Bruce's Code
Encyclopedia
Bruce's Code is a set of rules for the management and administration of temples of Tirumala and Tirupati
including the servants, enacted by East India Company
in 1821 A.D.
These were the well-defined rules formulated as a code having 42 provisions to ease the administration of temples of Tirumala and Tirupati on the basis of customs and previous usages without interfering in the day-to-day affairs.
(government
) by organising the income of the temple to prevent misappropriation and mismanagement of temple funds through systematic administration.
empires by 17th century A.D, the temples of Tirumala and Tirupati came under the muslim
rulers between 17th century A.D and 18th century A.D. With the arrival of britishers, the management of temples were transferred from Nawabs of Arcot to East India Company
in 1801 A.D.
During the reign of the Nawabs of Arcot, the net income of the temple was appreciated by the secular authorities for their own functioning by depriving the temple lands from the non-hindu rulers either through self aggrandizement or through alienation of certain hereditary servants of
the temple in order to ensure permanency of service in the temple. Consequent to the death of Chanda Shahib
, the then Nawab of Arcot
, britisher's installed Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
as Nawab of Arcot serving as vassal
of the british
. Consequently, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
along with his successors ran into enormous debts to britishers. Nawabs of Arcot assigned the revenues of the temples to the East India Company
to enable them recoup its expenditure incurred as a loan to the Nawab of Arcot, in spite of temple along with Paragana of Tirupati was held as property of Nawabs of Arcot nominally.
After the establishment of Board of Revenue
at Forte St.George in 1789, East India Company
took over the management of temple from Nawabs of Arcot to generate fixed revenue per annum to the circar
by organising the income of the temple. By 1801 A.D, the British East India Company
dispossessed the Nawabs of Arcot, annexed Arcot into their domain and whereby assumed the direct administration of the Tirupati temples for the sake of income of the temple.
In 1803, the then Collector of Chittor, within which Tirupati district is situated had sent a report to the board of revenues showing the full account of the institution, togeather with schedules, pujas, expenses, and extent of lands etc., known as "Statton's Report" on the tirupati Pagoda. These reports though small are in the same lines as the earliest report submitted to the british government on Jagannath Temple by "Grome" and "Garrett". British rulers used "Statton's Report" to control and manage the institution till a set of rules for the management of the temple and the servants, were framed in 1821 A.D known as "Bruce's Code".
Between 1805-16, due to many instances and complaints about misappropriation and mismanagement of Tirumala and Tirupati
temple funds were brought to the notice of board, the British East India Company passed the Regulation VII of 1817 to check the abuses. Through the regulation provided, the duty of the board was only "general superintendence and not detailed management". However, the Board interfered in almost all aspects of the administration of the Tirumala and Tirupati temple. Bruce, the then Commissioner of the chittoor
district formulated a Code containing 42 provisions, known as "Bruce's code" for the guidance of the Tirumala and Tirupati
temple administration.
This interference continued till the "Court of Directors" in England
strongly resented the participation of the Company's officers and men in the idolatry conducted in Hindu
temples by reason of its management of these religious institutions and ordered its relinquishment of their administration of religious endowments. It came into effect in 1842-43 A.D, in the early years of the reign of Queen Victoria.
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
including the servants, enacted by East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1821 A.D.
These were the well-defined rules formulated as a code having 42 provisions to ease the administration of temples of Tirumala and Tirupati on the basis of customs and previous usages without interfering in the day-to-day affairs.
Purpose
The objective of the Britishers in taking over Tirupati temples was to generate fixed revenue to the CircarCircar
The Northern Circars was a former division of British India's Madras Presidency, which consisted of a narrow slip of territory lying along the western side of the Bay of Bengal from 15° 40' to 20° 17' north latitude, in the present-day Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa...
(government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
) by organising the income of the temple to prevent misappropriation and mismanagement of temple funds through systematic administration.
History
After the fall of HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
empires by 17th century A.D, the temples of Tirumala and Tirupati came under the muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rulers between 17th century A.D and 18th century A.D. With the arrival of britishers, the management of temples were transferred from Nawabs of Arcot to East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1801 A.D.
