Sheristadar Of The Judicial Commissioner’s Office At Bangalore

1867 : Mr. Thumboo Chetty was appointed Sheristadar of the Judicial Commissioner’s Office at Bangalore. Within a few weeks of his arrival at Bangalore, Mr. Thumboo Chetty proceeded to Mysore to Pay his Homage to the then Maharajah, Krishnaraja Wadiar. “There (writes Mr Thumboo Chetty) I was accorded a joyful welcome, I related the circumstances which led to my transfer to Mysore, and I was very much struck with what fell from the lips of His Highness, who, as I stood up and made my obeisance and craved leave to depart, gave a gentle tap on my shoulder and, with a majestic look and in a powerful voice, said : "Young as you are you have a long career of usefulness before you. You are new to Mysore, but I am sure you will be kind and sympathetic to the Mysoreans, always treating them as you own countrymen." I regarded this as a golden admonition indicating His Highness’s lofty ideal and great anxiety for the well-being of his beloved subjects. (page 24; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Senior Councillor

At the rendition of Mysore, which took place on the 25th of March 1881, Mr. Thumboo Chetty was appointed ex-officio Senior Member of His Highness the Maharajah’s Council, under a proclamation, of which the following is a copy :-

We have further resolved that a council shall be formed to be styled ‘The Council of His Highness the Maharajah of Mysore,’ which shall consist of the Dewan, for the time being, as the ex-officio President, and of two or more Members to be specially appointed by us for time to time. It shall be the duty of the Member of the said council to submit, for our consideration, their opinions on all questions relating to Legislation and Taxation, and all important mesurs connected with the good administration of our territories and the well-being of our subjects. We are accordingly, pleased to appoint Cettipuniam Veeravalli Rungacharlu, C.I.E, Dewan, ex-officio President; Trichinopoly Royaloo Arogheaswamy Thumboo Chetty, Judge, ex-officio Member; Poorna Krishna Rao and Attupakam Ratna Sabapathy Mudeliar, Member, to be Members of the said Council to Hold office, as such councilors, for the term of three years, or during our pleasure. Given under our hand and seal at Mysore, this 25^th day of March 1881. (page 56; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Chief Judge

The Daily Post wrote on the 6^th July 1891, as follows: – “His Highness the Maharajah has been pleased to confirm Mr. T. R. A Thumboo Chetty as Chief Judge of Mysore. A glance at Mr Thumboo Chetty’s History of Services rendered to the Mysore Government shows that talent, joined to untiring energy and intense application, must, in the long run, receive its just reward, and to those of our readers who peruse, with advantage to themselves, the records of eminent men, who, by their own exertions, have risen to the top of the tree, we can conscientiously recommend our Chief judge as an example to be diligently copied…

We trust that Mr. Thumboo Chetty will enjoy for many years the high honour just conferred on him, and we hope that ere many months have passed over our heads we will have occasion to congratulate both Mr. Sheshadri Iyer, the Devan of Mysore, and Mr. Thumboo Chetty, the Chief Judge, the two officials on Whom the welfare of the Mysore State Chiefly depends, in being further honoured by receipt of rewards for long, distinguished and honourable services from the Supreme Government of India.” (page 218; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Maharaja Sri Chamarajendra Wadiar

Officiating Dewan (The Dassara at Mysore)

On two occasions, while Mr. Thumboo Chetty was acting as Dewan, he had to take part in the Dassara celebrations, when all the marks of honour usually shown to the permanent incumbent of the office were shown to him, and the following extract from one of the local newspapers describes briefly what was done : —

" Dassara at Mysore. — The first day of Dassara was celebrated at Mysore on Tuesday, the 10th instant with great pomp, splendour and eclat. His Highness the Maharajah, Chamarajendra Wadyar Bahadur, G.C.S.I., ascended the ancient and illustrious throne of Salivahana at 7-30 a.m, amidst a shower of flowers and clapping of hands. The troops of H.H. the Maharajah, including the Imperial Service Corps, paraded and presented arms, the sight was very imposing. There was a large array of elephants newly captured in the Province of Mysore. The crowd of spectators was immense — it was composed of all classes of people from different parts of India. The incessant rain of the past three days having ceased, the morning of first day of Dassara was bright, clear and pleasant. There is general rejoicing in the capital; the whole town has a holiday appearance. The Officiating Dewan, Mr. Thumboo Cbetty, was conducted to the Palace with all the honours paid to the permanent Dewan on such occasions. On his arrival at the Palace gate, H.H.'s body guard formed into a special guard-of-honour and presented arms. At the close of the Durbar His Highness the Maharajah was specially pleased to honour Mr. Thumboo Chettyar by throwing garlands of flowers on him personally from the throne. This is the highest mark of public honour shown by Indian Sovereigns on their favoured subjects on such occasions, for which Mr. Thumboo Chetty was cheered and congratulated by the public most enthusiastically."

