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Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (1895–1985) was the regent of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her younger cousin, Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi were adopted into the Travancore Royal Family and were the granddaughters of the celebrated painter, Raja Ravi Varma. In 1924, Maharajah Moolam Thirunal died and his grand nephew and the heir to the throne, Sree Chithira Thirunal, was just 12 years old then. A regency became necessary, since the Maharajah was still a minor. It was decided, despite the opposition of the minor Maharajah's mother, Junior Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi, that Sethu Lakshmi Bayi should be Regent as she was the Senior Maharani until the minor King came of age in 1930. Sethu Lakshmi Bayi's regency continued the progressive administration of Travancore Dynasty and brought forth reforms like abolition of Devadasi system as well as the prohibition of animal sacrifice. Her meeting with Mahatma Gandhi resulted in a royal proclamation by which all the public roads (except the eastern road) to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple were opened to all castes. She also amended the Travancore Nayar Act in relation to the Marumakkathayam system of inheritance and family. Eventually in 1928, the matrilineal system were altogether done away with, introducing patrilineal nuclear family system among Nairs. At the same time, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi was criticized by social reformers for not allowing temple entry for dalits and also for preventing Jawaharlal Nehru from entering the Padmanabhaswamy Temple as Nehru had undertaken sea voyage. She was also criticized for formulating the notorious Press Regulation Act in 1926 which gagged the Press. 〔''At the Turn of the Tide'' by Lakshmi Raghunanadan, pages:234-242 : " The Government of India, long before the passing of the Press Act, gave notice of the measure to follow. In Travancore, on the other hand, the measure was hatched in secret and hurled at the public with the sole object or saving the Valia Koil Tampuran from newspaper attacks and not to serve any public purpose. The interference of the valia Koil Tampuran in Government affairs was well known." 〕 ==Early life== Sethu Lakshmi Bayi was born on 19 November 1895 to Ayilyam Nal Mahaprabha of the Utsavamadhom Palace in Mavelikara and Kerala Varma. Her mother belonged to a branch of the Kolathunad Royal Family that had settled in Travancore towards the end of the 18th century and was one of daughters of the artist Raja Ravi Varma. The Mavelikara family was closely associated with the Travancore Royal Family as Mahaprabha's and sister Thiruvathira Nal Bhagirathi Bayi Uma Kochukunji's direct aunts, Senior Maharani Lakshmi Bayi and Junior Maharani Parvathi Bayi had been adopted and installed as the Maharanis of Travancore in 1858. This adoption, which was the 6th in the Travancore House, was without results as the Senior Rani Lakshmi Bayi, who was married to Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran was childless while the Junior Maharani Parvathi Bayi had only sons. In the prevalent matrilineal system of inheritance known as Marumakkathayam, the presence of females to continue the line and dynasty was crucial. With the death of the Junior Maharani Parvathy Bayi in 1893, followed by that of the eldest of her three sons in 1895, the royal family came to consist solely of Maharajah Moolam Thirunal, Rani Lakshmi Bayi and her two nephews. The Senior Maharani decided to adopt the daughters of her nieces, Mahaprabha and Kochukunji of Mavelikara, into the Travancore Royal Family. Subsequently a daughter was born to Mahaprabha in 1895, the child was named Sethu Lakshmi. The next year in 1896, Kochukunji gave birth to a daughter who was similarly named Sethu Parvathi. In 1900 Maharani Lakshmi Bayi formally petitioned Maharajah Moolam Thirunal for the adoption of her grand nieces, to perpetuate the ruling line and hence the two children were adopted. The adoption itself was met with some opposition from other branches of the Kolathunad family who nominated females from their families as also objections from the First Prince Chathayam Thirunal Rama Varma, but these were overcome and Sethu Lakshmi was adopted into the Travancore Royal Family as Junior Maharani and came to be known as Sree Padmanbahasevini Pooradom Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and as the First Princess, Sree Padmanabhasevini Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sethu Lakshmi Bayi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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