A. Vadivelu

“ He is a great lover of justice, and since the time he took possession of the estate, no one could reproach him with a single act of injustice. The high spirited nobleman has done much to ameliorate the condition of his ryots, and moving in the best of societies in Northern Circars and in Hyderabad he has become the great ornament of his court, the prime mover of wise counsels, and the helper of all useful institutions. ”

“ It is gratifying to note that the Rajah Sahib is very kind to all his ryots, and whenever they represent to him their grievances, he gives them a patient hearing and affords them ready redress. His qualities both of head and heart are admired by everybody ; he is a perfect gentleman; he is very charitable and sympathetic to the poor; his loyalty to the British throne is exemplary; and he has been maintaining the prestige and honor of his family by his generous acts and noble behaviour. ”

“ The Zemindar of Etaiyapuram, who belongs to the ancient stock of a Hindu family that furnished to the country warriors and statesmen, has inherited all the noble and generous qualities that characterised his ancestors, and is now in the highest estimation of the Government of Madras; and, as his sentiments are guided by justice and moderation, he is most loved by his ryots. ”

“ To establish his reputation as a just and enlightened ruler, the Nawab has had to study carefully the important changes in public opinion, and to found his judgment on public affairs on a minute and elaborate consideration of the arguments for and against. He is sincerely religious-minded and God-fearing, and in matters, great or small, he never allows any prejudices to warp his judgment, and in all circumstances keeps his temper equable and unruffled. ”

“ Banganapalli, one of the Native States under the control of the Governor of Madras, is ruled by a Nawab whose claims to eminence are founded not upon any daring adventure or extraordinary learning, hit upon the successful administration of his State, his steadfast loyalty to the British Crown, his increasing benificence to his subjects and his enlightened co-operation in movements for public good. Naturally noble-minded, his pursuits are just, his views are formed after mature reflection, and he is incapable of sentiments derogatory to the character of impartial and upright men. ”

“ The eight brothers of the gate-keeper threw themselves on the mercy of Nallama Nayakar and sought his protection. He fixed the head of Soman to a spear, and his garments stained with blood to the point of a lance, and with these things presented himself before the King, who, admiring the valour of Nallama Nayakar welcomed him to his court, and presented him with a gold head to be worn as a badge on his left leg, and allowed him to use the blood-stained cloth as a banneret. ”

“ Those who know the Rajah Sahib personally, can bear testimony to the fact that he is simple, polite and generous. He is kind to all; he treats the rich and the poor alike. He is very religious but not bigoted. As we have said, he is a member of one of the most ancient families of Southern India holding a permanent sunnud from H. H. the Nizam of Hyderabad, but he has not received one for the Bhadrachalam estate from the British Government, though other Zemindars hold permanent sunnuds in accordance with Regulation 25 of 1802. ”

“ When Saiyid Hussian Ali Khan, the elder son, heard this news, his rage knew no bounds and with determined spite, he commenced to plot against the life of Thaher Ali. But in all conspiracies where a number of persons have to be let into the secret, there is always the danger of some one of them proving a betrayer. So it was in this case. Somebody who knew the state of affairs informed their mother of the contemplated murder of her younger and better loved son. Thereupon, acting with a quickness of purpose and resolution rare among women, she lost no H. H. THE Nawab of Banganapalli. ”

“ In his mansion one can see a magnificent assemblage of all sorts of furniture, fancy things, trees and plants, forming the sublimes t and at the same time the most charming scenery in all Vizagapatam. Nothing can exceed the diversified and picturesque loveliness of the landscape which is in a conspicuous part of the town. ”

“ Perhaps the most picturesque of all the coast districts of the Madras Presidency is Vizagapatam—the land of the Hindoo Mars, which is the meaning of the word—lying along the north-west shore of the Bay of Bengal. Here, in the chief native town of the district, lived in former days a wealthy Zemindar, G. V. Juggarow Esq., who, to the many acts of benevolence he practised among the people* around him, added a great taste for scientific enquiry, especially in the subject of Meteorology; for the furtherance of which, he established there in 1841 the excellent observatory which bears his name. ”

“ The Rajah himself is a man of literary ability; he has also been an observant traveller; he is a large landowner who knows how to work his property to the best possible advantage, and he is, I can testify, a most valuable member of my Legisative Council, representing there the interests of the large landed proprietary of the Madras Presidency. I can only say that I wish that we had many more men in the Madras Presidency and in India like the Rajah of Bobbili. ”

“ Rajah,—I can only express to you my great pleasure in acceding to the request which you have made that I should attend the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of this hospital, and at the same time of assming you of the great regret which Lady Wenlock feels at not being able to be present here and perform the ceremony which I have just undertaken. ”

“ His wife, whom he married seven years ago, comes from the well-known family of Nurul-umra Bahadur of Hyderabad. The third Prince, Saiyid Hussain Ali Khan Bahadur is very intelligent and painstaking in the acquirement of knowledge.
The Nawab must be proud of his sons. They are all noble, generous, and gentlemanly, and they pay particular attention to the fact that their household ought to be sober and well-governed. They do not love show, but everything from their dress to their equipage, is simple and nice. ”

“ The Rajah of Vizianagram to testify his own loyalty joined the French with a force of 11,000 men to assist in crushing his rival. Before attacking the latter, M. Bussy offered the chief a pardon for the past, and land of equal value elsewhere, if he would abandon his ancestral estate, but the offer was refused. The attack on the fort of Bobbili is one of the most memorable in Indian History. At daybreak, the field pieces began to play on the mud defences, practicable breaches were at once made, and the assault sounded. ”

