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Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Rajagopala Krishna Yachendra of Venkatagiri

Raja and later Maharaja of Venkatagiri in the Nellore district (1857–1916), head of the Velugoti family, installed in 1879. He built the Indra Mahal and the Town Hall at Venkatagiri and sat twice in the Madras Legislative Council. He was president of the Madras Landholders' Association from its founding in 1890. He was made K.C.I.E. in 1888, Maharaja in 1910 and G.C.I.E. in 1915. His brothers were adopted into the Bobbili, Pithapuram and Jetprole families.

Old photograph of a street with a long three-storeyed palace façade of arched windows and balconies on the left, flags strung across the road on a pole, and people walking with umbrellas.
Old photograph of a street with a long three-storeyed palace façade of arched windows and balconies on the left, flags strung across the road on a pole, and people walking with umbrellas. · A Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (Madras, 1922) (opens in a new tab) · Public domain

Rajagopala Krishna Yachendra was the twenty-eighth head of the Velugoti house of Venkatagiri, in the family’s own reckoning. It was one of the oldest zamindaris (landed estates) of the Telugu country. Nearly all that the library holds about him is in A Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922).1 It was written under the patronage of his successor and dedicated to the Governor of Madras.1 It is a work of praise rather than of judgement.1

The family history gives his dates as “Born 25th November, 1857, installed 3rd March, 1879, died 23rd July 1916”.1 It says that he took charge of the estate in his twenty-second year from his father, who retired to Madras.1 See Venkatagiri.

The Venkatagiri brothers

His younger brothers were adopted into other great estates.2 A. Vadivelu, writing of the Raja of Bobbili, says that the three sons of the house met again after long separation.2 They had been adopted into Bobbili, Pithapuram and Jetprole.2 They met at the installation of “the Rajah of Venkatagiri, the Prince’s eldest brother”.2 The Bobbili brother is Venkata Swetachalapati Ranga Rao.

Buildings and public life

The family history lists his buildings at Venkatagiri:345

  • the Indra Mahal, begun in 1880 and opened by the Governor, Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff, on 22 July 1883345
  • the Town Hall, whose foundation stone Grant Duff laid on the same day345
  • a Victoria Jubilee rest-house near the railway station, whose stone was laid by Lord Connemara345

He attended King Edward VII’s coronation durbar of 1903.5 After it he built the Edward Hall and gave it to the town as the Venkatagiri Club.5

He “had been nominated to the Madras Legislative Council on two occasions”.6 He was made K.C.I.E. in 1888.6 He received the personal title of Maharaja in 1910 and the G.C.I.E. on 1 January 1915.6 At the outbreak of war in 1914 he gave three lakhs of rupees to the Madras War Fund.7

The Madras Landholders’ Association was founded on 23 July 1890, and he was its president from then until his death.8 It was formed “to guard the interests of the landed Aristocracy of the Zemindars” and to speak for them to the Government.8 He gave it a building, whose foundation stone Lord Pentland laid in January 1916.9 The family history credits his influence “in the Council Chamber” with a part in framing the Impartible Estates Act.89 See British Crown (Madras Presidency).

Footnotes

  1. A Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 123 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. A. Vadivelu, The Aristocracy of Southern India (1903), p. 41 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 124 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 125 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 126 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  6. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 127 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 128 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  8. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 129 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (1922), p. 130 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

Photos

References

Sources (2)
  1. Alladi Jagannatha Sastri, A Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas (opens in a new tab), Addison Press, Madras, 1922, pp. 123–130. [Public domain]
  2. A. Vadivelu, The Aristocracy of Southern India (opens in a new tab), Vest and Co., Madras, 1903, pp. 41. [Public domain]

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