| Singrauli State | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princely State of British India | |||||||
| c. 9th century–1947 | |||||||
 Coat of arms
| |||||||
| Capital | Waidhan | ||||||
| Area | |||||||
• 1901 | 18,276 km2 (7,056 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 1901 | 1,456,778 [1] | ||||||
| Historical era | Medieval India | ||||||
• Established | c. 9th century | ||||||
• Princely state of the British East India Company | 1812-1858 | ||||||
| 1858-1947 | |||||||
• Accession into the Dominion of India | 1947 | ||||||
| |||||||
| Today part of | India | ||||||
Singrauli State or Singhrauli, historically known as Shringavalli[2], was a Rajput Princely state of India with its capital at the city of Waidhan.[3]
With an area of about 18,270 km2 (7,056 sq mi), Singrauli was the largest princely state in the Bagelkhand Agency and the third largest in the Central India Agency. Singrauli was also the third wealthiest principality in Central India, with an average revenue of rupees 3.1 million in 1901.[4] The Bagelkhand Agency was dissolved in 1933, after which Singrauli was placed under the authority of the Indore Residency. Singrauli state had a 17 gun salute.[5]
Upon integration, the ruler was granted a pension (privy purse), certain privileges, and the use of the title Maharaja of Singrauli by the Government of India.[6] However, the pension, privileges, and the use of the title were ended in 1971 by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.[7][8]
History edit
Medieval history edit
The kingdom of Singrauli was founded in the 9th century with its capital at Teonthar during the founding reign of Raja Kot Rai Singh. In 1141 A.D. the ruler of Singrauli, Maharaja Kalanki Rai Singh shifted his capital to Waidhan.
The ancestors of the founder of the kingdom were from Jhusi in Uttar Pradesh. Raja Kot Rai Singh amassed an army and conquered Teonthar and major parts of the surrounding parganas of Singrauli and Sonbhadra. There were many tribal chieftains in the region which was difficult to deal with. His son, Raja Man Singh defeated the tribal chieftains and acquired full possession of the parganas of Singrauli and Sonbhadra.[9] The Rajas of Singrauli maintained their position as the ruler of the Bagelkhand region until the Baghelas of Rewa conquered parts of Rewa and Sidhi. The Baghels then conquered the whole region of Rewa and as a result the Rajas of Singrauli had to switch their capital from Teonthar to Waidhan in 1141 AD. Maharaja Ven Shah Singh extended the territory to Sasaram in Bihar. During the rule of Maharaja Ven, the kingdom reached its zenith in political power and in terms of territory.
In the 15th century the Kharwar Rajas of Agori Barhar and Vijaygarh revolted against the Maharaja and because of this he marched with his army and killed the Kharwar Raja and made the Chandels the rulers.[10]
The rulers of Singrauli were raided by the Bundelas of Bundelkhand in the early 1700s by Maharaja Chhatrasal.[11]
British era edit
On 9 March 1812, it became a British protectorate.[12] Singrauli State’s national language was Hindi. At the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the neighbouring districts of Amarkantak and Mirzapur had major rebellious groups so Maharaja Udit Narayan Singh sent his army and defeated his rebels. He even provided support to the British troops in Jhansi. Due to this, the rulers of Singrauli were granted a hereditary salute of 17 guns. During the reign of Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh, in the capital high schools, hospitals and jails were built. [13] The administration of the state was also reformed. His successor, Maharaja Krishna Pratap Singh was made a member of the Order of the Indian Empire as GCIE and the Order of the Star of India as GCSI during the Delhi Durbar of 1911.[14] He provided military and monetary support to the British government in the First World War and the Second World War and as a result he was granted an honorary rank of Major General in the British army and some more land towards Mirzapur.
The discovery of the large amounts of coal in 1857 by Captain Rabthan in Kotan led to the economic prosperity of the state.[15]
Maharaja Rameshwar Prasad Singh was the last ruler of Singrauli and he acceded to the Dominion of India in 1947.
