List of Maharajas of Travancore

The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was acceded into India. Since then, the Maharaja of Travancore remains as a titular position.

Maharajas of the Kingdom of Travancore

Image	Name	Reign
	Rama Varma I	1663–1672
	Aditya Varma I	1672–1677
	Umayamma Rani[1]	1677–1684 (Regent Queen)
	Ravi Varma	1684–1718
	Aditya Varma II	1718–1719
	Unni Kerala Varma	1719–1724
	Rama Varma II	1724–1729
	Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma I	1729–1758
	Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma I (Dharma Raja)	1758–1798
	Avittom Thirunal Balarama Varma I	1798–1810
	Ayilyom Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi	1810–1813 (Queen Regnant) 1813–1815 (Regent Queen)
	Uthrittathi Thirunal Gowri Parvati Bayi	1815–1829 (Regent Queen)
	Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma II	1829–1846
	Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma II	1846–1860
	Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma III	1860–1880
	Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma IV	1880–1885
	Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma V	1885–1924
	Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi	1924–1931 (Regent Queen)
	Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma II	1931–1971

Titular Maharaja

After British India became independent as two dominions in 1947, Chithira Thirunal agreed to accede his state to the new Dominion of India. Travancore was united with the neighbouring Cochin state and Chithira Thirunal served as Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 to 31 October 1956, which was the entire duration of the existence of that political entity. On 1 November 1956, the state of Kerala was created by uniting the Malayalam-speaking areas of the Travancore-Cochin Union with those of neighbouring Madras State, and Sree Chithira Thirunal's office of Rajpramukh came to an end. On 28 December 1971, Chithira Thirunal lost his privy purse and other privileges when the Indian government derecognized the rulers of the erstwhile princely states. Since then the head of the Travancore royal family is the pretender to the abolished title. The titular Maharaja fulfils his duties as Maharaja of Travancore in rituals related to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. In 2012, the High Court of Kerala in a judgement on Mujeeba Rahman vs the State Of Kerala stated that, 'though by the 26th amendment of the Constitution, Article 363 was repealed whereby the rights and privileges of the rulers of Indian States were taken away, still the name and title of the rulers remained as such and unaffected in so far as names and titles were not contemplated as rights or privileges under the repealed Articles 291 and 362 of the Constitution.' So the titles were not abolished by the Government; only their political powers and right to receive Privy Purse were cancelled.^[2][3]

Image	Name	Period
	Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma II	1971–1991
	Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma III	1991–2013
	Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI	2013 – present

See also

• Kingdom of Travancore
• Travancore royal family
• British Raj

References

External links

• Moolam Thirunal anointed as head of Travancore royal house. 4 January 2014. Deccan Chronicle.

This page was last edited on 2 January 2024, at 18:01