Raja Sri Brahdamba Dasa Raja Ramachandra Tondaiman Bahadur (20 October 1829 – 15 April 1886) was the ruler of princely state of Pudukkottai from 13 July 1839 to 15 April 1886.
| Ramachandra Tondaiman | |
|---|---|
 Seated in his palace, 1858 | |
| Raja of Pudukkottai | |
| Reign | 13 July 1839 – 15 April 1886 |
| Coronation | 13 July 1839 |
| Predecessor | Raghunatha Tondaiman II |
| Successor | Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman |
| Born | 20 October 1829 Pudukkottai, Pudukkottai state |
| Died | 15 April 1886 (aged 56) Pudukkottai |
| Issue | Kamalambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib, Mangalambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib, Sivarama Raghunatha Tondaiman, Brihadambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib |
| House | Pudukottai |
| Father | Raghunatha Tondaiman |
| Mother | Rani Kamalambal Ayi Sahib |
Early life
editRamachandra Tondaiman was born in Pudukkottai on 20 October 1829 to Raghunatha Tondaiman, the Raja of Pudukkottai kingdom and his second wife, Rani Kamalambal Ayi Sahib.[citation needed] He was educated in private and succeeded to throne at the age of nine on the death of his father with the British political agent at Pudukkottai acting as the regent.[citation needed]
Reign
editPudukkottai was administered by a regent in the early years of Ramachandra's reign. Soon after his accession, Ramachandra was awarded the style of "His Excellency" by the British government.[citation needed] In 1844, Ramachandra, formally, assumed control of the government.[citation needed]
Ramachandra's administration was allegedly marked by extravagance and financial mismanagement.[1] He was punished by the British government who twice revoked the permission to use the style "His Excellency" in 1859 and 1873.[citation needed] In 1878, at the advice of Sir T. Madhava Rao, the Madras government appointed A. Seshayya Sastri, former Diwan of Travancore as the Diwan of Pudukkottai.[1] Sastri reformed the administration and rebuilt the city of Pudukkottai as per modern principles of town planning. The Pudukulam and Pallavankulam tanks in the city were renovated and a Post and Telegraph Office was inaugurated in 1884.[1] At Sastri's suggestion, Ramachandra renovated many Hindu temples in the state. In 1881, Ramachandra officially adopted the hereditary title "Brihadambadas" with the consent of Sastri.[2]
Ramachandra was awarded the style "His Highness" on 16 May 1884 along with an 11-gun salute.[citation needed] He was awarded the Prince of Wales medal in 1875 and the Empress of India Medal in gold in 1877.[citation needed]
Family
edit
Ramachandra Tondaiman married Rani Brihadambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib on 13 June 1845.[citation needed] The couple had two daughters.
- Kamalambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib (d. 24 January 1903)
- Mangalambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib (d. 1873)
Ramachandra married for a second time, to Janaki Subbammal, the eldest daughter of the zamindar of Neduvasal on 31 August 1848.[citation needed] The couple had a son and a daughter
- Sivarama Raghunatha Tondaiman (died 1867)
- Brihadambal Rajammani Bayi Sahib (1852–1903)
Since Sivarama Raghunatha Tondaiman, Ramachandra Tondaiman's only son predeceased him, Ramachandra adopted Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman, son of his daughter Brihadambal, and designated him heir-apparent to the throne.[citation needed]
Patronage of music
editRamachandra Tondaiman patronised music and organised Carnatic music concerts in his palace.[3] Ramachandra Tondaiman, himself, was a prolific composer and set his drama Kuruvaji Nataka to music and had it enacted at the Viralimalai Murugan temple.[4]
Notes
edit- ^ a b c "The architect of Pudukkottai". The Hindu. 9 April 2000. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Waghorne, Joanne Punzo (1989). "From Robber Baron to Royal Servant?". In Alf Hiltebeitel (ed.). Criminal Gods and Demon Devotees: Essays on the Guardians of Popular Hinduism. SUNY PRESS. pp. 405–426. ISBN 0-88706-981-9.
- ^ Kuppuswamy, Gowri; Hariharan, Muthuswamy (1982). Glimpses of Indian music. Sundeep. p. 79.
- ^ Rajagopalan, N. (1992). "Cradles of Music II". Another Garland: Biographical Dictionary of Carnatic Composers & Musicians, Book II. Carnatic Classicals. pp. 77–78.