Line of succession to the former throne of Travancore
The line of succession to the former throne of Travancore, a major Indian salute state, is notable for utilising a combination of matrilineal agnatic seniority and matrilineal agnatic primogeniture. The heir apparent is styled "Maharajkumar Sri (name) (personal name), Elaya Raja of Travancore." The monarchy was abolished in 1949, when the state fully acceded to India.
Succession
The royal family utilises an ancient Nair principle of matrilineal succession, known as Marumakkathayam, which proceeds as follows:
#The younger brothers and cousins of the Maharajah, based on seniority of age; a cousin may succeed before a uterine brother if older.
#The nephews of the Maharaja through his sisters, in order of age; a younger sister's son may succeed before an elder's if that son is older.
As per the above principle of succession, the sons of a Maharaja or of those in the line of succession cannot succeed to the throne, nor, if those children bear sons, can those sons be in the line of succession. If the matriline fails, as happened in 1798 and 1924, daughters from another matriline can be adopted to continue the succession.<ref name="travancore"/>
Present line of succession
* Bhagirathi Bayi Kockupangi Amma Tampuratti (d. November 1891) m. 1866, Raja Ravi Varma Avargal (1848-1906), the famed Indian painter and portraitist.
**Mahaprabha Amma Tampuratti (1872-1919). m. Kerala Varma Avargal , Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur (1867-1926)
*** Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi , Senior Maharani and Regent of Travancore (1895-1985; Maharani Regent of Travancore: 1924-1931) m. 1906, Rama Varma Avargal , Valia Koil Tampuran of Harippad (1889-1975)
****Princess Lalithamba Bayi (1923-2008) m. M.R.Ry. Sri Kerala Varma Avargal , Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur
*****Princess Rukmini Bayi (born 1940), m. M.R.Ry. Sri P.R. Devi Prasad Varma, of Poonjar
******(3) Venugopal Varma (born 1960?)
****** (4) Jayagopal Varma (born 1961)
*****Princess Uma Bayi (born 1941), m. M.R.Ry. Sri Goda Varma Raja, of the Poonjar Royal House
******(5) Rajeev Varma
******(7) Pradeep Varma
****** Radhika Varma, m. Tosher Hormusjee
******* (16) Zoish Hormusjee
*****Princess Parvati Bayi (born 1943), m. Prince Ravi T. Varma, a member of the Royal Family of Cochin
******(6) Mahendra Varma
******(8) Vijendra Varma
****** Sandhya Varma, m. Sri Sankaran Namboodiri, of Cherkulam Mana, Thrissur
******* (17) Rahul Sankaran
*****Princess Lakshmi Bayi (born 1946), m. Sri R.V. Raghunandan, of the Cochin Royal Family
****** Nandita Raghunandan, m. Sri Sanal Kumar, of the Poonjar Royal House
*******(18) Aditya
******* (19) Mihir
*****Princess Ambika Bayi (born 1951), m. Sri K.M.K. Varma, from the Kilimanoor Royal House
****** (12) Ajith Varma
*****(1) Prince Bala Gopal Varma (born 1953)
***** Princess Devika Bayi (born 1962), m. Radhakrishnan A Ramavarma, of the Cochin Royal Family
******(13) Arjun Radhakrishnan
******(14) Arvind Radhakrishnan
****** (15) Arun Radhakrishnan
**** Princess Indira Bayi (born 1926)
***** (2) Prince Sri Kumar Varma (born 1955)
** Bhagirathi Bayi Uma Kochukunji Amma Tampuratti , of the Utsavamadom branch of the Mavelikara Royal House (born 1878). m. Paliyakkara Kizhakkekottarathil Thiruvonnam Kerala Varma (d. before 1959)
***Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi , Junior Maharani of Travancore (1896-1983). m. 1907, Ravi Varma Avargal , Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, a grandnephew of Raja Ravi Varma.
****15px (1912-1991)
****Maharajkumari Sri Lakshmi Bayi (Karthika Thirunal) (1916-2008). m. 1934, Lieutenant-Colonel P.R. Goda Varma Raja Avargal (1908-1971)
***** (born 1949; Head of the Travancore royal family: 2013-present)
*****Maharajkumari Sri Gouri Parvati Bayi (Pooyam Tirunal) (born 1942), m. Chembrol Raja Raja Varma Avargal (born 1939)
****** (9) Maharajkumar Sri Rama Varma , Elaya Raja of Travancore (born 1968)
***** Maharajkumari Sri Gouri Lakshmi Bayi (Asvathi Tirunal) (born 1945), m. Chembrol Raja Raja Varma Avargal (born 1939)
******(10) Maharajkumar Sri Martanda Varma (born 196X)
****** (11) Maharajkumar Sri Aditya Varma (born 1970)
**** (1922-2013)
*** Srimati Rajamma Amma Tampuratti , of the Utsavamadom branch of the Mavelikara Royal House (1914-2009) m. M.R.Ry. Sri Chembrol Kottarathil Kerala Varma (d. 1967)
**** M. R. Ry. Sri R.P. Varma.
**** M. R. Ry. Sri Rama Varma.
Line of succession in 1949
*Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi , Junior Maharani of Travancore (born 1896). m. 1907, Ravi Varma Avargal , Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, a grandnephew of Raja Ravi Varma.
