Serfoji II
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Serfoji II (1777–1832) was a last ruler of the kingdom of Thanjavur. He ruled Thanjavur from 1798 until the British anexation of his kingdom.
Serfoji belonged to the Bhonsle clan of Marathas, and was descended from Shivaji's half-brother Venkoji. He was an ardent champion of arts, skills and healthcare. Serfoji II ascended the throne in 1798.
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[edit] Contribution to Arts, Sciences & Culture
Serfoji devoted his life to the pursuit of culture and Thanjavur became renowned as a seat of learning. When the British forced him to give up his throne in 1799, Serfoji turned the crisis into an opportunity by seeking the privilege to manage temples and choultries in the kingdom. By promoting social, cultural and educational activities on an unparalleled scale, he accomplished much more than what he would ever have done with just a title. He erected a monument in marble in the chapel at Thanjavur for Christian Friedrich Schwarz, the missionary who introduced him to western learning.
[edit] The Royal Library
Serfoji's love of learning and thirst for knowledge led him to enrich Saraswathi Mahal Library, which was a Palace Library. He showed keen interest in the development of the Library. He purchased around 4000 books from abroad at his own cost, read them and left them in the Library. Medical treatises, in the library collection contained his remarks alongside, in English. His library included treatises on Vedanta, grammar, music, dance and drama, architecture, astronomy, medicine, training of elephants and horses, etc. Serfoji setup the first Devanagari printing press in South India, using stone letters. He being a scholar and writer sent many Pundits far and wide and collected huge number of books and manuscripts for this Library.
Serfoji II
[edit] Medicines
Dhanavantari Mahal where physicians of Allopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha researched their systems of medicine has eighteen volumes of the results of their studies. He had the important herbs studied and catalogued in the form of exquisite hand paintings. His pilgrimage to Varanasi was also recorded in the form of eight plates. Serfoji patronised music, dance and the fine arts. He constructed several choultries and initiated poor- feeding, besides funding several Vedic yagnas, as exemplified in an inscription at Orathanadu. He is also known for his extraordinarily pioneering work in ophthalmology, which had gone unnoticed by the international conventions at that time.
[edit] Other Works
He had a small museum of old coins. His Durbar hall was decorated with oil paintings of Maratha rulers of Thanjavur, besides other prints and paintings in the library. His unique architectural contribution is an eight- storied tower manora at Saluvanayaka pattinam, to commemorate the victory of British over Napoleon, in the Battle Leepick in the year 1813 AD.
[edit] References
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