Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju
Encyclopedia
Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju (December 31, 1850 – May 23, 1897) was a Rajah of the Vizianagaram
kingdom in North East Coastal Andhra Pradesh
, India
.
Royal family belongs to the Solar
Kshatriya
s of the same genealogical tree of which Ramachandra of Ramayana
.
According to Edward B. Eastwick, The Maharajah of Vijayanagaram claims descent from the Maharanas of Udaipur
and is of the Vasistha Gotra or the Sisodhya branch of the Guhilot tribes. A brother of the Maharana emigrated to Oudh, and in the 529 A.D. his descendant, Madhava Varma, marched with Four clans into the Dakhan, and conquered the country from Ramanad to Katak. His capital was Vijayanagar, afterwards transferred to Bezawada. His descendants reigned over this kingdom for 921 years. In 1512 they were subjected by Sultan Kuli of the Golkonda
dynasty. Under the 5th King of that line an ancestor of the present ruler of Vijayanagaram was made Subahdar
of the North Sarkars. The Emperor Aurangzeb
confirmed the Subahdar in his office and gave him a two-edged sword(zulfikar), which is still used in the coat-of-arms of the family. In 1817 the father of the present ruler made over his estate to Government to clear off his debts of 200,000 rupees. In 1827 he again made over his estate and died at Banaras, leaving a debt of 1,100,000. His successor, the later 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 Government. 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 and distinguished himself by many acts of charity. His son was born December 31, 1850 and a daughter is married to His Highness Maharaj Kumar Singh, cousin and heir apparent of H.H.Maharajah of Rewah
. The area of the country is 2965 square miles (7,679.3 km²) with a population of 800,000 persons. Still in the coastal Andhra region, the last name Pusapati is associated with this ruling Dynasty. Additionally, the Pusapati has obtained power in modern India through participation in Government.
The Rajahs of Vizianagaram obtained the title of 'Gajapathi', by right of conquest after the battle of Nandapur, in the Northern Circars in the sixteenth century. They never paid chouth to the Maharattas or any money as tribute to the French.
Ananda Gajapati was the second of the three children, born to Maharajah Vijayarama Gajapati Raju
. Narayana Gajapati (10-2-1850 - 29-9-1863) was his elder brother and Appala Kondayamba (16-2-1859 - 14-12-1912) was his younger sister.
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 Telugu culture throve considerably. Known widely for both munificence and cultural magnificence, Ananda Gajapati Raju was granted the personal title of 'Maharajah'. He was a Member of the Madras Legislative Council for many years and was created a G.C.I.E. in 1892. He was held in awe, reverence and admiration as the most cultured and munificent, the most erudite and graceful, the most accomplished and humane of all the princes of Vizianagaram till his time.
was known for his princely grace, wisdom, splendor and literary patronage. Maharajah Ananda Gajapati had been acclaimed throughout the Telugu speaking world as Abhinava Andhra Boja. He richly deserved the title both for his personal accomplishments and tastes. He spared no effort to make Vizianagaram the center of learning, a Banaras in Andhra Desa.
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 Krishna Deva Raya of Hampi
Vijayanagaram. The Diggajas of Maharajah Ananda Gajapati's court are Mudumbai Narasimachari, Varaha Narasimha, Kolluru Kama Sastri, the poet, Peri Venkata Sastri, the master of Shastras and his son Peri Kasinadha Sastri. He assigned them projects and commissioned the translation of Dharma Sastras.
He generously gave financial support of a lakh rupees to Max Müller
for his translational work of Rig Veda.
Poona Gayani Samaj was a society founded for the purpose of promoting out classical music mainly Hindusthani music on 13 September 1894. It was heavily funded by Ananda Gajapati Raju. He 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. Gurajada Appa Rao who wrote the epoch-making play Kanyasulkam
dedicated it to the Maharajah. The writer declares in his preface to the first edition that the Maharajah inaugurated a brilliant epoch in the history of Telugu Literature
.
and Huen Tsang. His admiration for the glory of his forbears and their glorious past where his ancestors paved the way for the firm establishment of the British power in the country culminated in this master piece of his research work.
Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram is the main city of the Vizianagaram District of north-eastern Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Vizianagaram district was formed on 1 June 1979, with some parts carved from the neighbouring districts of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam. It is, at present, the largest municipality of...
kingdom in North East Coastal Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
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...
.
Royal Family
The PusapatiPusapati
Pusapati or Poosapati was the ruling clan of the Kalinga Vizianagaram . They were Kshatriyas of the Suryavanshi sect.-History:...
Royal family belongs to the Solar
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
s of the same genealogical tree of which Ramachandra of Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
.
According to Edward B. Eastwick, The Maharajah of Vijayanagaram claims descent from the Maharanas of Udaipur
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
and is of the Vasistha Gotra or the Sisodhya branch of the Guhilot tribes. A brother of the Maharana emigrated to Oudh, and in the 529 A.D. his descendant, Madhava Varma, marched with Four clans into the Dakhan, and conquered the country from Ramanad to Katak. His capital was Vijayanagar, afterwards transferred to Bezawada. His descendants reigned over this kingdom for 921 years. In 1512 they were subjected by Sultan Kuli of the Golkonda
Golkonda
Golkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
dynasty. Under the 5th King of that line an ancestor of the present ruler of Vijayanagaram was made Subahdar
Subahdar
Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
of the North Sarkars. The Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
confirmed the Subahdar in his office and gave him a two-edged sword(zulfikar), which is still used in the coat-of-arms of the family. In 1817 the father of the present ruler made over his estate to Government to clear off his debts of 200,000 rupees. In 1827 he again made over his estate and died at Banaras, leaving a debt of 1,100,000. His successor, the later 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 Government. 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 and distinguished himself by many acts of charity. His son was born December 31, 1850 and a daughter is married to His Highness Maharaj Kumar Singh, cousin and heir apparent of H.H.Maharajah of Rewah
Rewa (princely state)
Rewa was a princely state of India, surrounding its eponymous capital, the town of Rewa.-Description:With an area of about 13,000 mi², Rewa was the largest princely state in the Bagelkhand Agency and the second largest in Central India Agency. The British political agent for Bagelkhand resided...
