| After nineteenth
century
Swati Thirunal 1829-1847
Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma 1847-1860
Ayillyam Thirunal 1860--1880
Vishakham Thirunal 1880--1885
Sri Mulam Thirunal 1885--1924
Regent Sethu Lakshmi Bhai 1924-1931
Sri Chithira Thirunal 1931-1938
Swati Thirunal who ruled from 1829
to 1847 was a patron of arts. He gathered around him
poets and musicians. Swati Thirunal was a learned man.
He understood several languages and composed poetic
hymns. He gave us as early as 1830's a western style
judicial system and legal code. He moved the palace
and government offices to Thiruvananthapuram.
Uthram Thirunal maharajah ended the
old prohibitions against low caste women covering their
breasts. In 1919 Sri Mulam Thirunal introduced cautious
democratic reforms in the form of a 25 member legislative
council. The next Maharajah was Sri. Chitira Thirunal
who created a lower house called Sri.Mulam assembly
and an upper house called Sri.Chithira council. Democracy
was however name sake only when one considered the way
members were selected. Also the devan himself was the
president of both houses. The public revolted demanding
proportional representation and an end to preference
for the higher castes in government service.
Mr.C.Kesavan who led the popular agitation
was arrested after a speech in Kozancherri. He was charged
with treason and sent to jail for two years. This backfired.
Even the higher castes saw the arrest of C.Kesavan as
a high handed move. Eventually the government capitulated
and gave in to all the demands of the agitators. The
tact and diplomacy of the dewan at that time played
an important role in this resolution. The devan then
was sir.Mohamad Habibulla.
Sir C.P.was appointed as devan in 1936.The
same year the temple entry proclamation was passed by
the Maharajah of Travancore. This recognition of lower
caste rights won praise even from Mahatma Gandhi who
came to Travancore and visited several temples.
After the elections of 1937 mr. T.M.Veerghese
emerged as a leader. When Mr.C.Kesavan was released
from jail on the Maharajah's birth day a meeting in
Aleppy paid tributes to him. Mr.T.M.Verghese spoke at
that meeting on behalf of Travancore's 51 lakh people.
The government disliked that and forced mr.Verghese
to resign. Demands became more forceful for democratic
reforms . Sir.C.P. in his autocratic style declined
any concessions.
In 1938 an All India Congress meeting
in Haripuri had passed a resolution distancing Indian
National Congress from the freedom fights in princely
states. This lead to the formation of a local organization
called Travancore state Congress under the leadership
of mr.C.V.Kunju Raman.
The first president was mr. Pattam Thanupillai. Secretary
was P.S.Nadaraja Pillai. Mr.C.Kesavan and T.M.Verghese
were prominent members.
While the wind of change was blowing
even in neighboring Cochin state Sir.C.P.Ramaswami Iyer
resorted to both divide and rule strategies and brutality
against those leaders who resisted. Mr.A.Narayana Pillai
wrote an article at that time in 'Malayala Rajyam' under
the title "Nairs and public service". Sir.
C.P.'s government arrested him on a drummed up charge.
A defense committee was formed and a famous advocate
mr.K.F.Nariman was hired to represent mr. Pillai. C.P's
goondas appeared at the airport with black flags shouting
'Nariman go back". The public resisted these goondas
and a young leader mr.P.T.punnose took away the black
flags from C.P.'s goondas. Eventually mr.Nariman was
prevented from representing his client on the ground
that he himself had served a jail term. Mr.Pillai served
a two year jail term. Before leaving Travancore however,
Mr.Nariman issued a press release condemning C.P.s'
authoritarian rule and urging people to unite and fight
for democratic government.
Sir.C.P.became more agitated as he
saw the increasing support for the state Congress amongst
the public. He resorted to disruptive tactics. Leaders
were attacked and beaten in public meetings. Police
refused to intervene. Stone-throwing on to the platforms
of Congress meeting was another, C.P. encouraged goonda
tactic. Government servants related to Congress men
were transferred to remote areas. Teachers with connections
to Congress men lost their certification. Pattam Thanu
Pillai and Madhava Warrior were beaten with metal clubs
in open day light. Miss Ani Mascreen's house was raided
and all household items stolen. Congress advocates were
subjected to robbery. Protesting in the legislative
councils was of no avail. C.P.turned a deaf ear to the
complaints.
