How this Travancore King sparked off temple entry reforms for Dalit citizens

 In ‘History Liberated’, Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi writes about reforms & policies undertaken during the Travancore royal family’s last phase.

God, the Supreme Being, reigns in every human heart. Yet to approach Him physically stood denied to sizeable numbers all over India who were constrained within the orbit of Avarnas (as against the Savarnas) cruelly and contemptuously labelled as ‘untouchables’. Progressive Travancore with much to its credit was unfortunately no exception in this case.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Photo: Commons

However, when the brittle pages of the far past are turned back, the year 1486 AD rises like the splendorous sun—King Jayasimha Devar of Venad ruled the land. He enacted a reform far ahead of times. Generations can offer nothing to compare with the reform dealing with social justice and social emancipation enacted by this noblest of kings. It directly extended to the dyers of Parasurama Perunteru near Nagercoil. These dyers who had come and settled from far-off lands were branded lower caste and were at the receiving end of acute caste discrimination. They could not worship the village deities, like the upper classes. The dyers had to pay all kinds of taxes and were forbidden from approaching the King directly. Violators, besides getting corporal punishment, would be evicted from their own village and would not be allowed to use village wells. When King Jayasimha Devar visited Vatasseri, these unfortunates pleaded their case before him. After lending a sympathetic ear to them, the benevolent Ruler ordered:

That if they had grievances they might present themselves before the King whenever he came in procession on his elephant;

That all taxes except those for the upkeep of the army and the navy were slashed;

That the upper classes should not interfere with their religious worship or festivals;

That they should be subjected to no injustice;

That they could use public wells and tanks without restrictions;

That meddling in their affairs by Brahmins, Pillamar and other upper classes would invite Royal displeasure and punishment.

Sometime during the cyclic rotation of seasons, Jayasimha Devar and his stunning reform were banished into oblivion. In the 1700s, Maharaja Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma the Great, architect of modern Travancore, conferred on the Ezhavas many an important position. The presence of Avarnas in administration and such do not come under the survey of this chapter as of now. It stands restricted to one aspect—the fundamental right of worship of every Hindu in the State of Travancore.

The Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–1925), which commenced in crescendo of clamour during the final year of Sree Moolom Thirunal’s reign and concluded in success during Pooradom Thirunal Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi’s regency, was a landmark in the struggle for the dignity of the human being, in this context the sizeable Avarna population of Travancore. This major issue apart, the rule of both the Maharaja and the Maharani Regent have widely invited much appreciation. The view that this Satyagraha was the initial step against untouchability is chronologically incorrect. A brief flashback of events is narrated.

At a public meeting held in Quilon (now known as Kollam), an important town in Travancore, in 1917, Sri C. Raman Pillai, retired High Court Judge (and hailing from the upper caste) appears to be the first to ask that all State temples may be opened to the Avarnas. Then came the more serious move by the prominent leader of the Ezhava community (which even then stood on a much better footing) Sri T.K. Madhavan (who did not live to see the fruits of his labour) whose demand was on the same lines: removal of untouchability and entry into temples. He was also the editor of a Malayalam weekly Deshabhimani which was a distinct advantage to him. A representation was brought before the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly. In 1921, he again raised the question before the Assembly. At both instances it met with no success other than it was heard.

A very strong organization of the already established Ezhavas had taken birth under the banner of the great spiritual Guru revered as Sree Narayana Gurudevan, a multi-dimensional personality. It went by the name SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana) Yogam and continues to be a real force in the socio-religious-political scenario of the State of Kerala. (It has to be added that Sree Narayana Guru was totally nonpolitical.) At every one of their meetings the Yogam under the Guru had been passing resolutions for temple entry.

A slight digression may be pardoned. It has been said many a time that once when the Guru was resting on a beach (possibly Varkala) one of his disciples asked of him when there will be an end to their sorrows. The Guru replied that a king is going to be born who will put an end to them. The king who was born next was none other than Sree Chithira Thirunal. Guru’s words were prophetic.

Yet another sage of the city Sree Ayya Guru Swamikal, famed for his saintly eminence, had also predicted this young King’s birth. He declared in Tamil that a king is going to arrive with scepter and royal umbrella. The royal personage in question was Sree Chithira Thirunal. Thus, Sree Chithira Thirunal received the blessings and acknowledgement of great spiritual personages even before birth.

