Kingdom of Dholpur

Dholpur State धौलपुर रियासत
Princely State of British India
c. 700–1949
Flag
Dholpur State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
Area
• 1901	3,038 km2 (1,173 sq mi)
Population
• 1901	250,000
History
• Established	c. 700
• Independence of India	1949
Succeeded by Matsya Union
Today part of	Rajasthan, India

Maharaj Rana of Dholpur Sir Bhagwant Singh in 1870.

Kesarbagh palace, the mansion of the former ruler of the erstwhile Dholpur State in Dholpur, now Dholpur Military School

Dholpur State or Dhaulpur State was a kingdom of eastern Rajputana, India, which was founded in AD 1806 by a Hindu Jat Rana Kirat Singh of Dhaulpur, Ruler. After 1818 the state was placed under the authority of British India's Rajputana Agency. The Ranas ruled the state until the independence of India in 1947, when the kingdom was merged with the Union of India.

Dholpur princely state was located in the present-day state of Rajasthan. The state had an area of 3,038 km² (1,173 sq mi), and an estimated revenue of Rs.83,000/-.

The current chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, was a member of the erstwhile ruling family of Dholpur as she was married to His Highness Maharaja Hemant Singh before getting divorced.

History

Very little is known of the early history of the state. According to tradition a predecessor state was established as Dhavalapura. In 1505 neighboring Gohad State of Rana Jats was founded and between 1740 and 1756 Gohad was occupied by Gwalior State. From 1761 to 1775 Dholpur was annexed to Bharatpur State and between 1782 and December 1805 Dholpur was again annexed by Gwalior. On 10 January 1806 Dholpur became a British protectorate and in the same year the Ruler of Gohad merged Gohad into Dholpur.

The last ruler of Dholpur signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union on 7 April 1949 and the state was merged in Matsya Union.

Rulers

The rulers of the state were Jats and were styled Maharaja Rana from 1806 onwards. They were entitled to a 15-gun salute.

Rulers of Gohad (title Rana)

• 1699 – 1713: Gaj Singh (d. 1713)
• 1713 – 1717: Jaswant Singh (d. 1717)
• 1717 – 1756: Bhim Singh (d. 1756)
• 1756 – 1757: Pratap Singh (d. 1757)
• 1757 – 1784: Chhatrapat Singh (d. 1788) (personal style Maharaj Rana from 1771)
• 1784 – 1804: Interregnum
• 1804 – 1806: Kirat Singh (b. 1763 – d. 1836)

Rulers of Dholpur (title Maharaja Rana)

• 1806 – 21 Apr 1836: Kirat Singh (s.a.)
• 1836 – Dec 1836: Pohap Singh (d. 1836)
• Dec 1836 – 7 Feb 1873: Bhagwant Singh (b. 1824 – d. 1873) (from 2 Jun 1869, Sir Bhagwant Singh)
• 7 Feb 1873 – 20 Jul 1901: Nihal Singh (b. 1863 – d. 1901)
• 7 Feb 1873 – 1884: Maharani Sateha Devi (b. 1845 – d. 1888) Bhawa (f) – Regent
• 20 Jul 1901 – 29 Mar 1911: Ram Singh (b. 1883 – d. 1911) (from 1 Jan 1909, Sir Ram Singh)
• 20 Jul 1901 – Mar 1905: .... – Regent
• 29 Mar 1911 – 15 Aug 1947: Udai Bhan Singh (b. 1893 – d. 1954) (from 1 Jan 1918, Sir Udai Bhan Singh)
• 29 Mar 1911 – 9 Oct 1913: .... – Regent

The descendants of Maharaj Udai Bhan Singh and Maharaj Nihal Singh are still carrying on their family legacy.

• Dushyant Singh S/o Maharaj Hemant Singh and Vasundhra Raje Scindia
• Veer Virender Singh S/o Maharaj Nihal Singh
• Keshav Singh Rana S/o Maharaj Nihal Singh married Kunwarani Kartar Kaur
• Rana Upender Singh S/o Keshav Singh married Kunwarani Gurdish Kaur
• Prince Vikram Rana S/o Rana Upender Singh married Kunwarani Harman Garcha.

Kunwar Vikram Rana is the youngest member of the erstwhile ruling family, great grand son of Maharaj Nihal Singh

See also

• Marathas
• Scindia
• Gohad—For early history of Dholpur rulers

External links

• Media related to Dholpur State at Wikimedia Commons
• Genealogy of the rulers of Dholpur
• Princely States of India A-J