Raja Mantra Pravina Dewan Bahadur Maliyakal Kuriyan (Mysore) Matthan

RAJA MANTRA PRAVINA DEWAN BAHADUR
MALIYAKAL KURIYAN (MYSORE) MATTHAN

Dewan Bahadur Mysore Matthan

The father of Mysore Matthan was Maliyakal Ravoor Matthan Kurien, also known as Maliyakal K. Ashcan (1852 - 1935), more commonly known as Kuriachayan. 

Kuriachayan was a posthumous and only child of his father. His mother, sister of Archdeacon K. Koshy Achen and John Ashan (popularly known as Chempolil Ashan) were the children of Maramon Koshy. She married a second time. Kuriachayan had stepbrothers through his mother's second marriage. 

As his mother remarried, Kuriachayan was looked after by some of his father's family and was not treated well. So his mother's brother, Archdeacon Koshy Achen, of the Mullamangalam family, took him to Kottayam where he grew up and was educated. 

(Koshy Achen was the first person to publish a book in Malayalam. He was a member of the Anglican Church and became a teacher at the CMS School at Kottayam. Because of his profession he came to be known as Kurien Asaan.)

Kuriachayan married Koch Aley (1859 - 1950) of the Kizhakethalekal family (her second marriage) and was the father of 9 children, 5 sons and 4 daughters. He did not think Kottayam was a suitable place to raise his children, so he left Kottayam for Thiruvalla to teach at the Christian Missionary Church (CMS) Church School at Tholaserri.

Kuriachayan was short and dark. Koch Aley was also a short person. Both of them were very religious. There had nine children and there are reported 52 grandchildren who can be accounted for. 

Kuriachayan had patience with his grandchildren who used to visit him during their vacations and scream and play. He tolerated them and did not utter any annoyance or show discomfort at the ruckus the grandchildren made. 

All of them attended the CMS Church at Tholaserri. Kuriachayan used to read the Bible lessons regularly in the Sunday services. Family prayers were insisted on everyday, both in the morning and evening. The family also sang hymns during that time. 

Kuriachayan and Koch Aley were very generous and gave alms to the poor and helped in the activities of the church. Kuriachayan suffered from asthama and had constant attacks of cold and bronchitis.

Kuriachayan was shattered at the death of his fourth son, K. Kurien, who died at the very young age of 39. He was never the same after that. He suffered a heart attack while walking in the grounds of the house and became immobile. Most of his remaining time was spent in bed or sitting in his favourite armchair on the house verandah. He could only move around with a walking stick and died in 1935 at the age of 83. He has been buried in the CSI Church at Tholaserri, Thiruvalla.

By this time, Kuriachayan's eldest son, Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan, had bought the Thiruvalla house for him and Koch alley to live in. After Kuriachayan's demise, Koch Aley continued to live in the house for several years until she moved in 1948 to Amallor. 

At 10 am every morning, Koch Aley used to have daily medicine (marune) which was a shot of brandy! The brandy bottle was kept in her "kalipetti" under her bed. This fact was known to her grandsons. They used to sip a little from the bottle and then make up the deficit by adding a few drops of water to the bottle, until Koch Aley complained that her original medicine had lost its strength and was no good. 

She used to walk around the house biting her knuckles and she retained a very alert mind. She continued to attend church after Kuriachayan died, travelling by bullock cart. Koch Aley died at the age of 91 in 1950 and she is also buried in the Tholaserri Church. 

His eldest son, Maliyakal Kuriyan "Mysore" Matthan (1862 - 1951) married Mariamma (1864 - 1974, Karimpanakal family) and had 12 children, 6 sons and 6 daughters. Only 5 sons and 5 daughters survived to adulthood, the eldest two passing away in childhood.

The eldest born son was called Kuriyan, after his father, However, he was sickly and passed away when he was just a baby. When the second son was born, he was a very small baby, and it was thought he may not survive, so they named him as George. When the third son was born, my father, he was named as Kuriyan after his father.

