Pratap Singh of Idar: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Lieutenant general in British Indian Army}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Short description|Maharaja of Idar (1845–1922)}}
{{other uses|Pratapsingh (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name        = Pratap Singh I
| image        = Pratap Singh of Idar (1845–1922) in uniform in 1899.png
| image_size  =
| caption      = Pratap Singh in 1899
| succession  = [[Idar State#List of rulers of Idar|King of Idar]]
| reign        = 12 February 1902 – May 1911
| coronation  = 9 June 1926
| predecessor  = King Krishnasinh I
| successor    = [[Daulat Singh|King Daulat Singh I]]
| succession1  = [[Kingdom of Marwar#Rulers of Marwar|Regent of Marwar]]
| reign1      = '''1st'''<br>11 October 1895 - 18 February 1898<br> '''2nd'''<br>6 April 1911 - 26 February 1916<br>'''3rd'''<br>3 October 1918 - September 1922
| reign-type1  = Regencies
| regent1      = [[Sardar Singh of Jodhpur|King Sardar Singh I]]<br>(1895 - 1898)<br/>[[Sumer Singh of Jodhpur|King Sumer Singh I]]<br>(1911 - 1916)<br />[[Umaid Singh|King Umaid Singh I]]<br>(1918 - 1922)
| reg-type1    = Monarchs
| spouse      =
| issue        =
| full name    =
| house        =
| father      = [[Takht Singh|Takht Singh I of Marwar]]
| mother      = Princess Gulab Kunwar of Dhamotar
| birth_name  = Prince Pratap Singh of Marwar
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1845|10|22|df=yes}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1922|9|4|1845|10|22|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Jodhpur]], [[Kingdom of Marwar]]
| religion    =
| module      = {{infobox military person|embed =yes
|allegiance      =
|serviceyears    =
|battles      = [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]]<br/>[[Tirah campaign]]<br/>[[Boxer Rebellion]]<br/>[[First World War]]
}}
}}


{{about||other persons with a similar name|Pratapsingh (disambiguation){{!}}Pratapsingh}}
[[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] His Highness [[Maharaja|Maharajadhiraja]] '''Sir Pratap Singh I''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|sep=,|KCB|GCSI|GCVO}} (22 October 1845 &ndash; 4 September 1922), was a Maharaja of the [[Idar State|Kingdom of Idar]], administrator and Regent of the [[Kingdom of Marwar]] and heir to Ahmednagar later renamed as [[Himmatnagar]] from 1902 to 1911.
 
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix  = The Maharaja of the [[Idar State|State of Idar]]
| name              =Sir Pratap Singh
| honorific_suffix  =
| native_name      =
| native_name_lang  =
| image        = Sir Pratap Singh of Idar 1900-1920.jpg
| image_size    =
| alt          =
| caption      = Sir Pratap Singh of Idar
| birth_date    = 21 October 1845
| death_date    = 4 September 1922 (aged 76)
| birth_place  =
| death_place  =[[Jodhpur]]
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname      =
| birth_name    =
| allegiance    =  {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[British Empire]]
| branch        = {{army|British India|23px}}
| serviceyears  =
| rank          =[[Lieutenant General]]
| servicenumber =
| unit          =
| commands      =
| battles      =[[Second Afghan War]]<br/>[[Tirah Campaign]]<br/>[[Boxer Rebellion]]<br/>[[First World War]]
| battles_label =
| awards        = [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]<br/>[[Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
| relations    =
}}
[[Lieutenant-General]] Sir '''Pratap Singh''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|sep=,|GCB|GCSI|GCVO}} (21 October 1845 &ndash; 4 September 1922) was a decorated [[British Indian Army]] officer, Maharaja of the [[princely state]] of [[Idar (princely state)|Idar]] (Gujarat), administrator and Regent of [[Jodhpur State|Jodhpur]] and heir to Ahmednagar later renamed as [[Himmatnagar]] from 1902 to 1911.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Pratap was born on 22 October 1845 in Jodhpur, as the third son of [[Takht Singh|Takht Singh I of Marwar]] and his first wife Queen Gulab Kunwar.
He was educated privately, and little is known of his early life. He received administrative training under [[Ram Singh II|Ram Singh II of Jaipur]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|date=6 September 1922|title=Famous Indian General Dead|page=10|work=[[The Straits Times]]|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19220906-1.2.71|accessdate=9 May 2017|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929234718/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19220906-1.2.71|url-status=live}}</ref>