The 1923 Kakinada Congress meeting constituted the Kerala Untouchability Committee to work for removal of untouchability. It is extremely significant that the Avarna cause received solid support from the Savarnas which was impressive. Kerala Hindu Sabha, Nair Service Society (NSS), with Sri C.K. Parameswaran Pillai as its long-term President and Sri Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai as General Secretary, Yogakshema Sabha, the premier organization of the highly respected Namboodiri Brahmins, and the Kshatriya Mahasabha to which the royalty (including of Travancore and Kochi) and most of the aristocracy belonged, all strongly supported this peaceful agitation. It is a matter of lament that while the undeniable ills were generated due to long standing Savarna attitudes and actions which have invited repeated negative exposure in the modern age, the part they played in the peaceful success of implementation of the Temple Entry Proclamation (1936) is also undeniable, but oft banished behind shadows.2

It should not be misconstrued in any way that all was smooth sailing. Opposition was very much in evidence from certain power centres. That it was finally peacefully resolved, was indeed the grace of God.

It is informative to glance at the numbers of the different caste groups which formed a staggeringly substantial mega section. In rough estimate, the Ezhavas who were around a million strong and who were even then cultured, educated and with economic standing, stood well ahead of the other marginalised sections. The other castes recorded were the Pulayas who were about three hundred thousand strong, and engaged in agriculture as labourers; Parayas too about three hundred thousand; Channars or toddy tappers and connected workforce, all also reaching the same numbers. Apart from field labour, their services were essential on many fronts, including for jaggery production to meet the steady demands from temples, households and food outlets.

Sri Mahadev Desai, in his elaborately recorded work titled notably The Epic of Travancore, quotes Gandhiji thus:

Indeed I had the privilege of meeting the Maharani and her young hope, the present Maharajah, when I was in Travancore years ago. The Maharani had even then professed her belief in the reform. I had even jokingly asked the boy, as the Maharajah then was, whether he would remove untouchability and throw open temples when he mounted the gadi of Travancore. He had enthusiastically said, ‘Of course. To put the record straight, at that time (in 1925), Sir C.P. was not involved in any way, though at later stage his contributions were solid.

At this time the Vaikom Satyagraha was in full swing. During the interview at Varkala Palace with Gandhiji, the Regent Maharani was not alone; her consort, the Valiya Koil Thampuran who was the inevitable presence, was also there. With his considerable power of expression, Gandhiji appealed to Her Highness to issue a new ‘Smrithi’ to resolve the uprising and to throw open the temples to all. Both of them expressed their sympathy to the cause of liberation of the Avarnas. However, ‘they felt burdened with the responsibility of a great State and told me that the time had not come for taking such a step’.4 She also rightly felt that the Savarna stand in the matter was inevitable.

Gandhiji had become a huge factor exercising tremendous power and control over the minds of the multitudes. The Regent had her own reservations on the responsibilities and repercussions that would become her destiny. At the same time, it was none other than Gandhiji who was passionate about the reform, who brought it up. Dissent would be a disaster and not required as the Regent had no intention of associating, apart from expressing sympathy. 

Uncharitable minds whispered that her positive attitude regarding temple entry without going a step further would have been a diplomatic option.

Possibly unavoidably, the Maharani Regent’s and her consort’s stand commenced and concluded with sympathy to the cause while the young (boy) King, Sree Chithira Thirunal did not even require a second to respond enthusiastically, “Of course”. Gandhiji had met him at the Kaudiar Palace.

Quite a few steps were taken, many rallies organized, resolutions passed, all revolving around hateful untouchability, before the stage was set for the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–1925). It received sweeping support of big names from within the State and outside, including the decisive presence of Mahatma Gandhi. Savarna support was significant but so also was strong opposition. In a historic step the Regent Maharani Setu Lakshmi Bayi abolished the restriction on the use of the roads leading to the great Sree Mahadeva Temple at Vaikom applicable to the Avarnas, except the eastern road to the main entrance.5 In itself it was a landmark reform of a gracious reign. With it the curtain fell on the Vaikom Satyagraha.

By the grace of Sree Padmanabha Swamy, the Investiture of Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal Rama Varma took place on 6th November 1931.

Sir C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar, already a known figure in India’s multifaceted map, was appointed as the Maharaja’s Legal and Constitutional Adviser. The decision was the Maharaja’s own and resulted in some opposition from even high up

quarters. But this did not make the Maharaja have a change of heart. Sir C.P. served in this important position for five eventful years, harbinger of an equally or more eventful tenure as the Dewan.