Another strategy of Sir.C.P. was suppression
of the press. The 'Kaumudi' newspaper started by Mr.C.V.Kunjuraman
and run by Mr.C.Kesavan was closed down and it's license
revoked. The offense was publication of a letter demanding
democratic reforms. Two other publications that had
the same fate were 'Tamilian' and 'Samadarsini'. At
the same time all publications that were pro C.P. were
given all encouragement.
The leaders were not cowed by C.P.'s
tactics. A huge meeting and rally were held in the railway
grounds in Trivandrum.
Sir.C.P. tried to intimidate the organizers by calling
the Travancore army in. Further all subsequent rallies
and meetings were banned. P.K.Kunju and P.N.Krishna
Pillai were arrested. Workers in Aleppy became enraged.
The situation became explosive. One worker lost his
life when the police charged with bayonets.
When the bans were lifted Congress
leaders started organizing meetings again. A meeting
in Neyyattinkara was attacked by goondas and subsequently
banned by an express order by the district magistrate.
A mammoth rally and meeting in Chenganore was disrupted
by C.P.'s goondas. Pattam,C. Kesavan, T.K.Narayana Pillai,
G.Chandra sekara pilla and Ponnara Sridhar were attacked
publicly with C.P's police looking on. Mr.E.John Philipose
was attacked by a rowdy who slapped him with chapels.
Finally an open confrontation erupted between the public
and C.P.'s police. The frightened police fled.
CP interfered and influenced the outcome
of an election in Mavelikkara. The Congress working
committee petitioned the Maharajah directly demanding
democratic and responsive government. The government
banned the publication of the document that came to
be known as 'Congress memorandum'. However hundreds
of copies were printed and distributed. A Congress youth
wing was formed. Ms. Kamala Devi Chadopadya was invited
to their Trivandrum meeting. She was banned to speak
in Trivandrum and Quilion. She planned to defy and speak
in Trivandrum. She was arrested and banished to Thirunalveli.
The government initiated steps to punish the Congress
youth wing. It's leaders like Ponnara Sridhar ,N.Srikandan
Nairand K.Damodaran were arrested.
The state Congress intensified it's
agitation. A Mammoth meeting was held in Trivandrum's
Shankumukam beech. Leaders were arrested in Trivandrum,
Quilion and Kottayam. There was yet another meeting
which was disrupted by the police. People were beaten.
The enraged masses set fire to the police superintendents
car. One of the worst police suppression followed. C.P
threw an investigation report about police atrocities
in to the waste basket.
Students every where were joining the
agitation. C.M.Stephen and Prakkulam Bhasi gave leadership
in Trivandrum. The students were brutally beaten near
the university college grounds by police and Travancore
army. The Maharajah himself faced demonstrations when
going to the temple. All colleges and educational institutions
were closed indefinitely.
C.P resorted to divide and rule tactics
at this point. He turned against the Christians. He
persuaded Hindus to make massive withdrawals from the
national Quilion bank. The bank requested a day's time
from it's customers. C.P mean time claimed that the
bank was broke and sealed it's offices. It was rather
ironic that this was done on the same day when the bank's
branch was to open in Dawning street, London. The directors
of the bank like C.P.Mathen, K.C.Mamman Mapplai and
K.C.Eapen were thrown in to jail. C.P.'s aim was to
weaken the Congress party by destroying an influential
and powerful bank and it's directors.
In Changanacherri on the pretext that
there was a spreading disease affecting banana plantations
tens of thousands of banana trees were cut down. All
these repressive measures only fuelled the agitation
.I
In Neyyattinkara the army opened fire and five people
lost their lives. K.R.Elenkath and others resigned from
the legislative body in protest. There was another police
firing in Quilion with two deaths. One man lost his
lag. In Kuttanadu people blocked roads under the leadership
of Kumbalathu Sankupillai.
State Congress was banned in Travancore.
They moved their headquarters to Eranakulam. There was
a great deal of support from Cochin state and even Madras
to the agitation in Travancore. A delegation including
E.M.Sankaran Namputhiripadu, K.A.Damodara Menon and
P.Krishna Pillai were sent to Travancore from Cochin.A.K.Gopalan
led a march in to Travancore. They were given big reception
at every railway station. In Alwaye, UC.College students
organized a big reception for A.K.Gopalan and his party.
