Reddy Row
Encyclopedia
Reddy Row, also known as Venkata Row, was an India
n administrator who served as the Diwan of Travancore
from 1817 to 1821 and 1843 to 1845.
. When John Munro became the Diwan of Travancore in 1811, Reddy Row joined the Travancore service as accountant and helped reorganise the Accounts Department of the kingdom.
and worked on his behalf to introduce reforms. Soon after taking over, Reddy Row passed royal proclamations relieving Christians from compulsory donations towards Hindu ceremonies and exempting them from working on Sundays.He also removed restrictions on low-caste Hindus from wearing gold and silver ornaments and jewellery and introduced coffee cultivation and vaccination. However, when the princess Rukmini Bayi married in 1820, Reddy Row made lavish arrangements for the wedding and was gifted the villages of Shambhur and Vadakar in Shencottah taluk by the Rani in return. This scandalised the Travancore court and Venkata Rao
complained about the Diwan to the new resident Col. Newall thereby forcing him to resign.
When Subha Rao resigned as Diwan in 1843, his protege Krishna Row was made Acting Diwan. He was supported by the British resident at Travancore. But as the Maharaja was not satisfied with him, he expressed his opinion on Krishna Row to the Governor of Madras who instructed the appointment of Reddy Row as Diwan once again to the chagrin of the Resident.
Reddy Row served his second term as Diwan from 1843 to 1845. This period was characterized by increasing bitterness between the Maharaja and the Resident. In 1845, General Cullen allegedly engineered the downfall of the Diwan by charging him with receiving bribes and presents. An inquiry was launched in the Diwan's conduct and he was compelled to resign.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n administrator who served as the Diwan of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
from 1817 to 1821 and 1843 to 1845.
Early life
Reddy Row was born in a Thanjavur Marathi family at KumbakonamKumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
. When John Munro became the Diwan of Travancore in 1811, Reddy Row joined the Travancore service as accountant and helped reorganise the Accounts Department of the kingdom.
Diwan of Travancore
Reddy Row became the Diwan of Travancore in September 1817. He was a protege of John MunroJohn Munro
John Carr Munro, PC was a Canadian politician. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 election, and served continuously as a Member of Parliament for Hamilton, Ontario in the electoral riding of Hamilton East until his resignation in 1984, following his defeat for the...
and worked on his behalf to introduce reforms. Soon after taking over, Reddy Row passed royal proclamations relieving Christians from compulsory donations towards Hindu ceremonies and exempting them from working on Sundays.He also removed restrictions on low-caste Hindus from wearing gold and silver ornaments and jewellery and introduced coffee cultivation and vaccination. However, when the princess Rukmini Bayi married in 1820, Reddy Row made lavish arrangements for the wedding and was gifted the villages of Shambhur and Vadakar in Shencottah taluk by the Rani in return. This scandalised the Travancore court and Venkata Rao
Venkata Rao
Venkata Rao or Venkatarao is one of Indian names.* Aluru Venkata Rao, was one of the most eminent leaders of the Karnataka Ekikarana movement....
complained about the Diwan to the new resident Col. Newall thereby forcing him to resign.
When Subha Rao resigned as Diwan in 1843, his protege Krishna Row was made Acting Diwan. He was supported by the British resident at Travancore. But as the Maharaja was not satisfied with him, he expressed his opinion on Krishna Row to the Governor of Madras who instructed the appointment of Reddy Row as Diwan once again to the chagrin of the Resident.
Reddy Row served his second term as Diwan from 1843 to 1845. This period was characterized by increasing bitterness between the Maharaja and the Resident. In 1845, General Cullen allegedly engineered the downfall of the Diwan by charging him with receiving bribes and presents. An inquiry was launched in the Diwan's conduct and he was compelled to resign.