Giriraj Kaur
| Giriraj Kaur | |
|---|---|
| Maaji Sahiba | |
 | |
| Regent of Bharatpur State | |
| Tenure | 27 August 1900 – 28 November 1918 |
| Died | 24 August 1922 Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, British Raj (now India) |
| Spouse | Ram Singh |
| Issue | Kishan Singh |
| House | Bharatpur (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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]She attended the Delhi Durbars of 1903 and 1911.[14][15]
Durbar of 1903
[edit]She, along with her son, Kishan Singh, then only three years, attended the Delhi Durbar of 1903.[14]
Durbar of 1911
[edit]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
[edit]Lady Hardinge Medical College
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]In 1916, she built the Moti Mahal Palace in white sandstone.[20][21]
Death
[edit]She died at Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur on 24 August 1922.[3][22]
Honours
[edit]| 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
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Purushotam Vishram Mawjee (1911). (1911) Imperial durbar album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars, Vol. I. p. 41.
- ^ a b c d Encyclopaedia Indica: Princely states in colonial India-I. Anmol Publications. 1996. p. 144. ISBN 978-81-7041-859-7.
- ^ a b Ajmer-Merwara (India) (1902). Report on the Administration of Ajmer-Merwara. p. 26.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Menon, Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara (1965). Many Worlds: An Autobiography. Internet Archive. p. 160.
- ^ Speeches by lord Hardinge of Penshurst : viceroy and governor-general of India. Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta. 1913. p. 434.
- ^ a b Committee, Indian National Congress British (1918). India. Published for the Proprietors, Indian National Congress. p. 7.
- ^ Country Life. 1915. p. 831.
- ^ ACL-ARCH 00269 Indian Princes And The Crown. p. 92.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "OBITUARY:The Maharaja of Bharatpur". The Independent. 13 July 1995. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Lothian, sir Arthur Cunningham (1951). Kingdoms Of Yesterday. p. 97.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c The Historical Record of the Imperial Visit to India, 1911. government of India. 1914. pp. 127–128.
- ^ Penshurst, Charles Hardinge Baron Hardinge of (1916). Speeches. Superintendent, Government Print., India. p. 7.
- ^ United Empire. 1916. p. 148.
- ^ Pati, Budheswar (1996). India and the First World War. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 23. ISBN 978-81-7156-581-8.
- ^ Provinces (India), Central (1914). The Central Provinces Gazette. p. 8.
- ^ Scott, Jack Denton (1959). Forests of the night. Internet Archive. New York, Rinehart. p. 181.
- ^ BharatpurState. p. 4.
- ^ Meena, R. P. RPSC RAS Prelims: History of Rajasthan Complete Study Notes With MCQ. New Era Publication.