“ The first member of the family to which the Zemindar has the honor to belong was a famous Kshatrya named Varma Simha of the lunar race who came to prominence in the 13th century. The estate obtained by him has been during all these centuries in the enjoyment of the family in unbroken perpetuity. Sri Srinivasa Rajamani Raja Deo, the grandfather of the present Rajah, had a splendid record for great ability and noble character. ”

“ The Rajah Sahib, who perceived the want, with a generosity becoming a prince, built at his cost a spacious building for the use of the public of Berhampore, and called it "The Diamond Jubilee Hall," in honor of that most auspicious event—the Diamond Jubilee of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria.
The Rajah Sahib has established a free dispensary at Kallikote, the head-quarters of one of his estates, and this has been very useful to the people living there and also to those in the surrounding villages. There is a competent medical officer in charge of the hospital. ”

“ Dispossessed of her ancient estate thus, Ranee Lakshmeenarasamma Rao died in disappointment and despair, leaving a daughter and a daughter's son, Sree Rajah Parthasarathy Appa Rao Savai Aswarao Bahadur in whose veins runs the blood of both Aswarao and Appa Rao families. The young prince smarting under the injustice done to his maternal family, proceeded early in his life to Hyderabad and instituted a suit for the recovery of his maternal estate. ”

“ The Zemindar was taken on tour to almost all the places of importance in India and Ceylon, and thus his powers of observation were considerably improved. As a student his conduct was exemplary both towards his tutors aud his classmates. We quote here his views on travel: "Every man, in my opinion, should, as far as his means and circumstances allow him travel over the world; for those who stick fast to their homes are like the frog in the fable, which deems that its abode—the bottom of the well—is the entire world, for it never comes out of it. ”

“ It is with the greatest satisfaction I have heard the tribute of praise which yon have bestowed upon the Rajah of Bobbili who, as you say, has endowed you with many useful public institutions, and they are valuable works to that extent. You admit that you are supplied with schools, hospitals, and other charitable institutions, and that water-supply has been amply provided for. This is a very high tribute of gratitude and praise to your enlightened Rajah. ”

“ One thing that has brought a great deal of honor, the thing which more than any other raises him in the estimation of the paramount power is that in his estate men of malpractices, loose behaviour, corruption and bribery have been rooted out, as the Rajah Sahib himself takes a keen interest in all departments of business. ”

“ The Rajah Sahib wishing to show his loyalty to the British Government volunteered himself to place his services at the disposal of the Government of Madras and to proceed to South Africa at a time when the Boer war assumed gigantic dimensions and threatened to become a serious matter. This was just before the relief of Lady-smith when Field-Marshal Lord Roberts was of opinion that every available man in the Empire would be required for active service in the war. ”

“ Narasinga Rao was a lady of really fine character, elevated thoughts and noble disposition. The Government of Madras in recognition of her qualities, both of head and heart, conferred on her the personal distinction of Rani.
A cultured man himself, Mr. Narasinga Rao enlarged the observatory founded by his father-in-law by adding to it an equatorial Telescope, surmounted with a moveable dome at a cost of a lakh of Rupees, a transit instrument and a sidereal clock. He also opened a Meteorological Observatory and furnished Government daily with meteorological reports. ”

“ Under the most favourable auspices, after the Maharajah had received a sound education and the Government of Madras had formed a high opinion of his character, Sri Sri Sri Vikrama Deo Maharajah ascended the guddi on the 27th November 1895. It was a day of very great rejoicing to the people of Jeypore to find the son of their deceased Maharajah, with all the accomplishments necessary for a ruler of a large Samastanam, placed at the head of the administration. ”

“ Among the recipients of higher honours the only Madras name that appears is that of the Rajah of Bobbili. This nobleman has exhibited progressive tendencies of a marked kind. He has, like several of his confreres in other parts of India, overcome the aversion to undertaking a voyage to England. ”

“ During his father's time there was an English school teaching up to the Lower Secondary standard, and the present Rajah raised it to the grade of a High School. Etayapuram is a very large estate, where a High School was a desideratum for a long time. These measures tending towards education were carried out by him soon after he assumed charge of the estate. He has opened a model farm on scientific principles, and this in itself is sufficient to prove that he is just paving the way for higher reforms in point of cultivation. ”

“ As constancy of conduct and fixity of principle are the characteristics of the Nawab, characteristics which claim their attention by their very rarity, they are sure to impress any student of the history of our times with a feeling of high esteem for the illustrious personage in whom such virtues are united. ”

“ Mandasa is one of the most ancient zemindaries in the Ganjam District, and the chief members thereof in olden days distinguished themselves in many a battle-field, and hence it claims to be the possession of a noble family of historical importance. The present Zemindar Sahib Mehrban-i-dostan Sri Rajah Vasudeva Rajamani Raja Deo Garu, a highly enlightened prince with broad views and noble generosity has rendered himself very popular with all, and has won golden opinions from collectors and governors. ”

“ The tall, erect figures, square shoulders, broad chests, narrow flanks, and straight limbs of the men, struck one almost as much as the graceful carriage and elegant forms of the women. It would be difficult to find a finer race in any part of the world. ”

“ The Rajah, who, in intelligence, capacity and fixed purpose, is in no way inferior to his predecessors, has undertaken what he considers as the most important duties of his exalted position, in the establishment of educational institutions, and in the introduction of scientific methods of cultivation. He is a nobleman of great promise with fine feeling, generous sympathies and an excellent and resolute character. ”

“ The present representative Sri Rajah Venkata Rangiah Appa Rao Bahadur, a member of the Nuzvid family, and the Zemindar of Kapileswar Muttah, has had the benefit of Western education, and having travelled to most of the important places in India, accompanied by his tutors while he was under the management of the Court of Wards some years ago, has been able to manage his estate without any difficulty. ”