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Giriraj Kaur

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Giriraj Kaur
Maaji Sahiba
Regent of Bharatpur State
Tenure27 August 1900 – 28 November 1918
Died24 August 1922
Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, British Raj (now India)
SpouseRam Singh
IssueKishan Singh
HouseBharatpur (by marriage)

Giriraj Kaur was a Maharani of Bharatpur as the wife of Ram Singh. After her husband's deposition in 1900, she was the regent of Bharatpur during the minority of her son Kishan Singh.

Background

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She was the daughter of the Zamindar of Deoli in Bharatpur and married Ram Singh, the Maharaja of Bharatpur, as his second wife.[1] She had a son with her husband, Kishan Singh, who was born on 4 October 1899 at Moti Mahal, Bharatpur.[2][3]

Regent of Bharatpur

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Her husband, Ram Singh, visited Mount Abu in 1900, where he killed one of his private servants.[4][5] As a consequence, he was deposed by the Government of India on 27 August 1900,[6] and his infant son, Kishan Singh, was installed on the same date on the throne of Bharatpur.[2][3][4][5] During his minority, his mother, Giriraj Kaur, acted as regent from 27 August 1900 to 28 November 1918, until he came of age.[3] She sent her son to Mayo College, Ajmer, and appointed special tutors to guide his studies.[7]

She was granted the Imperial Order of the Crown of India in the 1918 New Year Honours list.[8] She took great interest in the art of her country, particularly in architecture and gardening, and was compared to Nawab Shahjahan, Begum of Bhopal.[9]

Visits to England

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During her son Kishan Singh's minority, she, along with him, extended visits to England in 1908 and 1910 for the benefit of his health and were presented to George V and Mary of Teck.[10]

After regency

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On 28 November 1918, Kishan Singh was invested with full ruling powers by Viscount Chelmsford, thereby becoming the de facto ruler of Bharatpur.[11] Kishan Singh wasted so much money that he nearly bankrupted Bharatpur.[6][12] In 1924 alone, he spent 7.8 million rupees, which was more than twice the State's income.[12] His mother, during her lifetime, had striven her best to stop his excesses.[13]

Delhi Durbars

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She attended the Delhi Durbars of 1903 and 1911.[14][15]

Durbar of 1903

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She, along with her son, Kishan Singh, then only three years, attended the Delhi Durbar of 1903.[14]

Durbar of 1911

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She, along with her son, Kishan Singh, attended the Delhi Durbar of 1911, and at a reception held on 13 December 1911 by Winifred Hardinge, she was presented to Mary of Teck.[15]

Philanthropy

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Lady Hardinge Medical College

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She contributed a sum of Rs. 7,500 for the marble flooring of the entrance hall of Lady Hardinge Medical College, which is named after Winifred Hardinge.[16]

World War I

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During World War I, she placed all the resources of her State at the disposal of the Government of India,[17] including two motor cars and a chauffeur, with all expenses covered, and contributed Rs. 2,000 to the Indian Relief Fund.[18][19]

Moti Mahal Palace

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In 1916, she built the Moti Mahal Palace in white sandstone.[20][21]

Death

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She died at Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur on 24 August 1922.[3][22]

Honours

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Country Year Honour Class Ribbon Post-nominal letters
 British India 1903 Delhi Durbar Medal (1903)[14] Gold
 British India 1911 Delhi Durbar Medal (1911)[15] Gold
 British India 1918 Imperial Order of the Crown of India[8] CI

References

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  1. ^ Bayley, C. S. (2004). Chiefs and leading families in Rajputana. Public Resource. New Delhi : Asian Educational Services. p. 92. ISBN 978-81-206-1066-8.
  2. ^ a b Purushotam Vishram Mawjee (1911). (1911) Imperial durbar album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars, Vol. I. p. 41.
  3. ^ a b c d Encyclopaedia Indica: Princely states in colonial India-I. Anmol Publications. 1996. p. 144. ISBN 978-81-7041-859-7.
  4. ^ a b Ajmer-Merwara (India) (1902). Report on the Administration of Ajmer-Merwara. p. 26.
  5. ^ a b Department, India Foreign and Political (1909). A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads, Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries. Superintendent Government Printing, India. p. 262.
  6. ^ a b Menon, Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara (1965). Many Worlds: An Autobiography. Internet Archive. p. 160.
  7. ^ Speeches by lord Hardinge of Penshurst : viceroy and governor-general of India. Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta. 1913. p. 434.
  8. ^ a b Committee, Indian National Congress British (1918). India. Published for the Proprietors, Indian National Congress. p. 7.
  9. ^ Country Life. 1915. p. 831.
  10. ^ ACL-ARCH 00269 Indian Princes And The Crown. p. 92.
  11. ^ Chelmsford, Frederic John Napier Thesiger (1919). Speeches by Lord Chelmsford, viceroy and governor general of India. Cornell University Library. Simla : Printed at the Government Monotype Press. pp. 115–121.
  12. ^ a b "OBITUARY:The Maharaja of Bharatpur". The Independent. 13 July 1995. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  13. ^ Lothian, sir Arthur Cunningham (1951). Kingdoms Of Yesterday. p. 97.
  14. ^ a b c History of the Delhi Coronation Durbar : held on the first of January 1903 to celebrate the Coronation of his Majesty King Edward vii Emperor of India. John Murray Albemarle, London. 1904. pp. 107–108.
  15. ^ a b c The Historical Record of the Imperial Visit to India, 1911. government of India. 1914. pp. 127–128.
  16. ^ Penshurst, Charles Hardinge Baron Hardinge of (1916). Speeches. Superintendent, Government Print., India. p. 7.
  17. ^ United Empire. 1916. p. 148.
  18. ^ Pati, Budheswar (1996). India and the First World War. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 23. ISBN 978-81-7156-581-8.
  19. ^ Provinces (India), Central (1914). The Central Provinces Gazette. p. 8.
  20. ^ Scott, Jack Denton (1959). Forests of the night. Internet Archive. New York, Rinehart. p. 181.
  21. ^ BharatpurState. p. 4.
  22. ^ Meena, R. P. RPSC RAS Prelims: History of Rajasthan Complete Study Notes With MCQ. New Era Publication.