A Revised and Enlarged Account of the Bobbili Zemindari/Chapter 11

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

XI. Maha-Rajah Sir Venkata Sweta Chalapati Ranga-Rao Bahadur, K.C.I.E.

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2381751A Revised and Enlarged Account of the Bobbili Zemindari — XI. Maha-Rajah Sir Venkata Sweta Chalapati Ranga-Rao Bahadur, K.C.I.E.Venkata Ranga Rao

XI.

Maha-Rajah Sir Venkata Sweta Chalapati Ranga-Rao Bahadur, K.C.I.E.

The *^[1]Maha-Rajah was born on the 28th August, 1862, and was adopted by the late Rani of Bobbili at Venkatagiri in 1871. He came to Bobbili from Venkatagiri in December 1872. His first teachers were two native gentlemen. He was under their instruction for some years, and afterwards was under the tuition of J. Marsh, Esq., for three and a half years. His Sanskrit teacher was Susurla Sitaramasastri, a well-known pundit of these parts. Besides instruction in the usual course of studies, the Rajah received many useful lessons on morality and other subjects from these two teachers. He attended the Durbar held in 1877 at Vizagapatam in honour of Her Majesty Queen Victoria assuming the title of EMPRESS OF INDIA, and at this Durbar he and the late Maharajah, then the Kumar Raja, of Vizianagaram, were the only natives that were seated on the dais with the European officials. Happily, at this Durbar, the subsequent heads of the two rival houses of Vizianagaram and Bobbili introduced themselves to each other for the first time.

In 1878 he went to Venkatagiri to attend the installation of his eldest brother, the present Rajah. It is a very happy event to note here that the three brothers, the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th, given in adoption to the families of Pittapur, Bobbili, and Jetprole respectively, came together there for the first time after their adoption. Here he shot his first tiger. In 1880, his first wife, whom he married in 1878, gave birth to a son, the Kumara Rajah, but, sad to say, died of puerperal fever a few days after his birth. The Kumara Rajah was born on the 28th March, 1880. His name is Rajah Venkata Kumara Kristna Ranga-Rao Bahadur.

In the latter part of the Rajah's minority, some misunderstandings arose between his adoptive mother and himself. Mr. Garstin, the then Collector of Vizagapatam, tried his best to make a compromise between them; but before it could be effected, he was appointed a Member of the Board of Revenue. Then the Hon'ble Mr. Carmichael, who was sent as a Special Commissioner in connection with the Rumpa Rebellion, while staying at Waltair, succeeded in bringing about an amicable settlement. Though he attained his majority on the 28th August, 1880, he did not take over the management of the Zemindari till the 18th July, 1881, after the compromise was made, at which time the cash balance was only Rs. 140-15-0 in addition to Government Paper worth Rs.2,75,000 acquired by his adoptive father, while the liabilities were Rs. 46,000. He assigned to his adoptive mother, for life, the estate of Karakavalsa and some other villages yielding annually Rs.60,000. The installation ceremony took place on the 30th November. His brother, the present Rajah of Venkatagiri, came and attended it, and Mr. Turner, the then Collector, led the Rajah to his Gaddi. A few days prior to this ceremony, the Rajah married his first wife's sister, as the custom, in general, prohibits a widower from ascending the Gaddi.

In 1882 he raised the Bobbili Middle School to the standard of a High School; gave up the salary grant-in-aid which the School was receiving from the Government; founded a Poor House, called the Samasthanam Poor House, for the lame, the blind, and other decrepit persons, and established a Sabha called 'Budhanandini' for the discussion of subjects relating to religion, morality, science, &c. He made a pilgrimage to Tirupati and visited Venkatagiri and Madras.