Wife of Mysore Matthan, Mariamma
(Silver casket of Mysore Sugar Mills 
presented to Mysore Matthan is behind her.)

Their children were Thankamma (1901 - 1915), Kuriyan (1903 - 1903), George (Kutty, Langford Appachen) (1905 - 1971), Anne (Kochannamakochamma (1907 - 2001), Mariam (Kunjukochamma) in Bangalore (1909 - 2003), my father, Kuriyan (Kunjunja) (1911 - 1993), Elizabeth (Chinchaya) in Bangalore (1913 - 2007), Matthan (Babyappen) (1915 - 2001), John (Johnnypapen) (1918 - 1988), Jacob (Kochuppapen) in Bangalore (1920 - 2016), Grace (Accahi) in Coimbatore (1923 - 2015) and Susan (Papachi) in Bangalore (1926 - )

Standing: Kurian, Elizabeth, George, Mariam (wife of George), Jacob
Seated: Mariam, Mariamma, Mysore Matthan, Susan, Anne, Grace
Seated on floor: Ammini and Balu (children of George)

Mysore Matthan, or Valliappachen as he was known to me, studied in Madras Christian College in Tambaram, outside Madras. From there he joined the Mysore Civil Service.

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (1905)
Maharaja of Mysore 1894 - 1940

Mysore Matthan came to the notice of the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, for his hard work and his principles.

The region of Mysore, especially Mandya District, had historically been dry. There was mass migration to adjoining areas in the hot summers. About a fifth of the population of Mysore was lost because of severe drought in 1875–76. Crop failures were common due to lack of water for irrigation. The Kaveri river was seen as a potential source of irrigation water for the farmers in and around Mysore.The then Chief Engineer of Mysore, M. Visvesvaraya, presented the Mysore Maharaja with a blueprint of a dam to be built across the Kaveri river near the village of Kannambadi. He faced opposition from the finance ministry of the government of Mysore, who said the project would "serve no purpose" and that the electricity produced from it would not be of complete use due to lack in demand.

Visvervaraya  approached T. Ananda Rao, the Dewan of Mysore and the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV for a reconsideration.

The Maharaja gave his consent. He issued an order on 11 October 1911 to begin the project and a sum of Rs. 81 lakh was set aside for it.

Mysore Matthan had opposed the building of the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam outside Mysore and earned the ire of the Chief Engineer of Mysore, M. Visvesvaraya.

Krishnaraja Sagar Dam, Mysore

Just a junior junior bureaucrat on the Maharaja's Mysore Government, Mysore Matthan objected to the start of construction. In a fury, Visvesvaraya, ordered Mysore Matthan to be transferred from Mysore.

It was a policy of the Mysore Maharaja that when a person was transferred, he had to say his farewell to the Maharaja in his court. As Mysore Matthan was well liked for his efficiency, the Maharaja asked him why he was being transferred. At first,Mysore Matthan said it was the will of the Dewan.

On being pressed, he told the Maharaja that he had opposed the start of construction of the dam as no steps had been taken to relocate the people who would be affected by the inundation of their lands.

The Maharaja postponed the start of construction of the dam and ordered Mysore Matthan to look after this aspect of relocation of the affected people.

Madras Presidency had also opposed the project. They requested the British Imperial Government to not approve it. But because of Visvesvaraya's forceful persuasion, the Government finally consented. 

The initial plan to build a 194-feet high dam to hold an estimated 1.18 cubic km of water. But this plan was dropped had to be dropped.In place of cement

Construction began in November 1911. About  10,000 workers were employed. A mortar known as surki was used in place of cement, as the latter was not manufactured in India. The construction was completed in 1931.

Around 10,000 persons had to be relocated because of the project. They were rehabilitated and provided with agricultural land in the adjacent areas by the government under the direct supervision of Mysore Matthan. Ttill this day, he is revered by the people of Mandya District which became the sugar district of the state. Mysore Sugar Mills was set up to handle the sugarcane grown by the farmers and Mysore Matthan was appointed the Chairman of the Company.

