*The Rani of Pudukottai, Molly Fink. Esme Mary Sorrett ('Molly', née Fink)*

*The Rani of Pudukottai, Molly Fink. Esme Mary Sorrett ('Molly', née Fink)* made quite a splash when she married Marthand Bhairava Tondiman, the Raja of Pudukottai. Marthanda Bhairava Tondiman (b.1875), married Mary (b. 1894) in August 1915. He had seen her in April in Sydney at a hotel. She was 21, he was over 40. A few years ago she had been expelled from her school for what was listed as ‘misbehaviour’. What that usually meant in those days was that she did not hesitate in speaking out her mind or doing things she wished to do.  He was searching for love.  He followed her and pressed his suit. She agreed. Australian media was very critical of the match, as was the government of India. 

Till now there are a number of theories advanced, none of them conclusive, for the reason for such dramatic hostility. 

George V agreed with the decision of the officers of the realm that Mary should not be given the title of Maharani and be officially boycotted by all government bodies. Marthanda Bhairava would have none of this nonsense, nor would Mary. The public at Pudukottai loved her even though the local British tried to hound her out of Pudukottai. When she was denied permission to even buy a house, she along with her husband, left in April 1916. Through the next decade and a half they lived in Australia. Then they moved to London where, upon learning that the British would under no cuircumstance appoint Molly’s  son Sydney as the next chief, he abdicated in favour of his younger brother. In 1928, Marthanda Bhairava died suddenly. 

The British used this as an opportunity to appoint the next king from the younger line of the chiefs of Pudukottai. Rajagopal Tondaman was appointed the next chief by the British. For the next few years the Foreign Office kept close watch on any opposition from the local public to the chief who had been foisted on them.

Sidney and Mary were refused permission by the British to even take the remains of Marthanda Bhairava to India for final rites. In the 1930s, Mary had a peripatetic life, moving between France, England and the USA. When the war in Europe created financial problems for her, she even worked at a New York clothing store.  

This photograph from August 1947 by Francis Goodman.

#ksrpost

21-5-2023.