Post-independence period edit
Upon India's independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Singrauli acceded unto the Dominion of India. Singrauli State later merged with the Union of India and became part of Vindhya Pradesh, which was formed by the merger of the former princely states of the Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand agencies. Waidhan served as the capital of the new state for a brief period after which Rewa became the capital. Vindhya Pradesh’s first Rajpramukh was Maharaja Rameshwar Prasad Singh and after his death in 1954 Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa became the Rajpramukh.[16] The district of Singrauli was the largest district in Vindhya Pradesh.
In 1956, Vindhya Pradesh was merged with other nearby political entities to form the Indian constitutive state of Madhya Pradesh.
Bagheli is the local language of Singrauli.
Rulers edit
The founder of the kingdom, Maharaja Kot Rai Singh amassed an army and migrated from Jhusi in Uttar Pradesh to the Singrauli-Baghelkhand region in the 9th century and married a princess of the local tribal Chandel kingdom after which he conquered the region.[17] The rulers of Singrauli are chiefs of the Venvanshi clan of the Chandravanshi Rajputs.[18]
List of rulers edit
The rulers of Singrauli took the title of Raja, or from 1857, Maharaja. The list of the rulers in chronological order is as follows:[19]
- Maharaja Kot Rai Singh, established the kingdom at Teonthar and conquered parts of the parganas of Singrauli and Sonbhadra.
- Maharaja Man Singh, subjugated the tribal chieftains and acquired full possessions of the region.
- Maharaja Pir Shah Singh
- Maharaja Kharg Shah Singh
- Maharaja Baijmani Rai Singh
- Maharaja Ram Singh
- Maharaja Narsingh Man Singh
- Maharaja Aminath Singh
- Maharaja Sadhurai Singh
- Maharaja Jadurai Singh
- Maharaja Nirpat Singh
- Maharaja Nishank Rai Singh
- Maharaja Kalanki Rai Singh, shifted the capital from Teonthar to Waidhan due to the establishment of the Baghels of Rewa.
- Maharaja Chandraman Singh
- Maharaja Dahpik Singh
- Maharaja Tekmal Shah Singh
- Maharaja Odhanshahi Singh
- Maharaja Tikamshahi Singh
- Maharaja Dagmal Singh
- Maharaja Lakshmishahi Singh
- Maharaja Phoole Singh
- Maharaja Jodh Singh
- Maharaja Ram Narayan Singh II
- Maharaja Kapoor Singh
- Maharaja Chandra Rai Singh
- Maharaja Narendramal Singh
- Maharaja Jeevant Rai Singh
- Maharaja Ven Shah Singh, expanded the kingdom till Sasaram in Bihar and conquered a part of Mirzapur.
- Maharaja Kot Rai Singh II
- Maharaja Ram Singh III
- Maharaja Ghanshyam Singh
- Maharaja Mal Singh
- Maharaja Abhayaraj Singh
- Maharaja Karan Singh
- Maharaja Kanchan Singh
- Maharaja Maniar Singh
- Maharaja Bejnath Singh
- Maharaja Daria Shahi Singh
- Maharaja Patal Singh
- Maharaja Ran Shahi Singh
- Maharaja Sudisht Man Singh
- Maharaja Krishnachandra Singh
- Maharaja Prem Singh
- Maharaja Mahawal Singh
- Maharaja Prithvi Raj Singh
- Maharaja Agarshahi Singh
- Maharaja Atibal Shahi Singh
- Maharaja Daria Shahi Singh II, r.1697-1723, the state was raided by the Bundelas during his reign.
- Maharaja Fakirshahi Singh, r.1723-1738.
- Maharaja Rudra Singh, r.1738-1741.
- Maharaja Ajeetshahi Singh, r.1741-1773.
- Maharaja Udat Singh, r.1773-1798
- Maharaja Kshatra Singh, r.1779-1801.
- Maharaja Narendra Singh, r.1801-1832, the kingdom became a princely state during his rule.