In November 1932 a nine-member ‘Temple Entry Committee’ was constituted with full sanction of the young King and with the wholehearted backing of Sir C.P. Comprising chiefly of non-officials, it was to enquire and report on the highly sensitive matter of temple entry for the marginalised sections of society, the unfortunate untouchables. The members, who were in majority Savarnas, read as follows: V.S. Subramonya Iyer (former Dewan of Travancore) as President with C.K. Parameswaran Pillai (High Court Judge), S. K. Mahadeva Iyer and M. Govindan (retired Dewan – Paishkars), T.K. Velu Pillai (High Court Vakil – Advocate), T. Kesavan Sastri (Pulaya representative), Punnasseri Nambi Nilakanta Sarma (Principal, Sanskrit College, Pattambi) and Narayana Bhattathirippad of Thiruvalla. They undertook a state-wide tour to elicit public opinion.

With this end in view, questionnaires were sent to 5,774 persons, including temple trustees (especially hereditary), representatives of associations, innumerable members from among the Savarnas, as well as women. Out of the total number, 3,122 persons including eight women responded, with 2,867 being Savarnas. Elaborate study of the pros and cons of such a step which could be designated as courageously revolutionary, with exhaustive discussions with the Brahmins—especially Namboothiri Brahmin sections and the priestly orders, religious scholars and learned men, all featured in this study. Rites and rituals, customs and rules all came under the scanner. In one observation the Committee said, ‘there was a strong feeling among Savarnas in favour of temple entry being allowed’.

This excerpt from History Liberated: The Sree Chithra Saga authored by Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi has been published with special permission from Konark Publishers. (Rs 2,500/-)

(Source: The Print)

3 myths in Russian history that won't die

 Dmitri Mendeleev didn’t dream up the periodic table, while Ivan the Terrible didn’t kill his son. But these tales, among others, were so believable and repeated so many times people still think they’re true.

1. Emperor Alexander didn’t really die but became a vagabond

In the years before his death, Alexander I of Russia seldom talked about his wish to withdraw from public life. In 1819, he said to his brother Nicholas: “I’m not who I used to be and I think it is my duty to withdraw.” In 1824, he said he wouldn’t mind “throwing off the burden of the crown.”

In the autumn of 1825, Alexander traveled to Taganrog with his wife and abruptly died there because of a fever. An autopsy was performed, and an act was signed by 9 doctors. After embalming, the emperor’s body was transported to St. Petersburg, but only the members of the Emperor’s family saw the emperor in the open coffin; during the subsequent 7 days that the body was in the Kazan Cathedral for public farewells, the coffin was closed.

In 1836, in Perm’ Region, an old man was been apprehended for vagrancy. He called himself Fyodor Kuzmich and was tall with grey hair. He was very physically fit, seemed educated and gentle, but refused to say anything about his past. For vagrancy, Fyodor was sent to Siberia, where he lived and then died in 1864. During his life, he often told stories of St. Petersburg and of famous people, including military commanders Kutuzov and Suvorov – apparently, the old man took part in the War of 1812. 

But who was the first to suggest that Fyodor was Alexander in disguise? Allegedly, Semyon Khromov, a merchant who invited Fyodor to live in his house in Tomsk and was completely sure that the old man was the Emperor – which accidentally made Khromov a celebrity of sorts. So it’s no wonder Khromov even tried to write to Alexander II – but in 1882, when he was apprehended by Tomsk authorities, Khromov said he really knew nothing about the old man’s past. Fyodor himself, while alive, didn’t deny nor confirm the legend.

Before his death, Fyodor gave Khromov an encrypted message that was to reveal his identity, but the message still hasn’t been deciphered up to the present day. Russian historians agree that Fyodor Kuzmich existed, but he wasn’t Alexander I – Fyodor probably was some high-ranked nobleman in the military service, but definitely not the Emperor. 

2. Dmitri Mendeleev dreamed up the periodic table

The legend goes as follows: in 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev strived to discover the periodic trends in the properties of chemical elements. Exhausted, he once fell asleep at his desk and dreamed up the table he couldn’t compose while awake. Springing up from his slumber, Mendeleev took a pen and a paper and quickly drafted the periodic table of elements.

Mendeleev himself never told anyone this story. But his friend, geologist Alexander Inostrantsev, often retold Mendeleev’s alleged story about discovering the table while asleep, despite Mendeleev himself denying this. Speaking to a journalist for the Peterburgskiy Listok (The St. Petersburg Paper) newspaper, he said: “No! Not a dime for a line, as you journalists do! I could have well spent 25 years inventing it [the periodic system], and you say I was just sitting there, and all out of the blue – one dime a line, one dime a line, and it’s cooked!”

Also, Mendeleev wasn’t the first to create a periodic table – in 1864, German chemist Julius Lothar Meyer created one, consisting of just 28 elements. 