Singh was born on 22 October 1845 in Rajput family. He was the third son of [[Takht Singh of Jodhpur]] (1819–13 February 1873) the Maharaja of Jodhpur, and his first wife, Gulab Kunwarji Maji. He was educated privately, and little is known of his early life. He received administrative training under [[Ram Singh II|Maharaja Ram Singh]] of [[Jaipur State|Jaipur]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|date=6 September 1922|title=Famous Indian General Dead|page=10|work=[[The Straits Times]]|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19220906-1.2.71|accessdate=9 May 2017}}</ref>
==Administrator and Regent==
[[file:Sydney Prior Hall (1842-1922) - Sir Pratap Singh (1845-1922) - RCIN 403598 - Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|left|upright| Portrait of Pratap Singh by [[Sydney Prior Hall]], 1887]]
After their father's death in 1873, his eldest brother [[Jaswant Singh II|Maharaja Jaswant Singh]] succeeded to the throne of [[Jodhpur State|Marwar]]. Maharaja Jaswant Singh invited by Pratap Singh to lead Jodhpur state administration.<ref name=":0" /> From 1878 to 1895, Singh served as Chief Minister for Jodhpur.  After his brother's death in 1895, he served as regent for his fifteen-year-old nephew and heir to the Jodhpur throne [[Sardar Singh of Jodhpur]] until 1898, then again for his grandnephew [[Sumer Singh of Jodhpur]] from 1911 to 1918 and finally for his second grandnephew [[Umaid Singh]] from 1918 until his own death in 1922. In total, Pratap Singh had served four rulers of Jodhpur for over four decades. Following the death of the ruler of [[Idar State|Idar]] in 1901, Pratap Singh was Maharajah of that state from 1902 until he resigned in favor of his adopted son in 1911 to return to Jodhpur to be regent. He travelled to Europe often and was close to [[Queen Victoria]] and her family, serving as [[aide-de-camp]] to [[Edward VII]] from 1887 to 1910. He was especially close towards his son, the future [[George V of the United Kingdom]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}


==Administrator and Regent==
==Soldier of the Empire==


After his father's death in 1873, his eldest brother [[Jaswant Singh II|Maharaja Jaswant Singh]] succeeded to the throne of [[Jodhpur State|Jodhpur]]. Maharaja Jaswant singh invited by Pratap Singh to lead Jodhpur state administration.<ref name=":0" />  From 1878 to 1895, Singh served as Chief Minister for Jodhpur.  After his brother's death in 1895, he served as regent for his fifteen-year-old nephew and heir to the Jodhpur throne [[Sardar Singh of Jodhpur]] until 1898, then again for his grandnephew [[Sumer Singh of Jodhpur]] from 1911 to 1918 and finally for his second grandnephew [[Umaid Singh]] from 1918 until his own death in 1922. In total, Pratap Singh had served four rulers of Jodhpur for over four decades. Following the death of the ruler of [[Idar State|Idar]] in 1901, Pratap Singh was Maharajah of that state from 1902 until he resigned in favor of his adopted son in 1911 to return to Jodhpur to be regent. He travelled to Europe often and was close to [[Queen Victoria]] and her family, serving as [[aide-de-camp]] to [[Edward VII]] from 1887 to 1910. He was especially close towards his son, the future [[George V of the United Kingdom]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}
Commissioned in the Jodhpur Risala in 1878, Singh served during the [[Second Afghan War]] and was [[mentioned in dispatches]]. He was promoted to [[lieutenant-colonel]] in 1887, served under General Ellis in 1897 and served in the [[Tirah Campaign]] in 1898 under General [[William Lockhart (Indian Army officer)|William Lockhart]], during which he was wounded. Promoted to an Honorary [[Colonel]] the same year, he commanded the Jodhpur contingent during the [[Boxer Rebellion]] and was promoted to an [[Order of the Bath|Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] (KCB).<ref name=LG27337>{{London Gazette |issue=27337 |date=24 July 1901 |page=4915 |supp=y}}</ref> In late 1901 he accepted the post of honorary commandant of the [[Imperial Cadet Corps]] under [[Lord Curzon]],<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Latest intelligence - India |date=3 December 1901 |page=5 |issue=36628}}</ref> and was promoted to the honorary rank of [[Major-General (British Army)|major-general]] on 9 August 1902.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27462 |date=8 August 1902 |page=5101 }}</ref> He attended the 1903 [[Delhi Durbar]] as an Aide-de-Camp to the Emperor, riding as part of the Viceroy's main entourage.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Latest Intelligence - The Delhi Durbar |date=2 January 1903 |page=3 |issue=36967}}</ref>


