Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju
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Sir Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju
Family
The House of
In 529 A.D., his Madhava Varma marched with four clans into the Deccan, and conquered the territory from Ramnad to Kataka. He established a capital in Bezawada, before transferring it to Vijayanagaram. The Pusapati family reigned over this kingdom for 921 years. In 1512, they were subjected by Sultan Quli Qutb Shah of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The Pusapatis were appointed as the subahdars of the Rajahmundry Circar. MughalEmperor Aurangzeb confirmed the subahdar in his office and gifted him two-edged sword (zulfikar), which remains in the coat-of-arms of the family.
In 1817, Ananda Gajapati Raju's father handed over a part of his estate to the Madras Presidency to clear his debt of ₹200,000 (equivalent to ₹140 million or US$1.7 million in 2023). In 1827, he again made over his estate and died at Banaras, leaving a debt of ₹1,100,000 (equivalent to ₹740 million or US$8.9 million in 2023). His successor, Maharajah Vijayarama Gajapati Raju III, was recognized in the room of his father in 1845 and had several honors conferred on him by the British Raj. Lord Northbrook obtained for him the title of His Highness, and had his name enrolled among those of chiefs entitled to return visits from the Viceroy. He was clear of debt.
The Rajahs of Vizianagaram obtained the title of 'Gajapathi' by right of conquest after the battle of Nandapur in the northern circars against Balaram Dev III of Jeypore Kingdom in the sixteenth century.
Ananda Gajapati was the second of the three children, born to Maharajah Vijayarama Gajapati Raju. Narayana Gajapati (February 10, 1850–September 29, 1863) was his elder brother and Appala Kondayamba (February 16, 1859–December 14, 1912) was his younger sister. She married Maharaj Kumar Singh, cousin and heir apparent of H.H. Maharajah of Rewah.
Noble scion of a Noble house
Ananda Gajapati learnt Sanskrit under the guidance of eminent scholars, like Bhagavathula Hari Sastry, Mysore Bhimacharyulu and Mudumbai Narasimha Swamy. Major Thomson and Lingam Lakshmoji taught him English. He was proficient in Latin and French.
During the rule of Maharajah Ananda Gajapati, education, literature and music received a tremendous fillip and
Maharajah Ananda Gajapati had been acclaimed throughout the
Satavadhani Chellapilla wrote and published an essay in Krishna Patrika in 1941 about the Vizianagaram Samsthanam. Ananda Gajapati revered tradition and exerted himself to the utmost to uphold and maintain it. His court was a regular meeting ground for men of varied attainments. His patronage of scholars, poets, literature and artists are comparable to
He generously gave financial support of a lakh rupees to
Poona Gayani Samaj was a society founded for the purpose of promoting classical music, mainly Hindusthani music, on 13 September 1894. It was heavily funded by Ananda Gajapati Raju, who helped and funded the publication of Gayala Siddanjanam and Swara Manjari written by Tachchuri Singracharya brothers of Madras. Ananda Gajapati had in his court an Italian Band set consisting of 48 players and a Shehnai troupe with twelve players. He was said to have tutored the eminent Veena Venkata Ramana.
Reputed actors and stage artists were part of his court. Jagannadha Vilasini was a dramatic society started during his father's reign in 1874 and used to give performances in Sanskrit and Telugu at Pithapuram and Madras. The chief of the actors was Butchi Sastry and the society was also referred to as 'Butchi Sastry Troupe'. Ananda Gajapati has invited Gomatham Srinivasa Charyulu, known as Indian Garrick to his court and also patronized the play Harischandra he wrote in English.
The Maharajah had a forward-looking temperament and progressive views. He it was who originally initiated social reform.
Gurazada Srirama Murty was one of the most accomplished researches oriented scholar in the court of Vizianagaram.[2]
The Historiographer
Vizianagaram Treaty of 15 November 1758 and the end of fifteen years war between the English and the French for the sovereignty of India from 1744 to 1759 A.D. was the work of a historiographer. Ananda Gajapati Raju composed and got it printed by Vest and company, Madras in 1894. He quoted extensively from various historical sources, the chief of which was The History of the Rise and Progress of the Bengal Army. He collected data from more than forty scholars, historians, poets and documenters; some of the most important are: Orme, Broome, Cambridge, Carmichael, Gleiig, Taylor and Adams, Pusapati Vijayarama Raju, Meer Alum,
Further reading
- Ananda Gajapati: Vizianagaram Treaty., Vest and Co., Madras, 1894.
- Dr. V. V. B. Rama Rao: Poosapati Ananda Gajapati Raju., Published by International Telugu Institute, Hyderabad, 1985.
References
- ^ "Vizianagaram Zamindari". Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
- ISBN 9781387081844.