The British imperial dream had much more consequences than simply expanding the empire. It has destroyed many lives, stolen kingdoms, and made people homeless and have nowhere to go. Among them was Chika Veerarajendra, the last Raja of Kodagu (Coorg) who was overthrown by the British on 24 April 1834 AD after losing the Coorg War against the East India Company.On the orders of army officer James Stuart Fraser, the kingdom was annexed to British India and the king was taken as a political prisoner to Benaras. He lived there for 14 years, and finally in 1852, he traveled to London with his 11-year-old daughter, Jorma, to demand that the British government return his ancestral wealth and provide a secure future for his daughter under Christianity.The Governor General at the time, Lord Dalhousie and the directors of the East India Company, gave the father and daughter permission to travel to England, making them the first Indian royals to set foot in England.
The company hoped that the princess’s voluntary transformation would improve her flagging image in Britain.
British Indian princess
Princess Victoria Gurama was a natural socialite, reported to be elegant, cheerful and well-liked by the Queen.
On 30 June 1852, in Queen Victoria’s private chapel at Buckingham Palace, London, Joorama was baptized in the presence of the Queen, her family, senior officials of the government and directors of the East India Company. Shortly after the baptism, Queen Victoria presented Gurrama with a signed Bible and declared herself godmother to the Indian princess.
She also stuns everyone by lending her name ‘Victoria’ to Gowramma.
Princess Victoria Gurrama of Coorg, as she became known, was the first member of the Indian royal family to convert to Christianity. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary: “He came here with the intention of leaving his little daughter to be brought up as a Christian, which is a great step. […] Daughter […] “She’s almost 11 years old, and she’s a sweet, dear little girl.”The young princess was taken under the care of Major and Mrs. Drummond, an army couple who educated her and introduced her to Western ideologies.
Princess Victoria Gurama was a natural socialite, reported to be elegant, cheerful and well-liked by the Queen.
Marriage for books
She found love with 50-year-old Army Colonel John Campbell.
Hoping to promote Christianity in India, Queen Victoria decided to become a matchmaker, according to C. P. Beliappa in his book “Victoria Gurrama: The Lost Princess of Coorg.” Here entered Maharaja Duleep Singh, who was another of the Queen’s adopted sons, was exiled to Britain at the age of fifteen, and converted to Christianity in 1853.
The palace tried to bring the princess and the Maharaja together in marriage, but since neither was attracted to the other, they ended up becoming siblings, with the Maharaja calling the princess his “honorary sister,” according to a report by The Better India.That’s when the princess became disillusioned with the royal family and instead found love with 50-year-old Army Colonel John Campbell. While she continued to make pretensions to her social interior, the princess’s health was secretly deteriorating.
She often coughed up blood and was weak.Meanwhile, her marriage was falling apart due to Campbell’s gambling habits and his interest in her fortune. In 1861, Princess Jorama gave birth to her daughter Edith and became a single mother with her husband retaining only the title role.Despite being part of the royal family, Queen Victoria’s adopted children lived as “outsiders” because of the color of their skin.
According to historians, the princess was prevented from meeting her father by the queen, who claimed he would “corrupt” her with his “original pagan influence.” After living a life full of turmoil and struggle, the princess died of tuberculosis in 1864, a few months before her twenty-third birthday.
Today her grave stands crumbling in Brompton Cemetery in London. While her grandson resides in Australia with his family.Princess Victoria Guarama remains forgotten in the pages of history books, but she lived her life with strength and courage in the halls of Buckingham Palace.