**15px (born 1912)
**Maharajkumari Sri Lakshmi Bayi (Karthika Thirunal) (born 1916). m. 1934, Lieutenant-Colonel P.R. Goda Varma Raja Avargal (born 1908)
***Current Maharajkumar Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (born 1949)
**(1) Maharajkumar Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, Elaya Raja of Travancore (born 1922)
Succession
The royal family utilises an ancient Nair principle of matrilineal succession, known as Marumakkathayam, which proceeds as follows:
#The younger brothers and cousins of the Maharajah, based on seniority of age; a cousin may succeed before a uterine brother if older.
#The nephews of the Maharaja through his sisters, in order of age; a younger sister's son may succeed before an elder's if that son is older.
As per the above principle of succession, the sons of a Maharaja or of those in the line of succession cannot succeed to the throne, nor, if those children bear sons, can those sons be in the line of succession. If the matriline fails, as happened in 1798 and 1924, daughters from another matriline can be adopted to continue the succession.<ref name="travancore"/>
Present line of succession
* Bhagirathi Bayi Kockupangi Amma Tampuratti (d. November 1891) m. 1866, Raja Ravi Varma Avargal (1848-1906), the famed Indian painter and portraitist.
**Mahaprabha Amma Tampuratti (1872-1919). m. Kerala Varma Avargal , Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur (1867-1926)
*** Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi , Senior Maharani and Regent of Travancore (1895-1985; Maharani Regent of Travancore: 1924-1931) m. 1906, Rama Varma Avargal , Valia Koil Tampuran of Harippad (1889-1975)
****Princess Lalithamba Bayi (1923-2008) m. M.R.Ry. Sri Kerala Varma Avargal , Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur
*****Princess Rukmini Bayi (born 1940), m. M.R.Ry. Sri P.R. Devi Prasad Varma, of Poonjar
******(3) Venugopal Varma (born 1960?)
****** (4) Jayagopal Varma (born 1961)
*****Princess Uma Bayi (born 1941), m. M.R.Ry. Sri Goda Varma Raja, of the Poonjar Royal House
******(5) Rajeev Varma
******(7) Pradeep Varma
****** Radhika Varma, m. Tosher Hormusjee
******* (16) Zoish Hormusjee
*****Princess Parvati Bayi (born 1943), m. Prince Ravi T. Varma, a member of the Royal Family of Cochin
******(6) Mahendra Varma
******(8) Vijendra Varma
****** Sandhya Varma, m. Sri Sankaran Namboodiri, of Cherkulam Mana, Thrissur
******* (17) Rahul Sankaran
*****Princess Lakshmi Bayi (born 1946), m. Sri R.V. Raghunandan, of the Cochin Royal Family
****** Nandita Raghunandan, m. Sri Sanal Kumar, of the Poonjar Royal House
*******(18) Aditya
******* (19) Mihir
*****Princess Ambika Bayi (born 1951), m. Sri K.M.K. Varma, from the Kilimanoor Royal House
****** (12) Ajith Varma
*****(1) Prince Bala Gopal Varma (born 1953)
***** Princess Devika Bayi (born 1962), m. Radhakrishnan A Ramavarma, of the Cochin Royal Family
******(13) Arjun Radhakrishnan
******(14) Arvind Radhakrishnan
****** (15) Arun Radhakrishnan
**** Princess Indira Bayi (born 1926)
***** (2) Prince Sri Kumar Varma (born 1955)
** Bhagirathi Bayi Uma Kochukunji Amma Tampuratti , of the Utsavamadom branch of the Mavelikara Royal House (born 1878). m. Paliyakkara Kizhakkekottarathil Thiruvonnam Kerala Varma (d. before 1959)
***Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi , Junior Maharani of Travancore (1896-1983). m. 1907, Ravi Varma Avargal , Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, a grandnephew of Raja Ravi Varma.
****15px (1912-1991)
****Maharajkumari Sri Lakshmi Bayi (Karthika Thirunal) (1916-2008). m. 1934, Lieutenant-Colonel P.R. Goda Varma Raja Avargal (1908-1971)
***** (born 1949; Head of the Travancore royal family: 2013-present)
*****Maharajkumari Sri Gouri Parvati Bayi (Pooyam Tirunal) (born 1942), m. Chembrol Raja Raja Varma Avargal (born 1939)
****** (9) Maharajkumar Sri Rama Varma , Elaya Raja of Travancore (born 1968)
***** Maharajkumari Sri Gouri Lakshmi Bayi (Asvathi Tirunal) (born 1945), m. Chembrol Raja Raja Varma Avargal (born 1939)
******(10) Maharajkumar Sri Martanda Varma (born 196X)
****** (11) Maharajkumar Sri Aditya Varma (born 1970)
**** (1922-2013)
*** Srimati Rajamma Amma Tampuratti , of the Utsavamadom branch of the Mavelikara Royal House (1914-2009) m. M.R.Ry. Sri Chembrol Kottarathil Kerala Varma (d. 1967)
**** M. R. Ry. Sri R.P. Varma.
**** M. R. Ry. Sri Rama Varma.
Line of succession in 1949
*Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi , Junior Maharani of Travancore (born 1896). m. 1907, Ravi Varma Avargal , Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, a grandnephew of Raja Ravi Varma.
**15px (born 1912)
**Maharajkumari Sri Lakshmi Bayi (Karthika Thirunal) (born 1916). m. 1934, Lieutenant-Colonel P.R. Goda Varma Raja Avargal (born 1908)
***Current Maharajkumar Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (born 1949)
**(1) Maharajkumar Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, Elaya Raja of Travancore (born 1922)
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