Line of succession to the former throne of Travancore

The line of succession to the former throne of Travancore, a major Indian salute state, is notable for utilising a combination of matrilineal agnatic seniority and matrilineal agnatic primogeniture. The heir apparent is styled "Maharajkumar Sri (name) (personal name), Elaya Raja of Travancore." The monarchy was abolished in 1949, when the state fully acceded to India.[1]

Succession

The royal family utilises an ancient Nair principle of matrilineal succession, known as Marumakkathayam, which proceeds as follows:

  1. The younger brothers of the Maharaja in order of age, and of the same mother.
  2. The nephews of the Maharaja through his sisters, in order of age; the sons of elder sisters succeed before those of younger sisters.
  3. The maternal first cousins of the Maharaja, from his eldest maternal aunt.
  4. The sons of the daughters of the eldest maternal aunt of the Maharaja, in order of age; the sons of elder daughters succeed before those of younger sisters.

As per the above principle of succession, the sons of a Maharaja or of those in the line of succession cannot succeed to the throne, nor, if those children bear sons, can those sons be in the line of succession. If the matriline fails, as happened in 1798 and 1924, daughters from another matriline can be adopted to continue the succession.[1]

Present line of succession

  • Bhagirathi Bayi Kockupangi Amma Tampuratti [Pooruruttati Nal] (d. November 1891) m. 1866, Raja Ravi Varma Avargal (1848–1906), the famed Indian painter and portraitist.
    • Mahaprabha Amma Tampuratti [Ayilyam Nal] (1872–1919). m. Kerala Varma Avargal [Kuttan Koil Pandala], Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur (1867–1926)
      • Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi [Pooratam Tirunal], Senior Maharani and Regent of Travancore (1895–1985; Maharani Regent of Travancore: 1924–1931) m. 1906, Rama Varma Avargal [Makayiram Nal], Valia Koil Tampuran of Harippad (1889–1975)
        • Princess Lalithamba Bayi [Uthram Tirunal] [Mrs Kerala Varma] (1923-2008) m. M.R.Ry. Sri Kerala Varma Avargal [Uttritathi Nal], Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur
          • Princess Rukmini Bayi [Bharani Tirunal] (born 1940), m. M.R.Ry. Sri P.R. Devi Prasad Varma, of Poonjar
            • (7) Venugopal Varma (born 1960?)
            • (8) Jayagopal Varma [Jay Varma] (born 1961)
          • Princess Uma Bayi [Bharani Tirunal] (born 1941), m. M.R.Ry. Sri Goda Varma Raja, of the Poonjar Royal House
            • (9) Rajeev Varma
            • (10) Pradeep Varma
            • Radhika Varma, m. Tosher Hormusjee
              • (11) Zoish Hormusjee
          • Princess Parvati Bayi [Rohini Tirunal] (born 1943), m. Prince Ravi T. Varma, a member of the Royal Family of Cochin
            • (12) Mahendra Varma
            • (13) Vijendra Varma
            • Sandhya Varma, m. Sri Sankaran Namboodiri, of Cherkulam Mana, Thrissur
              • (14) Rahul Sankaran
          • Princess Lakshmi Bayi [Makham Tirunal] [Dr. Lakshmi Raghunandan] (born 1946), m. Sri R.V. Raghunandan, of the Cochin Royal Family
            • Nandita Raghunandan, m. Sri Sanal Kumar, of the Poonjar Royal House
              • (15) Aditya
              • (16) Mihir
          • Princess Ambika Bayi [Tiruvadira Tirunal] (born 1951), m. Sri K.M.K. Varma, from the Kilimanoor Royal House
            • (17) Ajith Varma
          • (6) Prince Bala Gopal Varma [Revati Tirunal] (born 1953)
          • Princess Devika Bayi [Pooram Tirunal] (born 1962), m. Radhakrishnan A Ramavarma, of the Cochin Royal Family
            • (18) Arjun Radhakrishnan
            • (19) Arvind Radhakrishnan
            • (20) Arun Radhakrishnan
        • Princess Indira Bayi [Kartika Tirunal] (born 1926)
          • (21) Prince Sri Kumar Varma [Punartham Tirunal] (born 1955)
    • Bhagirathi Bayi Uma Kochukunji Amma Tampuratti [Tiruvadira Nal], of the Utsavamadom branch of the Mavelikara Royal House (born 1878). m. Paliyakkara Kizhakkekottarathil Thiruvonnam Kerala Varma [Bhagavan Ammavan] (d. before 1959)
      • Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi [Mulam Tirunal], Junior Maharani of Travancore (1896–1983). m. 1907, Ravi Varma Avargal [Thiruvathira Nal], Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, a grandnephew of Raja Ravi Varma.
      • Srimati Rajamma Amma Tampuratti [Makayiram Tirunal] [Rari Tampuratti], of the Utsavamadom branch of the Mavelikara Royal House (1914-2009) m. M.R.Ry. Sri Chembrol Kottarathil Kerala Varma [Revathi Nal] (d. 1967)
        • (4) M.R.Ry. Sri R.P. Varma.
        • (5) M.R.Ry. Sri Rama Varma.

[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Buyers, Christopher. "TRAVANCORE-India/SALUTE STATES-royalark.net". Retrieved 27 December 2015.
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