Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Sri Rama Varma XV (1852–1932), known as the Rajarshi of

Cochin Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...

and as Ozhinja Valiya Thampuran (

Abdicated Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other soci ...

Highness), was the ruler of the

Kingdom of Cochin The kingdom of Cochin or the Cochin State, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It originated in the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until i ...

from 1895 to 1914.

Reign

In 1897, Rama Varma was appointed by

British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

as a

Knight Commander Knight Commander (or Dame Commander) is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant (and one of them continues as a German house order). The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the rec ...

of the

Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander ( GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(KCSI). He was the ruler when

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

visited kingdom of Cochin in 1900. In January 1903 he attended the

Delhi Durbar The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by Britain at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was he ...

to commemorate the accession to the throne of King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, and he received the

Delhi Durbar Medal Delhi Durbar Medals were instituted by the British Raj, United Kingdom to commemorate the Delhi Durbar where the new Emperor of India was proclaimed, in 1903 for Edward VII, and in Delhi Durbar Medal (1911), 1911 for George V. On both occasions t ...

. In the accompanying

1903 Durbar Honours The 1903 New Year Honours, announced at the time as the Durbar Honours, were appointments to various orders and honours of the United Kingdom and British India. The list was announced on the day of the 1903 Delhi Durbar held to celebrate the suc ...

he was promoted by British government as a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI). In 1906, Rama Varma visited

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and

Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...

in Madras and later received a return visit from them. Rama Varma abdicated the throne in 1914. He died in January 1932 at his summer residence in

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

. He was cremated with full state honours in the premises of his home. Both his palace and resting place are now situated in the premises of

Sree Kerala Varma College Sree Kerala Varma College is a government-aided higher education institution located in Kanattukara, Thrissur, Kerala, India. Established in 1947, the college was founded by Aikya Keralam Thampuran, the Maharaja of the former Kingdom of Cochi ...

, made by and named after Kerala Varma VII. His name was given to several educational institutions in the

Cochin state The kingdom of Cochin or the Cochin State, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It originated in the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until ...

like the one in

Vadavucode Vadavucode is a village in the Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India near the town of Puthencruz. It is one of the local and Developing Village Near Puthencruz Town. Vadavucode plays a pivotal role in connecting the two villages of Ka ...

named Rajarshi Memorial Higher Secondary school Vadavucode and Rajarshi Memorial Higher Secondary school, Alloor.

Personal life

Statue of Rama Varma XV at Subhash Park Ernakulam

Rama Varma XV had married twice, his first marriage did not last for long due to the death of his wife. His second wife was Ittyanath Madathil Parukutty a member of the Ittyanath Family from Villadam, Thrissur. Parukutty was his Nethyaramma there after. He also happens to be the step father of Ittyanath Madathil Madhavi (wife of

Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran Darsanakalanidhi Parikshith Thampuran (died 1964) was the last official ruler of the Cochin princely state. Since his father did not have any official heir to the throne, he wished for a son. As per localites he was born after several Yanjnas ...

). Parukutty was a widow herself before her marriage to Rama Varma XV and had a girl child from that marriage. As it's a custom then to leave children from earlier marriage at one's ancestral home Parukutty did the same after her marriage to Rama Varma XV. Upon her arrival at the Palace in Tripunithura, Rama Varma XV enquired about the child. When he heard about the child from Parukutty, he ordered that the child should be brought to the Palace at once. Later this child was destined to become a Nethyaramma herself after her marriage to

References

* {{authority control 1932 deaths 1852 births Indian knights 19th-century Indian monarchs Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Rulers of Cochin Monarchs who abdicated 20th-century Indian monarchs Indian Sanskrit scholars 19th-century Indian educational theorists 20th-century Indian educational theorists Scholars from Kerala