Police intervened and A.K.Gopalan and his team were
arrested. Police beat up A.K.G. in jail He and his group
were moved to jails in Kottayam and then Vaikkam. Rumor
spread that AKG died from police brutality. People massed
in front of the police station in Vaikkaom and demanded
that AKG be brought out. They dispersed only after AKG
was brought out to the veranda. On September 12 1938
Malayala Manorama's license was revoked and the offices
sealed. Out of state papers like Mathrubhoomi, Indian
Express Deepam, Gomathy and Malabar Mail were also banned
from the state.
In Kottarakkra district at a place
called Kadakkal police and army unleashed terrible atrocities
in response to a Congress demonstration against a crooked
contractor. People including women were beaten and houses
burnt.
Mean time C.P secretly sent his emissaries
to negotiate with Congress leaders. They demanded unconditional
release from jail first. C.P. tried to paint State Congress
as a Christian communal organization. He tried to create
a rival organization which never got of the ground.
By October 10, 1938 workers began to
join the agitation. Both in Quilion and Aleppy there
was loss of life. On October 19, 1938 the workers declared
a strike. Jails were overflowing by now. There was a
mass rally by workers in Aleppy on October 21, 1938.There
was yet another police firing when the workers blocked
transportation of goods. Akkamma Cheriyan led a mammoth
rally to Trivandrum's Kavadiyar palace, the residence
of the Maharajah. The government caved in lifting the
ban on state Congress and youth league and releasing
the leaders from jail.
A document incriminating Sir.C.P. with
repression was in circulation at that time. In a very
divisive move Mahatma Gandhi demanded that state Congress
withdraw that document. C.P.felt vindicated. Compliance
to Gandhi's demand led to a split in the state Congress
with many of it's youth leaders leaving Congress and
joining either the Communist party or the socialists.
C.P continued his repressive tactics
with impunity. Arrests and denial of civil rights continued.
Leaders were banned practicing law or disqualified for
political office. Annie Mascreen was treated shabbily
in jail.
Even as local leaders were planning
another agitation Gandhiji again requested to stop it.
C.P. himself orchestrated a big 60th birthday celebration
for himself. A C.P. statue was erected in Trivandrum.
A C.P.inspired "democratic committee" presented
CP with a testimonial engraved on a gold plate !C.P.
was trying to prove that he had a greater following
amongst people than the Congress.
The war broke out in September 1939.Agitation
in the state was temporarily stopped at Gandhi's request.
C.P. concentrated on recruiting for the army. When CP
visited Cochin students from Thevara college under the
leadership of Baby John greeted him with black flags.
On august 9, 1949 soon after the quit
India proclamation the British began to arrest Congress
leaders outside the state. C.P took the cue and locked
up state Congress leaders in Travancore. The youth wing
of the Congress did not cooperate with the 'Quit India'
movement on the grounds that there was a war going on
there and it was not right to destabilize the government
at such a time.
There was an election in 1944 to the
legislative bodies. But those Congress leaders who were
jailed previously were barred from running for office.
In 1946 CP announced some administrative
reforms which were cosmetic. All the power remained
in the hands of the devan. There was condemnation of
the 'American model' reforms. Congress was criticized
for taking part in discussions with C.P.
The Communist party had by now become
a powerful force in Travancore. The party had strong
following in Aleppy and Chertala districts. They organized
unions amongst the beedi workers coir workers of Aleppy
and the toddy tappers of Chertalai. The workers had
tremendous resentment towards the land owners and employers
on account of low wages, job uncertainty and exploitation.
There followed a conflict between landlords and employers
on the one hand and workers on the other hand. Each
side complained about the other. The workers claimed
that the land owners and employers were suppressing
their unions while the former complained that the workers
were attacking their homes. The landlords further alerted
the authorities about secret military training by workers.
The government reinforced the army and police in affected
areas. The workers decided to deal might with might
. Some men retired from the army started training Communist
workers. The government targeted the Communist party
and it's unions. Several leaders were arrested. Aleppy
and vicinity changed to an armed camp. The army made
route marches instilling fear in to people. Minor confrontations
occurred between the workers and the army.
On September 24,1946 the workers of
Aleppy and Chertalai declared a general strike. Leaders
like Sugathan were arrested. Workers became enraged.
They enmassed in Punnapra. An open war erupted between
the police and the people on a public road. The people
won this first round. The police were attacked with
their own guns and clubs. An inspector of police was
killed.