3. Ivan the Terrible killed his son with a staff

This myth was, in large part, created by Ilya Repin’s painting ‘Ivan the Terrible and His Son’. However, the chronicles don’t contain any information on this, they just say Ivan’s son Ivan died because of “a disease”. 

In 1963, in Moscow Kremlin’s Arkhangelsky Cathedral, the place of interment of the Russian tsars, corpses of Ivan the Terrible and his sons Ivan and Fyodor were temporarily exhumed. All of them contained arsenic, usual for those times when tsars took homeopathic amounts of arsenic to develop tolerance to it – as it was the most common poison. However, the bones of Ivan and his son Ivan also contained high levels of mercury. Later in the 1990s, comparably high levels of mercury were then found in the bones of Anastasia, Ivan the Terrible’s first wife, and his mother Yelena Glinskaya. The research made it clear that Ivan the Terrible’s family has most likely fell victim to poisoning.

It is widely reported that Ivan was devastated after his elder son’s death. Ivan spent 4 full days next to his son’s bed, while Ivan Jr. was dying. This fact doesn’t fit in the image of a madman who slaughtered his son. Moreover, Ivan the Terrible was preparing Ivan Jr. for tsardom, making him a military commander and summoning him to discuss state affairs. So it was unlikely that Ivan could kill his heir, given the disastrous consequences it would bring – a dynastic crisis. It was clear Ivan’s death was a catastrophe, but who needed it to look like the Tsar killed his son?

The first mention of Ivan murdering his son is found in the papers of Antonio Possevino, a papal legate and the first Jesuit to visit Moscow, who tried to convince Ivan the Terrible to negotiate with the Pope about Russia becoming a Catholic country. When Possevino’s mission failed, the enraged legate smeared the Russian tsar with the accusation of filicide. This defamation was readily spread by other foreign and Russian foes of Ivan the Terrible. And finally, at the end of the 19th century, even made it onto Repin’s famous painting.

(Source: Russia Beyond)

Coronavirus: Thai king self-isolates in Alpine hotel with harem of 20 women amid pandemic

Tens of thousands of Thais risk breaking law to criticise him online

Thailand’s controversial king has been self-isolating in a luxury hotel in the Alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen with his entourage.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, is said to have booked out the entire Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl after the four-star hotel received “special permission” from the district council to accommodate his party.

The 67-year-old king’s entourage included a “harem” of 20 concubines and numerous servants, reported German tabloid Bild. It is unclear if his four wives are living in the hotel with the rest of the group.

Guesthouses and hotels in the region were ordered to close due to the coronavirus crisis, but a spokesperson for the local district council said the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl was an exception because “the guests are a single, homogenous group of people with no fluctuation”.

However, 119 members of the entourage had been reportedly sent back to Thailand on suspicions they contracted the highly contagious respiratory disease.

News of Vajiralongkorn’s apparent self-isolation in a luxury location was met with anger by tens of thousands of Thai people, who risked breaking the country’s lèse-majesté laws by criticising him online.

Under the laws, anyone who insults or criticises the monarchy could be imprisoned for up to 15 years.

But a Thai hashtag which translated to “Why do we need a king?” appeared 1.2 million times on Twitter within 24 hours after an activist claimed Vijaralongkorn was travelling on holiday in Germany while the outbreak continued to spread across Thailand.

The Thai Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday 109 new cases in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 1,245.

Activist Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who lives in exile in France, posted a series of Facebook posts that claimed Vajiralongkorn was flying from Switzerland to various points in Germany from early March out of “boredom”.

Mr Jeamteerasakul is a vocal critic of Thailand’s monarchy and lèse-majesté laws, and said in one post: “[Vajiralongkorn will] let the Thai people worry about the virus. Even Germany is worried about the virus [but] it’s none of his business.”

The Thai king has not made a public appearance in his home country since February, reported The Times.

His reign in Thailand began in 2016 after the death of his father, Bhumibol. Although there is no way to gauge his popularity among Thais because of severe lèse-majesté laws, it is believed he is not as well-loved as his father, who ruled for over 70 years.

(Source: Independent)

Thai King Vajiralongkorn crowned at start of three day ceremony which transforms him into living god

'I shall reign in righteousness for the benefits of the kingdom and the people forever,' king says in his first royal command after donning the 7kg gold-enameled, diamond-tipped crown

Thailand's king was been crowned on the first of three days of coronation rites, which will see him symbolically transformed into a living god after the culmination of intricate Buddhist and Brahmin rituals.

