Editing Travancore (section)

===Cessation of mahādanams===

The Rajahs of Travancore had been conditionally promoted to Kshatriyahood with periodic performance of [[sixteen great gifts|16 mahādānams]] (great gifts in charity) such as [[Hiranyagarbha (donation)|Hiranya-garbhā]], Hiranya-Kāmadhenu, and Hiranyāswaratā in each of which thousands of [[Brahmins]] had been given costly gifts apart from each getting a minimum of 1 ''kazhanch'' (78.65&nbsp;gm) of gold.<ref name="ASo00">''A Social History of India''&nbsp;– Ashish Publishing House: {{ISBN|81-7648-170-X}}  (2000). {{page?|date=August 2024}}</ref> In 1848 the [[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie|Marquess of Dalhousie]], then [[Governor-General of India]], was apprised that the depressed condition of the finances in Travancore was due to the mahādanams by the rulers.<ref name="Adm88">Sadasivan, S.N., 1988, ''Administration and social development in Kerala: A study in administrative sociology'', New Delhi, Indian Institute of Public Administration</ref> Lord Dalhousie instructed [[George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris|Lord Harris]], Governor of the [[Madras Presidency]], to warn the then King of Travancore, [[Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma|Martanda Varma (Uttram Tirunal 1847–60)]], that if he did not put a stop to this practice, the Madras Presidency would take over his state's administration. This led to the cessation of the practice of mahādanams. {{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

All Travancorean Kings including [[Sree Moolam Thirunal]] conducted the ''Hiranyagarbham'' and ''Tulapurushadaanam'' ceremonies. Maharaja [[Chithira Thirunal]] was the only King of Travancore not to have conducted these rituals as he considered them extremely costly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/paramparyam/story.php?id=230343 |title=ഹിരണ്യഗര്‍ഭച്ചടങ്ങിന് ഡച്ചുകാരോട് ചോദിച്ചത് 10,000 കഴിഞ്ച് സ്വര്‍ണം KERALAM Paramparyam - Mathrubhumi Special |access-date=2014-02-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224230755/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/paramparyam/story.php?id=230343 |archive-date=24 February 2014 }} MATHRUBHUMI Paramparyam ഹിരണ്യഗര്‍ഭച്ചടങ്ങിന് ഡച്ചുകാരോട് ചോദിച്ചത് 10,000 കഴിഞ്ച് സ്വര്‍ണം – "ശ്രീമൂലംതിരുനാള്‍ വരെയുള്ള രാജാക്കന്മാര്‍ ഹിരണ്യഗര്‍ഭം നടത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ടെന്നാണ് അറിയുന്നത്. ഭാരിച്ച ചെലവ് കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് ശ്രീചിത്തിരതിരുനാള്‍ ബാലരാമവര്‍മ്മ മഹാരാജാവ് ഈ ചടങ്ങ് നടത്തിയില്ല."</ref>