A Revised and Enlarged Account of the Bobbili Zemindari/Chapter 10

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A Revised and Enlarged Account of the Bobbili Zemindari
by Venkata Ranga Rao

X. Rajah Sitarama Kristna Rayadappa Ranga-Rao Bahadur Garu

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2381702A Revised and Enlarged Account of the Bobbili Zemindari — X. Rajah Sitarama Kristna Rayadappa Ranga-Rao Bahadur GaruVenkata Ranga Rao

X.
Rajah Sitarama Kristna Rayadappa Ranga-Rao Bahadur Garu.
1863—1868.

Rajah Sitarama Kristna Rayadappa Ranga-Rao was born on the 15th September, 1845, at Pittapur. He had not attained his majority by a few months when his adoptive father died, but the Government did not bring the estate under the Court of Wards for this short period. He was a strict disciplinarian, and ruled only for five years. During this period he continued and enlarged the good works of his father; and amongst other things established the Anglo-Vernacular School at Bobbili in 1864. He visited Lord Napier at Bimilipatam. He married his paternal aunt's daughter of the Inuganti family. He died on the 17th May, 1868.

His Wife, Rani Lakshmi Chellayamma Bahadur Garu.

After her husband's death, the management of the Zemindari devolved on her. She had, for her Dewan, Inuganti Sitaramaswamy Garu, Proprietor of Siripuram, a man of ability, who had also been Dewan during the time of her father-in-law. She began to build the new palace, the old palace being considered inauspicious. When famine was raging in Bengal in 1873, she sent there, for the relief of the sufferers, about 40,000 Bengal maunds of paddy, valued at Rs.50,000, for which the Governments of India and Madras, in their Proceedings, dated 6th December, 1873, and 5th January, 1874, were pleased to praise her greatly for her liberality. In December, 1875, when His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, now King-Emperor, visited Madras, she sent her Dewan there as her representative, and had the honour to receive a medal from His Royal Highness. The Government showed their appreciation of her charitable acts by conferring on her the title of Rani, as a personal distinction, in February, 1876. The following is the substance of the letter, dated 22nd July, 1876, addressed to the Rani by the Acting Agent to the Governor in connection with the help she rendered to the Government in the quelling of a rebellion that had broken out at Bastar.

"Madam,

I am directed by the Government to communicate to you their thanks for the assistance you rendered to them in the march of an army for the crushing of the rebellion that recently broke out in Bastar, and for other convenient arrangements that you made for them in that connection. 1 have, therefore, gladly communicated the matter to you and enclosed an extract from the order."

(Signed)
Acting Agent to the Governor.

Office of Governor's

Agent,

22nd July, 1876.

Extract from the Proceedings of the Madras

Government, Judicial Department, 26th June,

1876, No. 1279.

"Mr. Goodrich will also convey to His Highness the Maharajah of Vizianagaram and to the Rani of Bobbili the thanks of Government for the assistance and facilities they afforded to the movements of the troops on the late occasion."

(True Extract).

(Signed)
Acting Agent to the Governor.

Copy of a letter from Mr. Garstin, the Governor's

Agent, to the Rani of Bobbili.

"Madam,

Mr. Fraser, the Assistant Agent, has communicated to me that, in immediate response to his request, you despatched to Pachipenta fifty of your sepoys at a time when the Police were absent from that station. I am much obliged to you for your timely help."

(Signed) J. H. GARSTIN,
Agent to the Governor

Office of the Governor's Agent,

Vizagapatam district,

Camp Madageda,

31st March, 1880.

In the year 1871 the Rani adopted, under the authority of her husband, the third son of Rajah Sarvagnya Kumarayachendra Bahadur Garu (27th generation of the Venkatagiri family), the Rajah of Venkatagiri, C.S.I., and during the minority of her son she continued the management of the estate, and had him educated under a European tutor, Mr. J. Marsh, now Dr. Marsh. She died on the 7th May 1887.