Sir Bijai Singh KCIE (also spelled as Bijay Singh or Vijay Singh) was the Maharawal of Dungarpur from 1898 to 1918.
| Bijai Singh | |
|---|---|
| Maharawal | |
| Maharawal of Dungarpur | |
| Reign | 1898 – 1918 |
| Coronation | 1898 |
| Investiture | 27 February 1909 |
| Predecessor | Udai Singh II |
| Successor | Laxman Singh |
| Born | 17 July 1887 |
| Died | 15 November 1918 (aged 31) |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue |
|
| House |  Dungarpur |
| Dynasty | Sisodia |
| Father | Khuman Singh |
Early life
editSingh was born on 17 July 1887 to Khuman Singh.[1][2][3] While he was five years old, he lost his father, Khuman Singh, and became the heir to the throne of his grandfather, Udai Singh.[4] Shortly afterward, he also lost his mother.[4]
Education
editHe was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, where he received the college diploma in 1906.[3][4] He then entered the Imperial Cadet Corps for a brief period of time and later returned to Mayo College to join the post-diploma course.[3] He left the college in 1907.[3]
Reign
editHe succeeded his grandfather, Udai Singh II, as Maharawal of Dungarpur in February 1898.[2][3] As he was a minor at the time of his succession, the state was placed under direct management, and its administration was carried out by a political agent, assisted by a chief executive officer and a council of two consultative members.[2][5] He was formally invested with full ruling powers by Colonel F. H. Pinhey, the Agent in Rajputana to the Governor-General of India, on 27 February 1909.[4] He had demarcated the Dungarpur's 450 miles of reserved jungles and instituted a regular forest law.[6] He established regular courts of law and constituted the Legislative and Executive Councils in his state.[7] He reorganized the police, customs, and forest departments, modernized the excise department, and introduced the Madras system in his state.[8] During his reign, World War I broke out, and he contributed men and money to the British Government for the war effort.[7] He offered a contingent of 100 men for garrison duty in India and personally accompanied the first installment on 6 May 1918 to Nowgong and returned to Dungarpur on 11 May 1918.[9]
He attended the Delhi Durbar in 1903 and 1911.[2][10]
Personal life
editHe married Devendra Kanwar, the daughter of the Raja of Sailana, on 19 January 1907.[3][11] They had four sons: Laxman Singh, Virbhadra Singh, Nagendra Singh, and Pradyuman Singh, as well as one daughter, Rama Kumari.[7][12]
Death
editHe contracted influenza during the 1918–1920 flu pandemic, which later developed into double pneumonia, leading to his death.[13] He died on 15 November 1918 and was succeeded by his son, Laxman Singh, as Maharawal of Dungarpur.[14] He had written a will at the time of his death, stating that the administration of the Dungarpur would be carried out under the guidance of the political agent and a council.[7] During Laxman Singh's minority, which lasted for a decade, Bijai's wife, Devendra Kanwar, played a key role in serving the state's interests, and the political agents frequently sought her advice.[7]
Honours
editHe was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire by George V in the 1912 Birthday Honours list.[5]
| Country | Year | Honour | Class | Ribbon | Post-nominal letters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 British Raj
|
1903 | Delhi Durbar Medal (1903) | Gold | ||
| British Raj
|
1911 | Delhi Durbar Medal (1911) | Gold | ||
 United Kingdom
|
1912 | Order of the Indian Empire | Knight Commander | 
|
KCIE |
References
edit- ^ Bayley, C. S. (2004). Chiefs and leading families in Rajputana. Public Resource. New Delhi : Asian Educational Services. p. 37. ISBN 978-81-206-1066-8.
- ^ a b c d Department, India Foreign and Political (1909). A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads, Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries. Superintendent Government Printing, India. pp. 22–23.
- ^ a b c d e f Memoranda on Native States in India, Together with a List of Independent Ruling Chiefs, Chiefs of Frontier States, and Other Notables with Their Proper Forms of Address. Superintendent Government Print., India. 1911. p. 119.
- ^ a b c d Xxxxxxxx (1911). Short History Of The Dungarpur State. pp. 131–132.
- ^ a b Vadivelu, A. (1915). The Ruling Chiefs, Nobles and Zamindars of India. G.C. Loganadham. p. 201.
- ^ Hughes, Julie E. (1 March 2013). Animal Kingdoms. Harvard University Press. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-674-07478-1.
- ^ a b c d e K.K. Sehgal (1974). Rajasthan District Gazetteers: Dungarpur. Jaipur, Government Central Press. p. 36.
- ^ Not Available (1946). Report On The Administration Of The Dungarpur State Rajputana. p. 4.
- ^ Not Available (1919). Report On The Administration Of The Dungarpur State, Rajputana. p. 3.
- ^ The historical record of the imperial visit to India, 1911. John murray, London. 1914. pp. 79, 124, 132, 302.
- ^ Ahuja, M. L. (2009). Great Administrators of India. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-81-7835-729-4.
- ^ Allen, Charles (1984). Lives of the Indian princes. Internet Archive. London : Century Pub. in association with the Taj Hotel Group. pp. 120, 337. ISBN 978-0-7126-0910-4.
- ^ Allen, Charles (1984). Lives of the Indian princes. Internet Archive. London : Century Pub. in association with the Taj Hotel Group. p. 301. ISBN 978-0-7126-0910-4.
- ^ Not Available (1920). Report On The Administration Of The Dungarpur State, Rajputana For 1918-19. p. 2.