Regent until her death in 1815 for her son, Swathi
Thirunal Rama Varma. She remains the only Queen of Travancore to have ruled in
her own right.
The Maharanis of Travancore were styled as the Ranis
of Attingal—a title derived from the nearby town of Attingal. Born in 1791,
Gauri Lakshmi Bayi was the daughter of Princess Bharani Thirunal Parvathy Bayi,
adopted into the Travancore royal family in 1788. She married Prince Rajaraja
Varma of the Changanassery royal family and had two sons and a daughter. Her
eldest son, born on 16 April 1813, later became King Swathi Thirunal—a renowned
musician and ruler (1829–1846).
The Matrilineal System
Travancore followed a matrilineal system of
inheritance known as Marumakkathayam, where lineage and property passed
through the female line. “Queens were never wives of monarchs, but their
sisters,” as tradition held.
Accession and Rule
When Maharajah Balarama Varma died in 1811, the
20-year-old Gauri Lakshmi Bayi faced internal dissent and external threats.
With the support of the British Resident, Colonel John Munro, she dismissed
rival claims and ascended the throne. One of her first acts was to remove the
corrupt Dewan and appoint Colonel Munro in his place, thereby ensuring
stability and British support.
Government Reforms
Maharani Gauri Lakshmi Bayi introduced several
administrative reforms:
- District
officials were divested of judicial powers to curb corruption.
- Revenue
collection was systematised.
- A
modern judicial system was introduced, with a Court of Appeal, five
District Courts, and the Huzur Court for government servants.
- The
Secretariat system was established under Col. Munro’s guidance.
- The
Police Department was reorganised.
Social Reforms
Her reign saw equally progressive social measures:
- Taxes
on festivals and inheritance were abolished.
- Over
300 temples were brought under a Devaswom Board to end corruption.
- By
a royal proclamation on 5 December 1812, she abolished the sale and purchase
of slaves, freeing all except those tied to agricultural lands.
- Lower
castes like the Ezhavas and Kaniyans were granted independence from
landlords, and caste-based restrictions on wearing ornaments were removed.
- A
vaccination department was established in 1813—she herself and her family
took the vaccine first to allay public fears.
Her health declined soon after the birth of her
youngest son, and she passed away in 1815. Swathi Thirunal succeeded her, with
her sister, Gauri Parvati Bayi, serving as Regent.
Her brief reign (1810–1814) marked a silent
reformation in Travancore, showcasing the capability and resolve of a woman
ruler in a conservative age.
2. Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi (Reigned 1924–1931)
Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi’s life and reign have been
beautifully chronicled by Manu S. Pillai in The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of
the House of Travancore (2016).
In 1900, the Maharajah, having no heirs, adopted two
young cousins—granddaughters of the celebrated artist Raja Ravi Varma. They
were educated under Indian and Anglo-Indian tutors, learning English,
etiquette, music, and even tennis and golf.
When Maharajah Moolam Thirunal died in 1924, his
successor, Sree Chithira Thirunal, was only twelve. As tradition required, the
Senior Maharani, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, ruled as Regent for seven years until he
came of age—despite challenges from her younger sister.
In 1906, when she was still ten years old the Maharani
was married to Kerala
Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran who was her steadfast
companion—somewhat reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Yet, by
custom, royal consorts of Travancore’s queens lived separately and played only
a secondary role in court life.
Reforms and Achievements
Her regency (1924–1931) was marked by wide-ranging
reforms:
- Construction
of highways, and introduction of electricity and telephone services.
- Nearly
one-fifth of the state’s revenue was devoted to education, laying the
foundation for Kerala’s high literacy rate.
- Development
of Cochin (now Kochi) into a modern trading port.
- Appointment
of India’s first woman minister and employment of hundreds of educated
women as teachers and nurses.
- Appointment
of Dalit and Muslim judges, and a Christian Prime Minister—breaking caste
and religious barriers.
- Opening
public roads to all castes in 1925.
- Abolition
of animal sacrifice (1925) and the devadasi system (1926).
- Reform
of the Marumakkathayam inheritance law and gradual introduction of
patrilineal family structures among Nairs (1928).
- Promotion
of Panchayati Raj in rural areas.
- Modernisation of the Medical Department and appointment of the first female Durbar Physician.In 1929, she was decorated with the Order of the Crown of India.
Meeting with Mahatma Gandhi
Manu Pillai in his book has detailed the meeting
between Mahatma Gandhi and the Maharani.
During the Vaikom
Satyagraha, Gandhi met the Maharani in 1925 and asked, “Is it not
atrocious that while dogs and cattle may walk freely on temple roads, some men
may not, because of their caste?” Following this meeting, she issued a royal
proclamation opening most roads to all castes—an act Gandhi hailed as a “bedrock
of freedom” in Young India (26 March 1925).
When Gandhi urged her to permit temple entry for
Dalits, she replied, “I am only a Regent.” She suggested that Gandhi seek the
view of the young heir, Chithira Thirunal, who later fulfilled that promise
through the historic Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936.
Gandhi later wrote:
“Instead of being ushered into the presence of an
over-decorated woman sporting diamonds, I found myself before a modest young
lady whose beauty lay in her refinement and manners.”
Criticism and Later Life
Despite her achievements, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi faced
criticism for restricting temple entry, barring Jawaharlal Nehru from entering
the Padmanabhaswamy Temple (for ritual reasons), and for introducing the
controversial Press Regulation Act of 1926.
When her regency ended in 1931, she gracefully stepped
down as Chithira Thirunal assumed the throne. However, family rivalries forced
her into seclusion. In 1958, she left Trivandrum for Madras and later settled
in Bangalore, living a quiet life near her daughter. She donated her palaces
for public use—one became an agricultural college, another a medical research
institute, and her beach resort was given to the ITDC.
In her final years, bedridden, she once told a visitor
with a wistful smile,
“Once I had a kingdom, but it is gone. Then I thought
the palace was mine, but that too is gone. Now I can only say—I have this
room.”
She passed away in 1985 at a hospital in Bangalore and
was cremated at Wilson Garden, surrounded by her family. Reflecting on her
life, she once wrote,
“I have emerged a wiser woman, learning that in this
world, one often gets kicks for honest, selfless work, while the canting
self-seeker wins halfpence.”
Her reign is remembered as a Golden Age of
Travancore. Malayala Manorama, in its obituary, wrote:
“When the Rani of Vanchi rules, there is everlasting
Thiru Onam in Vanchinadu.”
Lord Mountbatten, too, remarked:
“No one who met her could ever forget her. She stands
as a shining example of womanhood—as a great queen and a great woman.”
Remembering the Two Great
Maharanis
The two Maharanis left an indelible imprint on
Kerala’s history. A century apart, both ruled with vision, compassion, and
courage. They introduced reforms in governance, education, and social life at a
time when society was deeply conservative and male-dominated. The matrilineal
system and their education had truly empowered them.
This admiration is not an argument for monarchy, but a
recognition that rulers who govern with integrity and commitment to the public
good—elected or not—remain exceptional and unforgettable.
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