• Dr. R. Nandhini

Travancore was one of the princely states situated in the southern part of India. The early history of Travancore traces its descent from the old Chera dynasty, one of the three great dynasties of the ancient Tamil country. The King of Travancore remained the source of all authority, judicial, administrative, and legislative. The government of the country was conducted in the name and under the control of His Highness the King. Dewans were appointed by the Maharaja remained the Prime Minister. The Dewan was assisted by a government secretariat. In 1857, Rama Rao was appointed Tahsildar of Kalkulam. Shankara Subaiyar’s talents were spotted by the then Dewan, Sir T. Madhava Rao who appointed him Deputy Sheristadar of Police. Krishnaswamy Rao was an Indian civil servant, judge, and administrator who served as the Dewan of Travancore from 1898 to 1904. Madhava Rao was an Indian administrator and statesman who served as the Dewan of Mysore kingdom from 1906 to 1909 and Baroda from 1910 to 1913. In December 1896, Rajagopalachari was appointed Dewan by Maharaja Rama Varma of Cochin. Mannath Krishnan Nair served as the Dewan of Travancore from 1914 to 1920. Dewan Bahadur T. Raghavaiah was an Indian administrator who served as the Dewan of Travancore from 1920 to 1925. Subramanya Iyer was an Indian administrator who served as the Dewan of the princely state of Travancore from 1929 to 1932. Muhammad Habibullah was an Indian politician and administrator who served as the Dewan of Travancore from 1934 to 1936. P. G. N. Unnithan was the last Dewan (Prime Minister) of independent Travancore. He succeeded Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer on August 20th, 1947. The king was the center and source of all authority namely legislative, administrative and judicial. The administration was conducted in his name. The Dewan was the chief executive of the state. He regulated and exercised extensive authority over all the departments of the government.

Travancore - administrative - government - Prime Minister - Tahsildar - Dewan - Dalit - upliftment - administrator - politician - princely state - regulated - departments

"ROLE OF DEWANS IN TRAVANCORE ADMINISTRATION", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 3, page no.432-438, March-2017, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1703084.pdf

"ROLE OF DEWANS IN TRAVANCORE ADMINISTRATION", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 3, page no. pp432-438, March-2017, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1703084.pdf