Maha Vajiralongkorn was officially crowned on Saturday, but has been the southeast Asian nation's constitutional monarch since October 2016 following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Tradition dictates the first royal command is issued during the crowning and serves to capture the essence of the new king's reign.

"I shall reign in righteousness for the benefits of the kingdom and the people forever," the king said, before taking his seat on a high throne under a nine-tiered umbrella in full royal regalia, including a gold-enameled, diamond-tipped crown.

Seated below him was his former chief bodyguard and new Queen Suthida, after a surprise announcement three days before the coronation that the thrice-divorced monarch had married for a fourth time.

The coronation comes after a period of mourning for the late king, who ruled for seven decades.

It also falls amid an unresolved election battle between the ruling military junta and a "democratic front", which is trying to push the army out of politics.

Thailand ended absolute rule by its kings in 1932, but the monarchy remains highly revered as the divine symbol and protector of the country and Buddhist religion.

Thai kings' coronation rituals are a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu Brahmin traditions dating back centuries. One of the many official titles King Vajiralongkorn will take is Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782.

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (C) sitting on the throne during his coronation ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok (ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU)

Saturday's rituals were about transforming him into a "Devaraja", or a divine embodiment of the gods.

The coronation takes place inside the Grand Palace throne hall where the royal guardian deity Phra Siam Devadhiraj is said to reside.

Other features of the coronation include:

• Presenting the king with the royal golden plaque containing his name and title, the royal horoscope, and the royal seal, which were made in a three-hour ritual last week.
• Receiving and wearing the five articles of the royal regalia from the chief Brahmin.
• The high-reaching crown, which weighs 7.3 kg (16 lb) and symbolises the summit of Mount Meru, the Hindu god Indra's heavenly abode, and its weight represents the monarch's royal burden.
•  Waters collected from 117 sources, blessed by Buddhist monks and Brahmin priests at temples around the country, were used to consecrate the king.

This purification is the essential step for the king to be considered the divine representative on Earth and chief patron of Buddhism.

Outside the palace walls, a sea of people in yellow polo shirts - a colour that is symbolic of the king - sat on roadsides, holding up portraits of the king and the Thai national flag.

(Source: Independent)

Sultan of Yogyakarta: A feminist revolution in an ancient kingdom

The Sultan of Yogyakarta holds a powerful political and spiritual position on the Indonesian island of Java. He is manoeuvring to make his eldest daughter his heir, sparking a bitter feud, as the BBC's Indonesia editor Rebecca Henschke reports. Read on: 

"From generation to generation the sultan who reigns over Yogyakarta seems to adapt himself to the changing of times," says Wedono Bimo Guritno quietly as he ushers me through the elaborate palace complex.

He is one of the nearly 1,500 abdi dalam, members of the royal court. A keris, a sacred Javanese dagger, is tucked into his sarong.

"In the past it was not difficult to choose a prince, because in the past, the sultan had more than one wife," Wedono Bimo Guritno tells me. We duck under low gateways into a maze of tree-lined courtyards surrounding the Kraton Kilen, the Sultan's private residence.

"But you know it's always been women that hold the real power in Javanese households," Bimo says with a smile.

Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hayu says she was raised to be equal with men.

As is required of anyone entering the palace, I have been traditionally dressed and groomed for over an hour. I am in a tight batik sarong, with a black silk blouse known as a kebaya. My hair has been pulled back and tied into tight bun, a sanggul.

Everything in this palace, from the placement of trees to the movements made by the royal court, has meaning.

In Javanese culture, things are not said directly, but instead conveyed by symbolism.

The sultan, who is 72, recently changed his own title so that it is gender neutral and has given his eldest daughter the new name Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Mangkubumi - which means "The One Who Holds the Earth".

That was seen as further indication she is being lined up to take over the throne when the time comes.

The princess laughs when I say her title holds a lot of responsibility.

"As in all families, as the eldest I have more responsibility than my sisters. But what the future holds, that decision is the hands of my father," she says with a smile.

She rarely talks publicly about succession and is careful with her words.

"I have been raised not to dream about those things, or hold wishes beyond living a happy life now."

But she adds: "There have been Queens in Aceh and in other Islam kingdoms, that's all I need to say."

Princess Mangkubumi has been given the title The One Who Holds the Earth

Her younger sister, Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hayu, is bolder in speaking about the unprecedented power the princesses have been given.

They were all sent overseas to study in Europe, America and Australia and now hold various leadership positions in the palace that were once the domain of men.

"I am very lucky to have parents that never said that is not a women's job," she says in fluent English.

"It doesn't sit well with some people but when the Sultan says so, you kind of have to go along with it," she laughs.