. The area of the country is 2965 square miles (7,679.3 km²) with a population of 800,000 persons. Still in the coastal Andhra region, the last name Pusapati is associated with this ruling Dynasty. Additionally, the Pusapati has obtained power in modern India through participation in Government.
The Rajahs of Vizianagaram obtained the title of 'Gajapathi', by right of conquest after the battle of Nandapur, in the Northern Circars in the sixteenth century. They never paid chouth to the Maharattas or any money as tribute to the French.
Ananda Gajapati was the second of the three children, born to Maharajah Vijayarama Gajapati Raju
Raju
Raju may refer to:* Raju, a Telugu caste of India* Venkatapathy Raju is a former Indian left arm spin bowler* Rajuvula, an Indo-Scythian ruler*MMA Raju, an Estonian mixed martial arts promotion...
. Narayana Gajapati (10-2-1850 - 29-9-1863) was his elder brother and Appala Kondayamba (16-2-1859 - 14-12-1912) was his younger sister.
Noble scion of a Noble house
Ananda Gajapati learnt SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
under the guidance of eminent scholars like Bhagavathula Hari Sastry, Mysore Bhimacharyulu and Mudumbai Narasimha Swamy. Major Thomson and Lingam Lakshmoji taught him English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He was proficient in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
During the rule of Maharajah Ananda Gajapati, education, literature and music received a tremendous fillip and Telugu culture throve considerably. Known widely for both munificence and cultural magnificence, Ananda Gajapati Raju was granted the personal title of 'Maharajah'. He was a Member of the Madras Legislative Council for many years and was created a G.C.I.E. in 1892. He was held in awe, reverence and admiration as the most cultured and munificent, the most erudite and graceful, the most accomplished and humane of all the princes of Vizianagaram till his time.
Abhinava Andhra Bhoja
BhojaBhoja
Bhoja was a philosopher king and polymath of medieval India, who ruled the kingdom of Malwa in central India from about 1000 to 1050 CE. Also known as Raja Bhoja Of Dhar, he belonged to the Paramara dynasty...
was known for his princely grace, wisdom, splendor and literary patronage. Maharajah Ananda Gajapati had been acclaimed throughout the Telugu speaking world as Abhinava Andhra Boja. He richly deserved the title both for his personal accomplishments and tastes. He spared no effort to make Vizianagaram the center of learning, a Banaras in Andhra Desa.
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 Krishna Deva Raya of Hampi
Hampi
Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other...
Vijayanagaram. The Diggajas of Maharajah Ananda Gajapati's court are Mudumbai Narasimachari, Varaha Narasimha, Kolluru Kama Sastri, the poet, Peri Venkata Sastri, the master of Shastras and his son Peri Kasinadha Sastri. He assigned them projects and commissioned the translation of Dharma Sastras.
He generously gave financial support of a lakh rupees to Max Müller
Max Müller
Friedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion...
for his translational work of Rig Veda.
Poona Gayani Samaj was a society founded for the purpose of promoting out classical music mainly Hindusthani music on 13 September 1894. It was heavily funded by Ananda Gajapati Raju. He 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
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Band set consisting of 48 players and a Shehnai
Shehnai
The shehnai, shahnai, shenai or mangal vadya, is an aerophonic instrument, a double reed conical oboe, common in North India, West India and Pakistan, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end...
troupe with twelve players. He was said to have tutored the eminent Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
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
Garrick
Garrick may refer to:*Garrick , for the name's origin and people with the name*Flash , a DC Comics superhero and the first to use the name Flash* Garrick Club, London club* Garrick F.C., defunct Sheffield based football club...
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. Gurajada Appa Rao who wrote the epoch-making play Kanyasulkam
Kanyasulkam
Kanyasulkam is a Telugu play written by Gurazada Apparao in 1892. It is one of the earliest modern works in an Indian vernacular language, and it is the first Telugu play to deal with social issues...
dedicated it to the Maharajah. The writer declares in his preface to the first edition that the Maharajah inaugurated a brilliant epoch in the history of Telugu Literature
Telugu literature
The Telugu literature or Telugu Sahityam is one of the most precious possessions of the literary products of India. Telugu literature is rich reserve of poems, stories, dramas and puranas. It flowered in the early 16th century under the Vijayanagar empire, of which Telugu was one of the court...
.
The Historiographer
Vizianagaram Treaty of November 15, 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, MegasthenesMegasthenes
Megasthenes was a Greek ethnographer in the Hellenistic period, author of the work Indica.He was born in Asia Minor and became an ambassador of Seleucus I of Syria possibly to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. However the exact date of his embassy is uncertain...
and Huen Tsang. His admiration for the glory of his forbears and their glorious past where his ancestors paved the way for the firm establishment of the British power in the country culminated in this master piece of his research work.
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.