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(His
highness Maharajah Swathi Thirunal was born in 1813 and succeeded to the
Travancore Throneon the attainment of his sixteenth year. His firmness
of temperament from his early years earned for him the title of Saktan
Rajah and he was, throughout his life, noted for the steadfastness of
his opinions and hisundeviating loyalty to his friends and followers.
He died before he was 34 years of age, having reigned forseventeen years.During
his life time, the British Government, in accordance with the policy then
in vogue, did theirbest to minimise the importance of the Indian States
and reduce them to a position of vassallage. Mysorewas annexed and there
was a school of thought associated with the Marquess of Wellesly which
convinceditself that complete British supremacy was alone in the interests
of the people of India and that it wasnecessary to sacrifice the Princes
for the good of the people. The era of what were called subsidiarytreaties
led inevitably to continual pinpricks and Swathi Thirunal was under constant
surveillance and heand all those who were attached to him were subject
to many humiliations. His fortitude and his unflinching constancy which
the British Administrators of those days called "foolish obstinacy"
alone enabled him topreserve his poise of mind.In spite of handicaps and
obstacles, His Highness initiated new policies and measures of wise reform.He
started the Public Library in Trivandrum and the first Munsif's Court
in Travancore; he brought intoexistence the first code of laws; he founded
the first English High School and, following the example ofseveral Hindu
and Muslim Sovereigns, he not only cultivated a taste for astronomy but
founded the firstobservatory in South India taking the advice of well-known
foreign experts. He was also responsible forthe compilation of a comprehensive
Malayalam Grammar and Dictionary. He was himself a great scholar
and his early education included instruction in English, Malayalam and
Tamil. Later, with infinite diligencehe mastered Hindi, Marathi, Canarese
and Telugu. He had as his motto the couplet from Manavollasa :
"If you hold fast to the Arts, prosperity and felicity will be yours".
In addition, he was an expertMusician and a master of poetical and musical
composition in several languages. He was mainly responsible for the introduction
of the Harikatha in South India; and, following the example the example
set by theRajahs of Tanjore, he became a patron of Dancing and Music and
Painting. Meruswami was one of thegreat musical pioneers who was invited
to stay in the Court of Swathi Thirunal and it was he who introduced North
Indian Bhajanas and Prabhata Pheris in Kerala.As already stated, the Paramount
Power was unsympathetic towards him and his own Dewanswere often more
under the influence of the British Government than of the Ruler. In these
circumstances,Music and Literature became his only solaces. He wrote on
aliteration and rhyme, he was the author ofBhaktha Manjari, Yayathicharitra,
Kuchelopakhyana and Ajamilopakhyana and he composed hymns andsongs in
Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Canarese, Hindustani and Manipravala (an amalgam
of Sanskrit andMalayalam). He was the author of literally hundreds of
Kirtanams. They were his chosen musical vehicleand he also composed hymns
and song recitals for the Navarathri and other festivals in the Padmanabhaswamy
temple. Vadivelu Nattuvan was also included in his entourage and Kathakali
waspopularised through him. In addition he was catholic in his tastes
and in his admiration and encouragementof savants outside his State like
Thyagaraja. In his appreciation of masters of Hindusthani music likeSulaiman
Sahib, he displayed a wide-ranging appreciation which has had few equals
even in India, the land of toleration.
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