Sri Padmanabha Dasa Bala Rama Varma, Maharaja of Travancore

Sitter in 6 portraits
Succeeded his father as Maharaja of Travancore in 1924 at the age of 12 (Regency until aged 18). His rule saw this Southern state become one of the richest and most liberal in India in the period before Independence from Britain in 1947. A devout Hindu of literary and artistic tastes he made important reforms allowing low-caste Hindus to make use of temples previously frequented only by Brahmins and others of high caste. Though stripped of his powers at Independence he succeeded as President of the merged Province of Travancore-Cochin in 1949. Founder of of Travancore University and sometime Chancellor and a Hon Major-General in the British Army.