Kerala PSC - Swathi Thirunal (1829-1847)

• The reign of Swathi Thirunal was a 'Golden Age' in the history of modern Travancore.


• He was called by his subjects Garbha Sriman, i.e., one who was the sovereign even from his birth.


• The Raja was a great scholar and multilinguist, a musician and musical composer of rare talents.


• Meru Swamy, Shadkala Govinda Marar, Vativelu, Ponnayya, Chinnayya, Sivanandhan were belonged to the court of him.


• He reformed the judicial system by opening Munsiff's courts for the disposal of petty civil and police cases.


• A code of regulations framed on the British Indian Model was issued in 1835.


• The 'Suchindram Kaimukku' or ordeal of boiling ghee was stopped by Swathi Thirunal.


• He was started the Nair Brigade system.


• The Huzur Cutchery and other public offices were shifted from Quilon to Trivandrum in order to enable the Raja to bestow his personal attention on the administration of the state.


• An English school was opened at Trivandrum in 1834 and it was converted into Raja's Free School in 1836. District schools were also opened simultaneously as feeds to this central institution.


• The Trivandrum Observatory was opened in 1836.


• A charity hospital was also set up at the capital.


• A department of Engineering was specially set up to attend the works of public utility. An Irrigation Maramath Department was organised to attend to irrigation works in Nanjanad.


• The census of the population of the state was taken in 1836 with the help of Tahsildars.


• He also started a revenue survey in 1837 AD.


• Irayimman Tampi, (who adorned Swathi Tirunal's Court) author of three well known Attakathas an most popular of his literary compositions was the 'Tarattu' (lullaby) beginning with Omanatingal Kidavo.


• Sankara Joshier (1790-1858), a high official under Swathi Tirunal. He translated Devi Bhagavatam (Sanskrit work) into Malayalam. But this work was completed by his son Attukal Sankara Pillai.

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