During the reign of the Nawabs of Arcot, the net income of the temple was appreciated by the secular authorities for their own functioning by depriving the temple lands from the non-hindu rulers either through self aggrandizement or through alienation of certain hereditary servants of
the temple in order to ensure permanency of service in the temple. Consequent to the death of Chanda Shahib
Chanda Shahib
Chanda Shahib was the Nawab of the Carnatic between 1749 and 1752. His birth name is Husayn Dost Khan. He was the son-in-law of the Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, under whom he worked as a Dewan. He came from the Nait community which had ruled the Carnatic under Aurangzeb...
, the then Nawab of Arcot
Nawab of the Carnatic
Nawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
, britisher's installed Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was the Nawab of Arcot in India and an ally of the British East India Company. Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was born to Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, by his second wife, Fakhr un-nisa Begum Sahiba, was a niece of Sayyid Ali Khan Safavi ul-Mosawi of Persia, sometime Naib suba...
as Nawab of Arcot serving as vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of the british
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Consequently, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was the Nawab of Arcot in India and an ally of the British East India Company. Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was born to Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, by his second wife, Fakhr un-nisa Begum Sahiba, was a niece of Sayyid Ali Khan Safavi ul-Mosawi of Persia, sometime Naib suba...
along with his successors ran into enormous debts to britishers. Nawabs of Arcot assigned the revenues of the temples to the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
to enable them recoup its expenditure incurred as a loan to the Nawab of Arcot, in spite of temple along with Paragana of Tirupati was held as property of Nawabs of Arcot nominally.
After the establishment of Board of Revenue
Board of Revenue
The Board of Revenue was a Colonial British institution and part of the British Raj in India. It provided the crucial role of revenue management during the period when the British East India Company ruled.It was a creation of the East India Company in 1781.The Board of Revenue was formed to help...
at Forte St.George in 1789, East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
took over the management of temple from Nawabs of Arcot to generate fixed revenue per annum to the circar
Circar
The Northern Circars was a former division of British India's Madras Presidency, which consisted of a narrow slip of territory lying along the western side of the Bay of Bengal from 15° 40' to 20° 17' north latitude, in the present-day Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa...
by organising the income of the temple. By 1801 A.D, the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
dispossessed the Nawabs of Arcot, annexed Arcot into their domain and whereby assumed the direct administration of the Tirupati temples for the sake of income of the temple.
In 1803, the then Collector of Chittor, within which Tirupati district is situated had sent a report to the board of revenues showing the full account of the institution, togeather with schedules, pujas, expenses, and extent of lands etc., known as "Statton's Report" on the tirupati Pagoda. These reports though small are in the same lines as the earliest report submitted to the british government on Jagannath Temple by "Grome" and "Garrett". British rulers used "Statton's Report" to control and manage the institution till a set of rules for the management of the temple and the servants, were framed in 1821 A.D known as "Bruce's Code".
Between 1805-16, due to many instances and complaints about misappropriation and mismanagement of Tirumala and Tirupati
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
temple funds were brought to the notice of board, the British East India Company passed the Regulation VII of 1817 to check the abuses. Through the regulation provided, the duty of the board was only "general superintendence and not detailed management". However, the Board interfered in almost all aspects of the administration of the Tirumala and Tirupati temple. Bruce, the then Commissioner of the chittoor
Chittoor
Chittoor also known as Chittur, is a City and municipal corporation located in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is conveniently located on major highways linking the cities of Bangalore and Chennai....
district formulated a Code containing 42 provisions, known as "Bruce's code" for the guidance of the Tirumala and Tirupati
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
temple administration.
This interference continued till the "Court of Directors" in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
strongly resented the participation of the Company's officers and men in the idolatry conducted in Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temples by reason of its management of these religious institutions and ordered its relinquishment of their administration of religious endowments. It came into effect in 1842-43 A.D, in the early years of the reign of Queen Victoria.
External links
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2418/stories/20070921507609300.htm
- http://blog.offstumped.in/2010/08/18/laissez-faire-for-our-temples/
- http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:C9Ie7QfG-v8J:www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2418/stories/20070921507609300.htm+%22ttd+act%22+1932&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
- A Comparative Study – Lord Jagannath Temple and T.T. Devasthanam
- As to the medieval history of the TTD with the advent of the British, the management of the temple of Lord Venkateswara had passed into the hands of the East India Company in 1801