Page:Vizagapatam.djvu/341

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GAZETTEER.

his brother Krishna Bhúpati. In 1833 the zamindari was again sold for arrears; was bought by Government for Rs. 1,000; but in 1834 was handed back to Krishna Bhúpati on his tendering the amount outstanding.

In 1833 the latter had again alienated the Chidikáda subdivision, selling it to one Mandapáka Jagannáyakulu. This man transferred it in 1835 to the Rája of Bobbili, who in 1836 also bought the Jagannáthapuram subdivision. These two estates are still separate properties. In 1848 the then Rája of Bobbili gave them to his sister's husband Inuganti Rájagópál Rao, whose widow retransferred them to him in 1856. In 1862 he conveyed them to Sitarámasvámi, the son of another sister. The present Mahárája of Bobbili, who is the adoptive grandson of the above Rájagópál Rao, afterwards brought a suit to recover the property,which was carried as far as the Privy Council 1[1] but was unsuccessful, and the two estates now belong to Inuganti Chinna Sitarámasvámi, who succeeded to them in 1898 as the heir of Sitarámasvámi's widow.

Krishna Bhúpati held Mádgole from 1834 until 1870, when he mortgaged the whole estate to the Mahárája of Jeypore for sixteen years in consideration of a loan of five lakhs. He died on Christmas Day 1875, and left two widows (sisters) named respectively Sita and Nilamani, a daughter called Ammi Dévi who was married to the Jeypore Rájahs brother, but no son.

The two widowed Ránis were registered as his joint successors, but they quarrelled, serious affrays occurred between their retainers, a vakil named Lingam Lakshmaji who had sub-leased the estate from Jeypore was stated to be defrauding them, and eventually in 1877 the estate was taken under the management of the Court of Wards.2[2] In 1880, however, the junior Ráni was removed from the protection of the Court by an order of the High Court.

Meanwhile the senior Ráni, in virtue of authority given her by the will of the late zamindar, had adopted as a son a boy belonging to the Jeypore family. The junior Ráni disputed the legality of the step, but the High Court upheld the adoption and in 1885 the boy was consequently made a ward of court and the estate treated as his property. The Privy Council, however, set aside the adoption and in 1888 the Collector was instructed to hand the estate over to the senior Ráni (the junior Ráni had died in 1886 leaving a granddaughter named Rájéndramani Dévi; who held it until her death in May 1901. She was succeeded by

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  1. 1 I.L.R., XXI II Madras, 49-55.
  2. 2 I.L.R., XI Madras, 486.