==Soldier of the Empire==
[[File:Gen. Remington, Sir Partab Singh, & the Rajah of Rutlam riding in France (Linghem). Photographer- H. D. Girdwood. (13874204213) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Singh (third from right) riding alongside [[Michael Rimington]] and [[Sajjan Singh of Ratlam|Sajjan Singh]] in [[Linghem]], 28 July 1915]]


Commissioned in the Jodhpur Risala in 1878, Singh served during the [[Second Afghan War]] and was [[mentioned in dispatches]]. He was promoted to [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] in 1887, served under General Ellis in 1897 and served in the [[Tirah Campaign]] in 1898 under General [[William Lockhart (Indian Army officer)|William Lockhart]], during which he was wounded. Promoted to an Honorary [[Colonel]] the same year, he commanded the Jodhpur contingent during the [[Boxer Rebellion]] and was promoted to an [[Order of the Bath|Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] (KCB).<ref name=LG27337>{{London Gazette |issue=27337 |date=24 July 1901 |page=4915 |supp=y}}</ref> In late 1901 he accepted the post of honorary commandant of the [[Imperial Cadet Corps]] under [[Lord Curzon]],<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Latest intelligence - India |day_of_week=Tuesday |date=3 December 1901 |page_number=5 |issue=36628| }}</ref> and was promoted to the honorary rank of [[Major-General (British Army)|Major-General]] on 9 August 1902.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27462 |date=8 August 1902 |page=5101 }}</ref> Even as an elderly man of 70, Sir Pratap commanded his regiments during the [[First World War]] in [[France]] and [[Flanders]] from 1914-1915 and in the [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine Mandate]] at [[Haifa]] and [[Aleppo]]. He led the Jodhpur Lancers, a cavalry unit, in France. <ref>{{Cite book|title=For King and Another Country|last=Basu|first=Shrabani|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2015|location=New Delhi, CT|page=32|isbn=978-93-86250-92-6}}</ref> He was promoted to [[Lieutenant-General]] in 1916.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}
Even as an elderly man of 70, Sir Pratap commanded his regiments during the [[First World War]] in [[France]] and [[Flanders]] from 1914 to 1915 and in the [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine Mandate]] at [[Haifa]] and [[Aleppo]]. He led the [[Jodhpur Lancers]], a cavalry unit, in France.<ref>{{Cite book|title=For King and Another Country|last=Basu|first=Shrabani|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2015|location=New Delhi, CT|page=32|isbn=978-93-86250-92-6}}</ref> He was promoted to the honorary rank of [[lieutenant-general]] in 1916<ref>{{cite journal |title=London Gazette - Supplement |journal=London Gazette |date=6 June 1916 |issue=29617 |page=5719 |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29617/supplement/5719 |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref>.


==Later years==
==Later years==
[[File:Pratap Singh of Idar 1914.jpg|thumb|upright|Singh in 1914]]


[[File:Pratap Singh of Idar 1914.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Pratap Singh in 1914]]
In 1911, Pratap abdicated the ''gadi'' (throne) of Idar in favour of his adopted son and nephew, [[Daulat Singh]]. Following his wartime service and a final stint as Regent of Jodhpur, Singh died at Jodhpur on 4 September 1922.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}
In 1911, Pratap abdicated the ''gadi'' (throne) of Idar in favour of his adopted son and nephew, [[Daulat Singh]]. Following his wartime service and a final stint as Regent of Jodhpur, Singh died at Jodhpur on 4 September 1922.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}


==Honours==
==Honours==


<center>
<div class="center">
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)


[[File:Order of the Bath UK ribbon.png|100px]]
[[File:Order of the Bath UK ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:Ord.Stella.India.jpg|100px]]
[[File:1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna.svg|100px]]
[[File:Royal Victorian Order ribbon sm.jpg|100px]]
[[File:Royal Victorian Order ribbon sm.jpg|100px]]
[[File:Kaisar-i-Hind Medal.gif|100px]]
[[File:Kaisar-i-Hind Medal.gif|100px]]
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[[File:Legion Honneur GO ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:Legion Honneur GO ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:EGY Order of the Nile - Grand Cordon BAR.png|100px]]
[[File:EGY Order of the Nile - Grand Cordon BAR.png|100px]]
[[Image:Star of Romania Ribbon.PNG|100px]]
[[Image:Order of the Star of Romania - Ribbon bar.svg|100px]]


</center>
</div>


Singh's honours included:{{cn|date=June 2020}}
Singh's honours included:{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}