- His Highness Priyadarsi Devanapriya Maharajadhiraj Parambhattarak Maharaja Udit Narayan Singh, b. 1820, r.1832-1886, he helped the British during the Indian Mutiny as a result got more land and was granted a hereditary title of His Highness and a salute of 17 guns.
- Colonel His Highness Priyadarsi Devanapriya Maharajadhiraj Parambhattarak Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh II Bahadur, r.1886-1905, he reformed the administration of the state and built high schools, hospitals, jails etc. He attended the Durbars of 1877 and 1903 and was given an honorary rank in the army. He was made a GCSI in 1903. [20]
- Major General His Highness Priyadarsi Devanapriya Parambhattarak Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Krishna Pratap Singh Bahadur, adopted by Rajmata Chun Kumari who was the fourth wife of Rudra Pratap Singh, r. 1905-1938, he helped the British government in both the World Wars, he was made a member of two British orders also.
- His Highness Priyadarsi Devanapriya Parambhattarak Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Rameshwar Prasad Singh Bahadur, r.1938-1947, he was the last ruler of the state and acceded to the Dominion of India in 1947.
Titular rulers edit
The titular [note 1] rulers of the erstwhile Singrauli State includes:
- 1947-1954: Rameshwar Prasad Singh
- 1954-present: Bhuvneshwar Prasad Singh
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Population, State Gazetteer 1901".
- ^ "Singrauli, original name - Shringavalli".
- ^ "About district Singrauli, history".
- ^ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 9, page 378 - Digital South Asia Library".
- ^ "Indian gun salute states".
- ^ Ramusack, Barbara N. (8 January 2004). The Indian Princes and their states - Ramusack, Barbara N. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139449083.
- ^ "The Constitution (26 Amendment) Act, 1971", indiacode.nic.in, Government of India, 1971, retrieved 9 November 2011
- ^ Schmidt, Karl J. (1995). An atlas and survey of South Asian history. M.E. Sharpe. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-56324-334-9.
Although the Indian states were alternately requested or forced into union with either India or Pakistan, the real death of princely India came when the Twenty-sixth Amendment Act (1971) abolished the princes' titles, privileges, and privy purses.
- ^ "United Provinces of Awadh, Mirzapur - history". Allahabad, Superintendent Government Press. 1911.
- ^ "Singrauli State gazetteer, Kharwar Raja being ejected". Allahabad, Superintendent Government Press. 1911.
- ^ Busch, Allison (7 October 2011). Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. p. 187. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 978-0-19-976592-8.
- ^ "Princely states of India".
- ^ "Imperial Gazetteer of India, Central India - Education, Medical, Jails: p384-386".
- ^ "No. 28559". The London Gazette. 8 December 1911. pp. 9355–9366.
- ^ "Discovery of coal in Singrauli State".
- ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1951 to the Legislative Assembly of Vindhya Pradesh" (PDF). Election Commission of India website.
- ^ "Establishment of the Raja - State Gazetteer".
- ^ "Venvanshi clan - history, chief". Allahabad, Superintendent Government Press. 1911.
- ^ "Indian princely states, rulers".
- ^ "New Year Honours". The Times. No. 36966. London. 1 January 1903. p. 8.
- ^ Ramusack, Barbara N. (2004). The Indian princes and their states. Cambridge University Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-521-26727-4.
The crucial document was the Instrument of Accession by which rulers ceded to the legislatures of India or Pakistan control over defence, external affairs, and communications. In return for these concessions, the princes were to be guaranteed a privy purse in perpetuity and certain financial and symbolic privileges such as exemption from customs duties, the use of their titles, the right to fly their state flags on their cars, and to have police protection.
Notes edit
- ^ In 1947, after India's independence and the state's accession to the Dominion of India under terms agreed to during the Political integration of India, HH Maharaja Rameshwar Singh was granted a privy purse, certain privileges, and the use of the title Maharaja of Singrauli by the Government of India.[21]