Rajinder Singh of Patiala
| Rajinder Singh | |
|---|---|
 Singh c.1898 | |
| Maharaja of Patiala | |
| Reign | 1876 – 1900 |
| Predecessor | Mahendra Singh |
| Successor | Bhupinder Singh |
| Born | 25 May 1872 |
| Died | 8 November 1900 (aged 28) |
| Wives |
|
| Issue | Bhupinder Singh |
| Dynasty | Phulkian |
| Father | Mahendra Singh |
| Religion | Sikhism |
Sir Rajinder Singh GCSI (25 May 1872 – 8 November 1900) was the Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala from 1876 to 1900.
Early life[edit]
Rajinder Singh was born on 25 May 1872. He was the son of Maharaja Mahendra Singh of Patiala and a member of the Phulkian Dynasty.
Reign[edit]
Singh became the Maharaja of Patiala upon the death of his father, Mahendra Singh, in 1876.[1] He was four years old when ascended the thrown.[1] Singh was described as "the first reigning Prince to blend the elements of the English gentleman and Indian potentate."[2] In the 1890s, he became one of the first Indians to own a car, a French De Dion-Bouton in 1892.[3]
Military service[edit]
Noted for his military service, Singh participated in the Mohmand campaign of 1897 – 1898 and in 1898, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Star of India (GCSI) by the British Raj for his services during the campaign.[4] He also offered support for the British Empire's administration in the Transvaal Colony.[4]
Sports[edit]
Singh was known for his contribution to sports. He owned and played for his own cricket team against other Indian princes.[5] In Chail, now in Himachal Pradesh, which was Singh's summer residence, he constructed the Chail Cricket Ground.[6] The Chail Cricket Ground is the highest cricket ground in the world and the construction required leveling a mountaintop that is 8,000 feet high.[6] He was also was known for playing polo and was described as the best polo player in India.[1] While playing for his own polo team, Singh won the Indian Open Championship in 1899.[7] Singh played field hockey and English billiards as well.[1]
Relations with the British[edit]
However, despite Singh's cooperation with and service to the British, his actions, including neglecting the administration of his own state and extravagant spending habits, caused controversy with the British Raj.[8] By Singh's reign, the Maharaja of Patiala had come to be regarded as the leader of the Sikh community and the premier prince in Punjab.[8] This, coupled with the fact that half of the British Indian Army at the time were Sikhs, troubled the British colonial administration as Singh would refuse to listen to their warnings or advice.[8]
Personal life[edit]
Singh was known to have at least married twice. His first wife, Jasmer Kaur Mansahia, was the mother of his heir and successor as Maharaja, Bhupinder Singh. Jasmer Kaur Mansahia tuberculosis and allegedly, due to grief that Singh had taken another wife.[8]
In 1893, Singh married Florence Bryan, the daughter of his Irish horse stable superintendent and persuading her to convert to the Sikhism.[8] He married Florence Bryan, who became known as Florence Maharani, despite protests and warnings from the British, and the British refused to recognize the child that the marriage produced.[8]
He was a close friend of William Beresford and of Frederick Roberts.[2] The Irish composer Thomas O'Brien Butler (1861–1915), who spent some time in India, dedicated a song composition to him.
Singh died on 8 November 1900. Doctors attributed his death to alcoholism.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Rajinder Singh Of Patiala: Maharaja Who Defied Colonial Rulers To Marry His Love And Made Her Embrace Sikhism". Times Now. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Famous Maharajah Dead". The New York Times. 11 November 1900. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ Rebello, Maleeva (15 August 2018). "Wheels of history: Swanky cars from the Independence era". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b Buckland, Charles Edward (1906). Dictionary of Indian Biography. Library Reprints, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7222-2504-2.
- ^ Mukherjee, Abhishek (13 May 2023). "Cricket history: Inside their palace compounds, they built cricket grounds to match the best in the world". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ a b Kidambi, Prashant (2019). Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-19-884313-9.
- ^ Laffaye, Horace A. (24 March 2015). The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-7864-9577-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kidambi, Prashant (2019). Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 170–172. ISBN 978-0-19-884313-9.
