Editing Travancore (section)

===The 19th and early 20th centuries===

[[File:1887 Travancore revenue stamps.jpg|thumb|A block of 1887 Travancore revenue stamps depicting [[Queen Victoria]]]]

[[File:Travancore Rupee - Reverse.jpg|thumb|Malayalam letters on old [[Travancore Rupee]] coin]]

In Travancore, the caste system was more rigorously enforced than in many other parts of India up to the mid-1800s. The hierarchical caste order was deeply entrenched in the social system and was supported by the government, which transformed this caste-based social system into a religious institution.<ref>Cf. Ward & Conner, ''Geographical and Statistical Memoir'', p. 133; V. Nagam Aiya, ''The Travancore State Manual'', Volume 2, Madras: AES, 1989 (1906), p. 72.</ref> In such a context, the belief in [[Ayyavazhi]], apart from being a religious system, served also as a reform movement in uplifting the downtrodden of society, both socially and religiously. The [[Ayyavazhi rituals|rituals of Ayyavazhi]] constituted a social discourse. Its beliefs, mode of worship, and religious organisation seem to have enabled the Ayyavazhi group to negotiate, cope with, and resist the imposition of authority.<ref>G. Patrick, Religion and Subaltern Agency, University of Madras, 2003, The Subaltern Agency in Ayyavali, p. 174.</ref> The hard tone of Vaikundar towards this was perceived as a revolution against the government.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mission.akshaya.net/dpi/ |title=Kerala State Syllabus – Text books |access-date=2011-07-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829094406/http://mission.akshaya.net/dpi/ |archive-date=29 August 2011 }}''Towards Modern Kerala, 10th Standard Text Book'', Chapter 9, p. 101. </ref> So King [[Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma]] initially imprisoned [[Vaikundar]] in the Singarathoppu jail, where the jailor Appaguru ended up as a disciple of Vaikundar. Vaikundar was later set at liberty by the King.<ref>Cf. Rev.Samuel Zechariah, ''The London Missionary Society in South Travancore'', p. 201.</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Anchal Box Perumbavoor Rest House.JPG|Travancore's postal service adopted a standard cast iron pillar box, made by Massey & Co in [[Chennai|Madras]], similar to the British [[Pillar box#Penfolds|Penfold]] model introduced in 1866. This [[Anchal post]] box is in [[Perumbavoor]].
File:Ayilyam Thirunal and Madhava Rao.JPG|[[Ayilyam Thirunal of Travancore]] ''(centre)'' with the first prince ''(left)'' and Dewan Rajah Sir [[T. Madhava Rao]] ''(right)''
File:Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.jpg|The last King of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
File:Nair pattalam cavalry.jpg|Travancore ''Nair Brigade'' in 1861
</gallery>
After the death of [[Sree Moolam Thirunal]] in 1924, [[Sethu Lakshmi Bayi]] became regent (1924–1931), as the heir apparent, Sree [[Chithira Thirunal]] was then a minor, 12 years old.<ref>{{cite book|last=A. Sreedhara|first=Menon|title=A Survey of Kerala History|pages=271–273}}</ref>

In 1935, Travancore joined the [[Imperial Service Troops|Indian State Forces Scheme]] and a Travancore unit was named [[1st Travancore Nair Infantry]], [[Travancore State Forces]]. The unit was reorganised as an [[Indian State Infantry Battalion]] by Lieutenant Colonel H S Steward, who was appointed commandant of the Travancore State Forces.<ref name="TravancoreStateForces">{{cite web|title=Travancore State Forces|url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=0Shq7wwoytm5UmTfNYDhxQ==&ParentID=X8ZXdizSqjhXDuSfL0C75Q==links/Committee/1Adminrpt1958.asp?intID=1|date=2020-04-13|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413124927/https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=0Shq7wwoytm5UmTfNYDhxQ%3D%3D&ParentID=X8ZXdizSqjhXDuSfL0C75Q%3D%3Dlinks%2FCommittee%2F1Adminrpt1958.asp%3FintID%3D1|archive-date=13 April 2020|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref>

