'Arrest' of The Kanchi Mutt
But Shivaji II is mostly known for the incident related to the 'arrest' of the Kanchi mutt. The earrings (tatankas) of the Goddess Akhilandeswari in the Jambukeshwarar Temple was replaced with new ones in 1843-44. So, the Kanchi mutt, then based in Kumbakonam, shifted to Trichy with all the retinue in order to conduct a Tatanka-Pratishta ceremony for consecration of the earrings. But a legal suit delayed the ceremonies and the court case along with the rituals that followed incurred great debts on the part of the Mutt that they were unable to shift the Mutt back to Kumbakonam. At this juncture, the administrator-in-charge of the ceremonies, a young Brahmin, went to court of Shivaji II and requested that the retinue should be allowed to stop at Thanjavur to receive donations from the people. But the Raja staunchly refused.
However, as the palanquin of the Shankaracharya and his retinue were making their way to Kumbakonam they were stopped on the banks of the Cauvery at Thiruvaiyaru by the sepoys of the Raja who surrounded them and respectfully escorted into the city of Thanjavur. At Thanjavur, they were accorded a royal reception by Shivaji II and the citizens of Thanjavur. It was later said that the Raja had had a dream a few nights before in which Lord Shiva had appeared and ordered him to render due honors to the Mutt. This incident is often referred to as the 'Arrest' of the Kanchi Mutt.
Raja Shivaji II died in 30 Oct 1855 after a reign of 22 years.
On the death of Shivaji II, due to the absence of a legitimate heir to the throne, the kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company as per the Doctrine of Lapse.
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