Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma

Chithria Thurunal Balarama Varma is the current Maharajah of Travancore since his accession to the throne in 1919 when he was a young boy. Due to this his father the Satrap of Travancore and his mother ruled as regents as they handled affairs with their master state of the Indo-Persian Empire. After his formal crowning as Maharajah of Travancore.

## History

### Early Life

Sree Chithira Thirunal was the eldest son of Sethu Parvathi Bayi, popularly known as "Amma Maharani", the Queen Mother and Junior Maharani of Travancore, by her consort, Ravi Varma Kochu Koyi Thampuran of Royal House of Kilimanoor, a Sanskrit scholar and the great-nephew of the celebrated painter Raja Ravi Varma. He was born on Deepavali day on 7 November 1912, as the *Heir Apparent* to the throne of Travancore. His siblings were Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi and Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Sree Chithira Thirunal's mother, Sethu Parvathi Bayi, was distantly related, by birth, to the royal house of Travancore in the direct female line. In 1900, following the absence of heirs in the Travancore Royal Family, she had been adopted by her maternal great-aunt. According to the matrilineal traditions of the Travancore Royal Family, Sree Chithira Thirunal, at the time of his birth, was proclaimed the Heir Apparent of Travancore with the title of : *Sree Padmanabhadasa Maharajkumar Sree Balarama Varma II, Elaya Rajah (Crown Prince) of Travancore*.

### Conquest by Reza Shah

Reza Shah conquered Travancore with ease due to the fact he had help from Mysore and Travancore's neighbors. Due to this Reza replaced the Maharajah, Sree Chithira Thirunal's uncle and replaced him with the boy himself. The boy's father, Ravi Varma Kochu Koyi Thampuran was elected Satrap of the Country.

### Regency

His father as Satrap and his mother Sethu Parvathi Bayi ruled Travancore as regents since the boy was young. The regency was troubled due to criticism against Reza Shah in Persia for appointing the boy because rumors were spread about him that he was not mentally stable and hence not qualified to occupy the throne. His mother, Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi, contacted Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, a family friend, who then presented Sree Chithira Thirunal's case to the Prime Minister of India Muhammad Ali Jinnah who then sent a plea to Prince Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma to allow the boy to ascend to the throne. Farman Farma allowed to happen.

### Ascension to the Throne

Sree Chithira Thirunal attained full ruling powers on 6 November 1931, with the title : *Major General His Highness Sree Padmanabhadasa Vanchipala Sree Chithira Thirunal Sir Balarama Varma II, Manney Sultan Maharajah Raja Ramaraja Bahadur, Shamsher Jang, Maharajah of Travancore, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire*. As was customary, he took the regnal name *Sree Chithira Thirunal* as he was born under the *Chithira nakshatram* or star. ln his speech, after assuming full power as the *Maharajah of Travancore*, he declared : "It is my hope that I shall be enabled by God’s grace to earn the affection and esteem of all communities and classes amongst my people whose advancement in every department of life will be my perpetual pre-occupation and my sole aim."

## Marriage

He married in the year of 1932 to Princess Maryam Farman Farmaian (b. 1914) and they have one son.

* Mohammad Ravi Varma, Duke of Kilimanoor (b. 1933)

Even though he has a son, Chithria Thurunal Balarama Varma's heir is still his brother Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma due to the Marumakkathayam law of matriarchy in which the Maharajah was succeeded not by his own children but by his brother or the children of his sisters.