"That's the importance of a man saying that it's not the time for women to stay back anymore."

'They will be evicted'
The sultan's brothers and sisters are not going along with it. They are outraged and most of them, like GBPH Prabukusumo, are now refusing to speak with the Sultan or attend royal events.

"We are an Islamic royal family and the title is for a man. What would we call her the sultante? It's impossible," he laughs.

The Sultans siblings are no longer talking to him or attending royal events.

He says the move is a dangerous break with hundreds of years of tradition and accused his brother's family of being power hungry and greedy.

And he sends a strong warning about what will happen.

"We have made a family commitment that we will not fight now, but when the sultan has left this world, we have an agreement with the people that we will drive his wife and his daughters out of the palace."

"They will be evicted, as they are no longer members of our family," he says.

That would create quite I stir, I say.

"That's okay, just remember who is in the wrong here."

Two queens?
Outside the palace walls most people are reluctant to take sides, saying they will accept the decision of the royal family.

There is concern about what the Queen of the South Sea will think of a female monarch

But amongst the devoted followers there is concern about what the Queen of the South Sea will think.

The Javanese royal rule stretches back to the 16th Century and while the family is now Muslim like most Indonesians, the rituals they carry out are steeped in mysticism, a product of Hinduism, Buddhism and animism of the past.

And tradition has it that the Sultan of Yogyakarta has to take the goddess Kanjeng Ratu Loro Kidul as his mystical wife.

"There is a vow between the sultan and the Queen of the South Sea Loro Kidul that has been written down in our sacred text, that together they will rule and keep the peace," explains the Sultan's brother GBPH Yudaningrat.

Fingernail clippings and locks of the sultan's hair are offered to the sea goddess every year. They are also offered to the ogre Sapu Jagat inside Mount Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes that looms over the city.

Rituals in the palace are carried out in the same way they have for hundreds of years.

The offerings and spiritual union are meant to ensure the sacred alignment between the volcano, the palace in the middle, and the Indian Ocean, and thus the safety of the people.

"What will happen if there are two queens? How can they be together? I am not sure that can happen," asks Agus Suwanto, a tour guide outside the palace.

That's a good question and a good point, smiles Wedono Bimo Guritno, the palace guide, when I ask him.

"The sultan's role is to keep both the goddess of the south sea and the god of the volcano in balance. Some people forget about the volcano, god. I am sure the sultan will make a wise decision for the people of Yogyakarta."

Challenging times
The Sultan of Yogyakarta also has to make decisions about more earthly matters as the governor of the city and the surrounding area.

When Indonesia gained independence, Jakarta allowed the Yogyakarta royal family to keep its power, out of gratitude for their role in fighting the colonial Dutch rulers.

So Yogyakarta is the only place in Indonesia where residents don't get to directly elect their leader. When it was suggested by Jakarta that this should change in 2010 there were angry protests on the streets of Yogyakarta and the central government backed down.

The Sultan of Yogyakarta is the last in Indonesia with real political power.

But Sultan Hamengkubuwono X has been a controversial modern leader with wide ranging political and business ambitions.

When Mount Merapi started erupting in 2006 he told villagers to listen to scientists rather than the palace-appointed gatekeeper of the volcano about when to evacuate.

And some in Yogyakarta accuse him of turning this cultural, once sleepy, capital into a city of shopping malls, billboards and high-rise buildings.

Mystic Islam
These are challenging times for Java's unique moderate, mystical form of Islam that the Sultan and the Kraton represents.

Sultan Hamengkubuwono X is a prominent modernate Islamic leader.

Veneration of objects or idols, and hints to polytheism, run in conflict with the Wahhabis strain of Islam that is growing in popularity in Java.

"I run the social media pages for the palace and I see this conservative view," says Princess Gusti Hayu.

"But we have reasons why we carry out rituals here the way we do and it might not be exactly the same as in the Koran but we don't stray, we don't do weird cult things," she laughs.

Princess Haryu says opening up the palace is the only way for the culture to survive

"This is an Islamic kingdom, it's not about walking around looking like someone from the Middle East and just sounding very religious. Islam is woven into everything we do daily."

She says past royal families took pride in being exclusive and being shrouded in mysticism, but that the way to survive is to open the palace up.

"So the young don't lose touch with their Javanese side because if we lose our cultural identity it's not going to come back."

Despite an increasing number of young Javanese Muslim women now choosing to wear the headscarf, hijabs are not allowed in the palace.

"Lots of women who wear the headscarf take it off when they enter the Kraton for rituals, voluntarily, and put it on again when they leave," says the Queen Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas .

"This is not about religion, it's about protecting our culture and tradition and society understands that. The Sultan is above all religions."

But this is increasingly a provocative stance to take in today's Indonesia.

Recently the daughter of Indonesia's first President Sukarno, Sukmawati, was reported to the police for blasphemy and forced to apologise for saying in a poem that the Javanese hairbun was more beautiful than a Islamic chador.

Queen Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas is accused by the Sultans family of leading the revolt.

The sultan's extended family accuses the queen, who is a senator in the national parliament, of leading the revolt against tradition.

She says she raised her daughters to be independent and to believe they were equal to men.

"When my daughters were 15 years I told them they had to leave the palace, to get educated in the world, to bring back what they learnt."

Grooming them for leadership? I ask.

That decision is in the hands of the sultan, she says firmly.

"But, yes, the heir has to be the bloodline, so there is no need for you to dig deeper."

"There will always be conflict and power struggles at times of change," she adds.

(Source: BBC)

The Thai queen who couldn’t be saved because it was forbidden to touch a royal

There is an entire catalog of almost unbelievable deaths of royal people. Such as Henry I, who was king of England from 1100 until 1135, a period in which he went through all the different types of turmoils that a king of the medieval age can possibly go through.

He defended his borders from various adversaries, and with his marriage to a Scottish princess, Matilda, he tried to convey a friendliness with the Scots. No matter how grand some of his deeds, he died a rather bizarre death, supposedly caused by a meal of lamprey eels. The king dismissed his doctor’s warnings–they had advised him against consuming the suspicious dish. He contracted a disease and, after a short while, passed away at the age of 67.

Another European king, Alexander of Greece, was just 27 when he died in his own bizarre fashion, in 1920. The Greek king was taking a stroll in his summer palace near Athens when a monkey attacked his pet German Shepherd, Fritz. The monkey was reportedly a Barbary macaque that belonged to a palace employee. The king attempted to break up the fighting animals and ended up a victim himself, as the monkey hurt his leg as well as biting him all over his body. The wounds became infected and less than a month later the king was pronounced dead.

Queen Sunandha Kumariratana, Queen consort of
King Chulalongkorn of Siam

It’s not only in Europe that members of royal families have died in unusual circumstances. One of the most hard-to-believe such stories is of the queen consort of Siam (modern-day Thailand), Sunandha Kumariratana. She was the first of the three wives of Siamese King Chulalongkorn, who is known for introducing some progressive reforms within his kingdom, like abolishing slavery.

Princess Kannabhorn Bejaratana, daughter of King
Chulalongkorn (Rama V the Great) of Siam, with her
mother, Queen Sunandha Kumariratana

At the time of her death, Sunandha Kumariratana already had one daughter and was expecting another child. In May 1880, when Sunandha was just 19 years old, she was on a trip to the royal family’s bountiful Bang Pa-In summer residence, outside of Bangkok. She was accompanied by Princess Karnabhorn Bejraratana, not even two years old, and a group of guards and servants.

Royal Crematorium of Sunandha Kumariratana 1881

But reaching the palace required crossing Chao Phraya River, Thailand’s biggest river. The queen consort and the princess were escorted to a separate boat which was dragged by a bigger boat to carry them over the river. However, the royal vessel capsized in strong currents and both were plunged into the water. None of the royal entourage proceeded to help them. Supposedly everyone followed the lead of the main guard, who did not assist them or urge anyone else to help the drowning royals–all three lives were lost while their attendants just stood and watched.

The guards, and everyone else on the scene, were adhering to an old and rigid Siamese law that did not allow any ordinary person to touch a member of the royal family. Breaking this law was punishable with death.

According to Misfit History, besides the law, any desire to help save the life of the queen could have been diminished by a superstitious belief as well. Allegedly, saving a person who was drowning in the river was associated with misfortune. If someone offered help to the person that meant meddling with the spirits who lived in the water.

Queen Sunanda Kumariratana Memorial, Photo: กสิณธร ราชโอรส –

CC BY-SA 4.0

After this incident, where three lives could have been easily spared with a little help, King Chulalongkorn proceeded to imprison the attendant who did not give any orders to attempt a rescue.

The king greatly grieved the death of his spouse, who is said to be the one he loved the best of all. The funerary procession that was accordingly arranged for the queen was possibly the most expensive funeral in the history of this Asian kingdom.

The king also carried out a great deal of work to complete the royal summer residence, which his revered wife was due to visit on the day of her unfortunate death. In the backyard of the palace, he placed a memorial to Sunandha Kumariratana and the children, a reminder of the extraordinary circumstances that ended their lives all too soon.