Sir C.P. countered this with declaration
of martial law in Aleppy and surrounding areas. He declared
himself as the commander in chief. There were rumors
that there were secret training camps for workers in
Punnappra. Major general V.N.Parameswaran led the army
by sea and by land to Punnapra. A key bridge had been
destroyed by the workers. The army vent their wrath
indiscriminately on villagers. The workers offered resistance
and attacked the army with home made weapons like sharpened
sticks and stones. The army unit that arrived by water
was prevented from landing for 3 hours. But ultimately
the superior fire power of the army prevailed Nearly
700 workers were shot at close range. The army continued
it's firing and burning of houses long after all resistance
was gone.
Historians have differed in their views
about the Punnapra Vayalar struggle. Left parties describe
the struggle as an important land mark against authoritarian
rule. Others have portrayed it as a fight led by a leadership
with poor long term vision. Several communist leaders
were arrested and charged.
Those charged included Kumara Panikkar,
Pathrose, Kunjan, K.C.Georgge, P.G.Padmanabhan , M.N.Govindan
Nair T.V.Thomas and T.K.Divakaran. Some who were convicted
were ordered hanged. ( But a future Government would
release them.)
CP continued his repressive policies
making more arrests. Such measures caused even more
animosity towards the dewan. Some plotted to assassinate
him.
In the mean time changes were occurring
rapidly in India as a whole. Britain passed the India
independence act in 1946.India was to become independent
by august 14,1947. A temporary government came in to
existence under Pundit Nehru.
The princely states were given the
option to remain independent or join the Indian union.
Some rulers like Nysam of Hyderabad were already planning
declare independence. CP tried to follow the same route.
State Congress opposed CP's plans. Organizations like
the NSS which previously supported CP now joined hands
with Congress.
Congress was getting ready for one
final battle with CP. Students were agitating once again.
Their leaders like K.Balakrishnan and G.Ravindra Varma
were arrested. Pattam Thanu Pillai announced a march
from Ernakulam to Trivandrum. He was not arrested, but
CP's goondas disrupted the meeting.
Then one night CP was attending a concert
at the Swati Thirunal academy. There was a preplanned
power failure and a little commotion. When the lights
came on CP had been wounded with a sword. The police
turned on the city for one last time in vengeance. Either
because of the attack on his life or on account of a
meeting CP had earlier with lord Mount Britain in Delhi
CP now announced that Travancore was joining the Indian
union. On August 19, 1947 CP resigned his job and left
Travancore.
P.G.Unnithan was appointed as the new
Devan. On September 4, 1947 a royal decree was declared
that elections were to be held to form a body to draw
up a constitution for the state All eligible by age
were to be given voting rights. The elected body however
decided that since India as a whole had a constitution
Travancore need not bother to make one of it's own.
They continued as a legislative body. On March 24, 1948
by a royal decree a democratic government was created.
Pattam Thanu Pillai, C.Kesavan and T.M.Verghese were
in that ministry. Divan rule came to an end.
The Pattam ministry resigned on October 17, 1949 after
disputes about expansion. The next ministry under Paravur
T.K.Narayana Pillai was sworn in on October 22, 1949.
It included A.J.John and Dr.E.K.Madhavan Nair.
On June 8, 1949 the Indian government
hadannounced reorganization of states. Travancore was
combined to Cochin and the Travancore maharajah was
appointed as 'rajapramukhan'. The raja of Cochin was
given a pension and retired.
On July 1, 1949 the Travancore-Cochin
ministries were combined. That ministry collapsed due
to differences of opinion on February 24, 1951.In 1952
there were general elections in India. In Travancore-Cochin
no party had a majority. On March 12, 1952 after some
delays a ministry was sworn in with mr. A.J.John as
chief minister. Members were Panampilly, T.M.Verghese,
Kalathil Velayudhan Nair, V.Madhavan and Kochu KuttanAfter
sometime mr Chidambara Nadar also joined as representative
of Tamilnadu Congress. This ministry was voted out on
September 23, 1952. The 1954 elections again were inconclusive,
Pattam 's P.S.P formed a government with Congress supporting
from outside. Congress subsequently withdrew support
and the ministry collapsed. The next government was
also short lived and president's rule was declared.
On November 1, 1956 Kerala state came in to existence.
Rajapramukhan was replaced by a governor. From the old
Travancore Thovala, Agastheeswaram, Kalkkulam and Valavancode
and a part of Chenkottai went to Tamil Nadu. Malabar
and Kassergodu district of Karnataka were added to Travancore
-Cochin. Mr.B.Ramarao was appointed as the first governor.
In the first elections that followed The communists
gained a majority and the first Kerala ministry was
sworn in under the leadership of Mr.E.M.Sankaran Namputhiripad
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