The Dassara festivities in Mysore are invariably celebrated with great splendour and pomp. The origin of celebrating Dassara in Mysore dates from a very early period, and, in this respect, His long line Highness connects himself with a Royal ancestors who have ever taken a leading part in making the annual Dassara festivities more and more popular so as to strengthen and cement that kindly and loyal feeling that should subsist between the sovereign and the subjects. (page 239; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Sudden Death of Maharajah Chamarajendra Wadeyar Bahadur and Proclamation of Succession of the present Maharajah

Universal sympathy was expressed for the bereaved Royal family. Simultaneously with the sudden death of the handsome young ruler was produced the thought that the unfortunate Maharani, who was subjected to life-long misery, was barely 29, having been born in 1866. The eldest of her children, Princess Jaya Lakshammanni, born on March 11, 1881, was just 11 The second Princess, Krishnaj Ammani, born on 8th June 1883, was not yet 1 2. The third, Krishnaraj Wadeyar, to be installed on the throne, born on the 4th June 1884, was 10 years and 7 months old. The fifth, the second Prince named Kanteerava Narasaraj Wadeyar, was a child of six years, and his sister, Chaluvaj Ammani, was his elder by about a year. The little Prince and Princess, bereft of their loving father, tenderly clung to their unconsolable mother ; and but for the solace coming from these pretty little ones, the life of the Maharani would have been indescribably bad. (page 243; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Proclamation of Succession of the present Maharajah. — Within two days afterwards, the succession of His Highness the present Maharajah was announced under the following notification, issued by Mr. Thumboo Chetty : —

'• The Mysore Gazette Extraordinary published by authority, Mysore, Sunday, December 30, 1894. — Notification, Mysore, the 30th December 1894. — The following communication, received from the British Resident in Mysore, is hereby published for general information — ' The Government of India are pleased to sanction the succession of His Highness Krishnaraj Wadeyar Bahadur, the eldest son of His Highness the late Maharajah Chamarajendra Wadeyar Bahadur, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. Pending the issue of orders on the form of administration to be finally approved as that which is best suited for the period of minority, the administration of the State will continue, for the immediate future, in the manner in which it is now conducted under the Dewan, Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer, K.C.S.I- The Dewan will ask for and follow the advice of the Resident on all matters of importance, and, so far as is practicable and desirable, he will consult the wishes of Her Highness the Maharani Vanivilas Sannidhana, CI. — T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty, Chief Judge and ex-officio Senior Member of Council." (page 243; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Maharaja Sri Krishnarajendra Wadiar

Senior Member Of The Regency Council Of Mysore

The following proclamation, dated Bangalore, the 18^th February 1895 : – “Whereas His Excellency the Viceroy and the Government General of India in Council has been pleased to declare that the administration of the State of Mysore shall, during the minority of His Highness Maharajah Sri Krishnaraj Wadeyar Bahadur, Maharajah of Mysore, be conducted by Her Highness Maharani Vanivilas Sannidhana Kempananjammanniavaru, C.I., as Regent, and by the Dewan, assited by a Council of tree Members, of which he shall be President, Her Highness the Maharani-Regent has been pleased, with the approval of the Government of India, to appoint –

(1) Rajadharma Pravina Mr. T. R. A Thumboo Chetty, Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore,

(2) Mr. P. N. Krishnamurti, Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore, and

(3) Khan Bahadur Mr. Abdul Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Shimoga,

To be members of the Council aforesaid for a term of three years, being, however, eligible for re-appointement at the end of the period. Mr. Thumboo Chetty will, in Addition, retain his position as the Chief Judge until relieved of the same in the due course.” (page 246; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Installation Of The Young Maharajah

Mr. Thumboo Chetty had the inexpressible pleasure of witnessing the anxiously looked for installation of His Highness the young Maharajah, which took place at the Durbar held in the Mysore Jagan Mohun Palace by His Excellency Lord Curzon. (page 275; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Retirement from Mysore Service

Dated 9th December 1900, Mr. Thumboo Chetty in a brief note:--I had been serving for more than three decades, during which period I have had the pride, pleasure and honour of making my acquaintance with His Highness the old Maharajah, (grandfather of the present Maharajah) of serving the late lamented and illustrious Maharajah, Sri Chamarajendra Wadeyar Bahadur as his Chief Judge, Councillor and, occasionally, as Prime Minister, of being associated with no less than 20 Chief Commissioners and British Residents, and of welcoming to Mysore no less than six Viceroys including Lord Curzon. (page 246; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Retirement from the Mysore Service. — By a singular coincidence both Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer and Mr. Thumboo Chetty retired almost simultaneously, and the Dewan's mantle, held pro tern by the latter, fell on Mr. Krishnamurti, the next Senior Councillor. The following notification was issued in the Mysore Gazette : —

" No. 438 D. C, dated Bangalore, 18th March 1901.— In permitting Raja Dharma Pravina Mr. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty, C.I.E., Member of Council and Officiating Dewan of Mysore, to retire from the service of the State with effect from the date of the expiry of the furlough granted to him by separate notification of this date, Her Highness the Maharani-Regent, C.I., takes this opportunity of ex- pressing her sense of the very valuable services rendered by him in the various high and responsible offices which he has filled during a service in the State extending over a period of 34 years. Her Highness feels that, by his retirement the State loses the services of an officer of wide experience, remarkable industry and singular devotion to duty."

Thus happily ended the official career of one who, from humble situations, gradually rose to be the Prime Minister of one of the principal Native States in British India, who attained a pitch of popularity which rendered him the idol of Mysore Province, and who, by his example, has proved to the world that the very heights of social and public life are accessible to all from whatever low level they commence, provided they take advantage of the openings Providence may set before them in life, and work with patience, perseverance, industry and honesty. (page 259; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Demise of Mr. T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty

His Highness the Maharajah of Mysore, to whom the intelligence was sent, caused the following telegram to be despatched by his Private Secretary.

" Mysore, 20th June 1907— His Highness desires to express on behalf of Her Highness the Maharani, late Regent, and himself the very deep regret with which they have received the news of the death of your father, who was not only their valued friend, but a most distinguished and faithful servant of the State and of their family."

His Highness was further graciously pleased to order that, as a mark of respect to the memory of this most distinguished officer, whose death His Highness deplored, all public offices and schools in the State be closed for the day. This order was given effect to by means of wire throughout the Province and carried out. (page 289; T. Royaloo Chetty)

Source : The book "A brief sketch of the life of Raja Dharma Pravina, T.R.A. Thumboo Chetty" by T. Royaloo Chetty