The adjoining area to the dam was developed as a beautiful garden with fountains which played in the night.  Brindavan Gardens has developed to become  is a tourist spot. The gardens are lit at night and the dancing fountains and the walk through them are a delight.

Fountains of Brindavan Gardens, Mysore at night

Mysore Matthan was later to become the First Member (Prime Minister) of the Mysore Maharaja's Government prior to his retirement. He was given the title of Dewan Bahadur by the British.

After his retirement, Mysore Matthan moved to his house in Basvangudi in Bangalore on property ear-marked for former First Members of the Mysore Government. The beautiful house, called Grace Home, named after his fourth daughter, and its beautiful gardens, are maintained by its present owners almost exactly as it was during his lifetime.

All of his children, except the eldest son, were educated in Bishop Cotton Schools in Bangalore. All his sons became leaders in their field of expertise.

The eldest, George joined the Mysore Government Service, like his father, and reached the highest level of Commissioner, serving in different parts of the State.

Roster of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren 

of Kuriyan Matthan who passed through the portals of the 

Bishop Cotton Schools in Bangalore.

My father, Kuriyan, did his Bachelor's Degree in Madras Christian College, Madras, and then went to Imperial College, London, to specialise in Electrical Engineering. His family story, which is part of my own story, is contained in subsequent blog entries.

The third son, Matthan, did his degree from Cambridge University, England. He served in several private organisations, such as DCM on Jaipur and also in Delhi, as the Chief Administrator. He sat on the Governing Council of St. Stephen's College in Delhi and also was associated with many other Christian Institutions as hospitals and schools.The fourth son, John, studied Engineering in the The Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE) in Jamalpur, in Bihar, rose to the level of General Manager in various Railway Divisions all over India, was seconded as Managing Director of the Bharat Heavy Electrical Factory at  Ramachandrapuram outside Hyderabad, and ended his illustrious career as the Managing Director of the Integral Coach Factory in Perambur, Chennai. The last son, Jacob Matthan, worked his way up the ladder in Insurance and reached the  post of Chairman of India's largest financing institution. Life Insurance Corporation of India, by the time of his retirement.

All Mysore Matthan's daughters were highly educated but did not enter any service as that was not the custom in their time. Three of them, Anne, Mariam and Elizabeth, also studied in London in the 1930s when my father was studying in Imperial College.

On his retirement, Mysore Matthan settled in his house in Basavangudi. Every evening he would walk the 5 or more kilometres from his house to our home on Lalbagh Road, see his grandchildren and then stop at a friend's house for a daily peg, and then walk back. He walked with his back straight as an arrow and briskly, carrying his beautifully carved walking stick. It showed his authority and determination that made him reach the highest echelons of government. Ever since, he has remained an unforgettable character in my mind. He passed away quietly at his home in 1951.

Mysore Matthan's wife, Mariamma, brought up all her children with a strict disciplinary hand, ensuring all of them were educated to the highest level they could attain. She ruled her household with an iron hand but also with great love and affection. She had a huge dining table (probably seating more than 15 people) where she ensured that all the children sat together for their dinner and observed the strict etiquette fit for the the high places they were later destined for!

Mariamma survived her husband by 22 years, living a quiet life in Bangalore with her eldest widowed daughter, Anne, where she received a constant stream of visitors. She enjoyed her small glass of brandy every evening.

Her grace was in her stature, which showed she had been able to stand in front of the Maharaja and show her character, as the woman behind her husband!

All the grandchildren of Mysore Matthan have excelled themselves in various fields. Among them, I was fortunate to become the youngest person in the world to be awarded the Fellowship of the Plastics and Rubber Institute of London in 1978 when I was Chairman of the Bangalore Chapter of the Plastics Institute of India.

But then, my chequered history will be seen through the remaining blog entries over time!