Information

Dynasty	Brahmin
Location	North Arcot Dist.
Accession	3rd January 1951
Area	546.487 km²
Accession	1956
Population	95,542 (1901)
Revenue	₹ 25,000 (1948)
Villages	192
Religion	Hinduism
Also Known as	Arnee, Arani

Present Head/Ruler

VENKATA II RAO SAHEB (Pom), Head of the Jagirdari House of Arni since 1989, born 1926.

Short History

Arni was situated in the district of North Arcot in the then Presidency of Madras. In area, it was 211 square kilometres and comprised of 192 villages. The city of Arni is about 52 kilometers from Vellore. The Palaces were situated 8 kilometers from Arni in Sathyavijayanagaram. It was bounded on the North by a range of hills which formed the southern boundary of Vellore and westen boundary of Arcot Taluqs. Towards the East lay the Arcot and Wandewash Taluqs. Towards the South and West lay the Poloor Taluq. The jagir was abolished as a result of the Zamindar Abolition Bill in 1948.

Predecessors

• VEDAJI BHASKAR PANT, founder and 1^st Jagirdar of Arni 1640/-, he was granted the Arni Jagir in 1640, by Shrimant Shahji for services in war rendered in his campaign to the Carnatic; married and had issue. He died after 1640.
  • Koneri Rao (qv)
• KONERI RAO, 2^nd Jagirdar of Arni, married and had issue.
  • Ramachandra Rao Saheb (qv)
  • Srinivasa Rao Saheb, married and had issue.
    • Venkat I Rao Saheb (qv)
    • Thirumala I Rao Saheb (qv)
• RAMACHANDRA RAO SAHEB, 3^rd Jagirdar of Arni, the estate was seized by Shrimant Shivaji in 1677 but were confirmed to the jagirdar in 1679; he left Arni and settled in Tanjore in 1690, married and had issue.
  • Suban Rao Sahib, adopted by his cousin, Thirumal Rao Saheb of Arni, married and had issue.
    • Srinivasa I Rao Saheb (qv)
• VENKATA I RAO SAHEB, 4^th Jagirdar of Arni, married and had issue, a son who died young.
• THIRUMALA I RAO SAHEB, 5th Jagirdar of Arni -/1765, as a result of a confrontation of the Nawab of Arcot with the Raja of Tanjore in 1761, the Arni Jagir was seized by Arcot and not restored until the following year as a result of a treaty; married and had adoptive issue. He died 1765.
  • (A) Suban Rao Saheb, son of Ramachandra Rao Saheb of Arni (see above)
• Raja SRINIVASA I RAO SAHEB, 6^th Jagirdar of Arni 1765/1795, he succeeded as a minor; in 1771 there was rebellion by some Brahmins and the estate was again taken from the jagirdar by the Nawab of Arcot; in 1781, Hyder Ali captured Arni and made it into his chief depot in the Southern Provinces, it remained in his possession till 1783 when it was restored to the Nawab of Arcot; the matter remained in dispute until 1789 when finally the Nawab was forced to abide by the Court ruling, invoking the treaty of 1762; he was granted the title of Raja in 1765, married and had issue. He died 1795.
  • Raja Thirumala II Rao Saheb (qv)
• Raja THIRUMALA II RAO SAHEB, 7th Jagirdar of Arni 1795/1823, married and had issue, two sons. He died 1823.
  • Raja Srinivasa II Rao Saheb (qv)
  • Venkata Rao Saheb, married and had issue.
    • Ramachandra Rao Saheb
    • Lakshmana Rao Saheb
• Raja SRINIVASA II RAO SAHEB, 8th Jagirdar of Arni 1823/1853, married three wives and had issue, four sons and three daughters. He died 1853.
  • Raja Thirumala III Rao Saheb (by 2nd wife) (qv)
  • Ramachandra Rao Saheb (by 2nd wife), married and had issue.
    • Venkat Rao Saheb, married and had issue.
      • Raghunatha Rao Saheb, died sp.
      • Raghavendra Rao Saheb, died sp.
      • Srinivasa Rao Saheb, died young.
    • Narayan Rao Saheb, died sp.
    • Sobhan Rao Saheb, married Gopi Bai, and had issue.
      • Gopala Rao Saheb
    • Sobhan Rao Saheb (by 3rd wife), married and had issue, one son and five daughters.
• Raja THIRUMALA III RAO SAHEB, 9th Jagirdar of Arni 1853/1871, married and had issue, three sons and two daughters. He died 1871.
  • Raja Srinivasa III Rao Saheb (qv)
  • Meena Bai
  • Lakshmana Rao Sahib, married and had issue.
    • (name unknown) Rao Saheb, married and had issue.
      • Raghunatha Rao Saheb, married and had issue.
        • Sheshagiri Rao Saheb
        • Bhaskar Rao Saheb
      • Lakshman Rao Saheb, married and had issue.
        • Sadananda Rao Saheb
    • Ramachandra Rao Saheb
  • Ganga Bai
  • Raghunatha Rao Sahib, died young.

COURT OF WARDS 1871/1874

• Raja SRINIVASA III RAO SAHEB, 10^th Jagirdar of Arni 1871/1902, he succeeded as a minor, and in due course he became very learned, able, deeply religious and charitable; reputed to be model proprietor and a far-seeing administrator, he presented The Jagirdar of Arni Gold Medals for those who were adept in the learning of Science; married and had issue. He died 1902.
  • Raja Thirumala IV Rao Saheb (qv)
• Raja THIRUMALA IV RAO SAHEB, 11^th Jagirdar of Arni 1902/1931, born 14th July 1885, he succeeded as a minor, during his minority the estate was under the control of the Court of Wards, he mismanaged the estate and it again was taken under the Court of Wards until 1937; married and had issue. He died 1931.
  • Raja Srinivasa IV Rao Saheb (qv)
  • Gopalswami Rao Saheb, educated at Newington House, went to London and qualified as a Barrister, died young.

COURT OF WARDS -/1937

• Raja SRINIVASA IV RAO SAHEB, 12^th Jagirdar of Arni 1931/1948 then Head of House 1948/1989, born 1904, educated at Newington House, married Sushila Purnaiah, born 1910, died 1989, daughter of Narasingha Rao Purnaiah, 6^th Jagirdar of Yelandur, and had issue. He died 1989.
  • Raja Venkata II Rao Saheb (qv)
  • Ramachandra Rao Saheb (Chandru), born 1928, married and has issue, one son and one daughter.
    • Sagari Arni, born 1955.
      • Siddharth Singh (Sid).
    • Vidyuth Rao Saheb, born 1958.
  • Ranganatha Rao Saheb (Babu), born 1930, married and has issue, one daughter.
    • Persis Arni, born 1977.
• Raja VENKATA II RAO SAHEB, 13^th Jagirdar of Arni (see above).