The last ruling king of Travancore, [[Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma]], reigned from 1931 to 1949. "His reign marked revolutionary progress in the fields of education, defence, economy and society as a whole."<ref>"During his rule, the revenues of the State were nearly quadrupled from a little over Rs 21/2 crore to over Rs 91/2 crore." – 'The Story of the Integration of the Indian States' by V. P. Menon </ref> He made the famous Temple Entry Proclamation on 12 November 1936, which opened all the [[Kshetram]]s (Hindu temples in Kerala) in Travancore to backward communities. This act won him praise from across India, most notably from [[Mohandas Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]]. The first public transport system (Thiruvananthapuram–Mavelikkara) and telecommunication system (Thiruvananthapuram Palace–Mavelikkara Palace) were launched during his reign. He also started the industrialisation of the state, enhancing the role of the public sector. He introduced heavy industry in the state and established giant public sector undertakings. As many as twenty industries were established, mostly for utilizing the local raw materials such as rubber, ceramics, and minerals. A majority of the premier industries in Kerala even today, were established by Sree Chithira Thirunal. He patronized musicians, artists, dancers, and Vedic scholars. Sree Chithira Thirunal appointed, for the first time, an ''Art Advisor'' to the Government, Dr. G. H. Cousins. He also established a new form of University Training Corps, viz. ''Labour Corps'', preceding the N.C.C, in the educational institutions. The expenses of the university were to be met fully by the government. Sree Chithira Thirunal also built a beautiful palace named ''Kowdiar Palace'', finished in 1934, which was previously an old ''Naluektu'', given by Sree Moolam Thirunal to his mother Sethu Parvathi Bayi in 1915.<ref>{{cite web|last=Supreme Court|first=Of India|title=Good Governance: Judiciary and the Rule of Law|url=http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/speeches/speeches_2007/ctm.pdf|publisher=Sree Chithira Thirunal Memorial Lecture, 29 December 2007|access-date=1 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017164448/http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in/speeches/speeches_2007/ctm.pdf|archive-date=17 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="Aswathy Thirunal Gauri Lakshmi Bai">{{cite book|last=Gauri Lakshmi Bai|first=Aswathy Thirunal|title=Sree Padmanabhaswamy Kshetram|year=1998|publisher=The State Institute of Languages, Kerala|location=Thiruvananthapuram|isbn=978-81-7638-028-7|pages=242–243}}</ref><ref name="A. Sreedhara Menon">{{cite book|last=Menon|first=A. Sreedhara|title=A Survey of Kerala History|year=1967|publisher=D C Books|location=Kottayam|isbn=81-264-1578-9|page=273}}</ref>

A famine in 1943 claimed approximately 90,000 lives in Travancore.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Balasubramanian |first=Aditya |date=2023 |title=A forgotten famine of '43? Travancore's muffled 'cry of distress' |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/forgotten-famine-of-43-travancores-muffled-cry-of-distress/BB804EA24281112CC57ACAAADDB5BFD2 |journal=Modern Asian Studies |language=en |volume=57 |issue=5 |pages=1495–1529 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X21000706 |s2cid=259440543 |issn=0026-749X}}</ref>

However, his prime minister, Sir [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]], was unpopular among the communists of Travancore. The tension between the Communists and Iyer led to minor riots. In one such [[Punnapra-Vayalar uprising|riot in Punnapra-Vayalar]] in 1946, the Communist rioters established their own government in the area. This was put down by the Travancore Army and Navy. The prime minister issued a statement in June 1947 that Travancore would remain an independent country instead of joining the Indian Union; subsequently, an attempt was made on his life, following which he resigned and left for Madras, to be succeeded by Sri [[P.G.N. Unnithan]]. According to witnesses such as K.[[Aiyappan Pillai]], constitutional adviser to the Maharaja and historians like [[A. Sreedhara Menon]], the rioters and mob-attacks had no bearing on the decision of the Maharaja.<ref>Sreedhara Menon in ''Triumph & Tragedy in Travancore'' Annals of Sir C. P.'s Sixteen Years, DC Books publication</ref><ref>Aiyappan Pillai Interview to Asianet news Accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIMS_6Z_WRE</ref> After several rounds of discussion and negotiation between Sree Chithira Thirunal and [[V.P. Menon]], the king agreed that the Kingdom should accede to the Indian Union on 12 August 1947.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.abhilekh-patal.in/jspui/handle/123456789/2762946?searchWord=instrument&backquery=[query=%22instrument+of+accession%22&originalquery=&sort_by=dc.date.accessioned_dt&order=desc&rpp=20&etal=0&start=20] |title=Travancore State – Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement signed between Rama Verma, Ruler of Travancore State and the Dominion of India |publisher=Ministry of States, Government of India |year=1947 |location=New Delhi |page=3 |chapter=Instrument of Accession of His Highness the Maharajah of Travancore |access-date=31 August 2022 |url-access=registration |via=[[National Archives of India]]}}</ref> On 1 July 1949 the Kingdom of Travancore was merged with the Kingdom of Cochin and the short-lived state of [[Travancore-Cochin|Travancore-Kochi]] was formed.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kurian|first=Nimi|date=2016-06-30|title=Joining hands|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/Joining-hands/article14410304.ece|access-date=2021-07-22|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

[[File:Madras Prov South 1909.jpg|thumb|Travancore in the [[Madras Presidency]] in 1909]]

On 11 July 1991, Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal suffered a stroke and was admitted to a hospital, where he died on 20 July. He had ruled Travancore for 67 years and at his death was one of the few surviving rulers of a first-class [[princely state]] in the old [[British Raj]]. He was also the last surviving Knight Grand Commander of both the [[Order of the Star of India]] and of the [[Order of the Indian Empire]]. He was succeeded as ''head'' of the Royal House as well as the ''Titular Maharajah'' of Travancore by his younger brother, [[Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma]]. The Government of India issued a stamp on 6 Nov 1991, commemorating the reforms that marked his reign in Travancore.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gauri Lakshmi Bai|first=Aswathy Thirunal|title=Sree Padmanabha Swamy Kshetram|date=1998|publisher=The State Institute of Languages|location=Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala|isbn=978-81-7638-028-7|pages=278–282, 242–243, 250–251}}</ref>