(Source: The Vintage News)

Meet the wealthiest person of all time – Mansa Musa I-the sultan of the Mali Empire

Mansa Musa Keita was the emperor or the king, the sultan of the Mali Empire. Surprisingly, during the 14th century, while the Europe was in its peak of wars all around the continent, far in the south in Western Africa, the Mali Empire was flourishing.

During his reign Mansa Musa amassed a fortune that made him one of the wealthiest people who ever lived. Even wealthier than the people one can think of, living today.

The Arab-Egyptian scholar Al-Umari quotes Mansa Musa as follows:
“The ruler who preceded me did not believe that it was impossible to reach the extremity of the ocean that encircles the earth (the Atlantic Ocean). He wanted to reach that (end) and was determined to pursue his plan. So he equipped two hundred boats full of men and many others full of gold, water and provisions sufficient for several years. He ordered the captain not to return until they had reached the other end of the ocean, or until he had exhausted the provisions and water. So they set out on their journey. They were absent for a long period, and, at last, just one boat returned. When questioned the captain replied: ‘O Prince, we navigated for a long period until we saw in the midst of the ocean a great river which was flowing massively. My boat was the last one; others were ahead of me, and they were drowned in the great whirlpool and never came out again. I sailed back to escape this current.’ But the Sultan would not believe him. He ordered two thousand boats to be equipped for him and his men, and one thousand more for water and provisions. Then he conferred the regency on me for the term of his absence, and departed with his men, never to return nor to give a sign of life.”

Apparently, Mansa Musa Keita became emperor following the death of his predecessor, Abu-Bakr II. He strategically gained control over the cities of Timbaktu and the city of Gao and Mali, rich in salt and gold became his land – the land of the emperor. By ruling the cities of Timbaktu and Gao he gained control over important trade routes between the Mediterranean and the West African Coast.

He became known to the world when he set out on his pilgrimage to Mecca. Musa made his pilgrimage between 1324 -1325 and no, he didn’t take off by himself. He took a caravan of 10 000 soldiers, 30 000 civilians, 12 000 slaves and with 500 heralds bearing gold, all of them richly dressed in Persian silk. He provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals.

Those animals included 80 camels and each carried between 50 and 300 pounds of gold dust. Musa gave the gold to the poor he met along his route. His pilgrimage lasted for a whole year. But Musa’s generous actions inadvertently devastated the economy of the regions through which he passed. In the cities of Cairo, Medina, and Mecca, the sudden influx of gold devalued the metal for the next decade.

Prices on goods and wares greatly inflated. To rectify the gold market, on his way back from Mecca, Musa borrowed all the gold he could carry from money-lenders in Cairo, at high interest. This is the only time recorded in history that one man directly controlled the price of gold in the Mediterranean.

By the time he got back from his pilgrimage Mansa Musa the Western world had already heard of him and his wealth. Mansa Musa, his wealth, and Mali were included in the Catalan Atlas from 1375 which is one of the most important world maps of Medieval Europe. On this map “The King” is depicted holding a scepter and a gleaming gold nugget.

When he returned from Mecca, Mansa Musa dedicated to improving the economy, education and architecture in Mali bringing Arab scholars, government bureaucrats, and architects with him.

As a devout Muslim, Mansa Musa turned the cities into religious centers. He brought Andalusian architects among whom was the architect Ishaq El Teudjin who introduced advanced building techniques to Mali.

He designed numerous buildings for the Emperor including a new palace named Madagou, the mosque at Gao, the second largest city in Mali, and the still-standing Djinguereber mosque at Timbuktu, the largest city in the empire. El Teudjin’s most famous design was the Emperor’s chamber at the Malian capital of Niani.

Mansa Musa also established a major university in Timaktu – The University of Sankore which was staffed with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. The university became a center of learning and culture attracting scholars and students from all around the Islamic world.
While Musa’s palace has since vanished, the university and mosque still stand in Timbuktu today.

By the end of Mansa Musa’s reign, the Sankoré University had been converted into a fully staffed University with the largest collections of books in Africa since the Library of Alexandria. The Sankoré University was capable of housing 25,000 students and had one of the largest libraries in the world with roughly 1,000,000 manuscripts.

After reigning for 25 years, Mansa Musa died in 1337. He was succeeded by his son, Maghan I.

“The king’s rich legacy persisted for generations and to this day, there are mausoleums, libraries, and mosques that stand as a testament to this golden age of Mali’s history,”

(Source: The Vintage News)