*[[Empress of India|Empress of India Gold Medal]], 1877
*[[Empress of India|Empress of India Gold Medal]], 1877
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*[[Victory Medal (United Kingdom)|Allied Victory Medal]], 1919
*[[Victory Medal (United Kingdom)|Allied Victory Medal]], 1919
*'''GCB''': Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]], 1918  (KCB, 1900)  (CB, 1898)
*'''GCB''': Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]], 1918  (KCB, 1900)  (CB, 1898)
**'''KCB(m)''': Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) – 29 November 1900 – in recognition of services during the recent operations in China ([[Boxer rebellion]]).<ref name=LG27337/> He was invested personally by King [[Edward VII]] during an audience in June 1902, when he visited London to attend the King's coronation.<ref name=TT14061902>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Court Circular |day_of_week=Saturday |date=14 June 1902 |page_number=12 |issue=36794| }}</ref>
**'''KCB(m)''': Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) – 29 November 1900 – in recognition of services during the recent operations in China ([[Boxer Rebellion]]).<ref name=LG27337/> He was invested personally by King [[Edward VII]] during an audience in June 1902, when he visited London to attend the King's coronation.<ref name=TT14061902>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular |date=14 June 1902 |page=12 |issue=36794}}</ref>
*Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Nile]] of [[Egypt]], 1918
*Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Nile]] of [[Egypt]], 1918
*Grand Officer of the [[Legion d'Honneur]], 1918
*Grand Officer of the [[Legion d'Honneur]], 1918
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*1845-1873: [[Maharajkumar]] [[Shri]] Pratap Singh Sahib
*1845-1873: [[Maharajkumar]] [[Shri]] Pratap Singh Sahib
*1873-1877: [[Maharaj]] Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
*1873-1878: [[Maharaj]] Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
*1877-1878: Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
*1878-1886: [[Second Lieutenant]] Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib, [[Order of the Star of India|CSI]]
*1878-1886: [[Second Lieutenant]] Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib, [[Order of the Star of India|CSI]]
*1886-1887: Second Lieutenant Maharaj Shri [[Sir]] Pratap Singh Sahib, [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]]
*1886-1887: Second Lieutenant Maharaj Shri [[Sir]] Pratap Singh Sahib, [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]]
Line 117: Line 121:
*1898-1901: [[Colonel]] Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, [[Order of the Bath|CB]]
*1898-1901: [[Colonel]] Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, [[Order of the Bath|CB]]
*1901-1902: Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath|KCB]]
*1901-1902: Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath|KCB]]
*1902-1911: [[Major-General]] [[His Highness]] Maharajadhiraja [[Maharaja]] Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of [[Idar]], GCSI, KCB
*1902-1911: [[Major-General]] [[His Highness]] Maharajadhiraja [[Maharaja]] Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of [[Idar State|Idar]], GCSI, KCB
*1911-1916: Major-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, [[GCVO]], KCB
*1911-1916: Major-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, [[GCVO]], KCB
*1916-1918: [[Lieutenant-General]] His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCVO, KCB
*1916-1918: [[Lieutenant-General]] His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCVO, KCB
*1918-1922: Lieutenant-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, [[Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath|GCB]], GCSI, GCVO
*1918-1922: Lieutenant-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, [[Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath|GCB]], GCSI, GCVO
== Legacy ==
The poem ''A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh'' was written by [[Henry Newbolt]], which tells about the friendships the Maharaja had with an Englishman.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=chadwyck_ep/uvaGenText/tei/chep_3.1961.xml;query=;brand=default |title=Poems: New and Old :: :: University of Virginia Library |access-date=23 April 2023 |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423025040/https://xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=chadwyck_ep/uvaGenText/tei/chep_3.1961.xml;query=;brand=default |url-status=live }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{Commons category inline|Pratap Singh of Idar}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Pratap Singh of Idar}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Pratap}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Pratap}}
[[Category:Indian maharajas|Idar, Pratap Singh]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]
[[Category:People from Jodhpur]]
[[Category:People from Jodhpur]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Indian Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal]]
[[Category:Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian royalty]]
[[Category:19th-century regents]]
[[Category:20th-century regents]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]
[[Category:1845 births]]
[[Category:1845 births]]
[[Category:1922 deaths]]
[[Category:1922 deaths]]
[[Category:Rathore (clan)]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Tirah campaign]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Tirah campaign]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Idar|Pratap]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Idar|Pratap]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Indian State Forces officers]]

Latest revision as of 04:36, 22 March 2026


For other uses, see Pratapsingh (disambiguation).

Pratap Singh I
Pratap Singh in 1899
King of Idar
Reign12 February 1902 – May 1911
Coronation9 June 1926
PredecessorKing Krishnasinh I
SuccessorKing Daulat Singh I
Regent of Marwar
Regencies1st
11 October 1895 - 18 February 1898
2nd
6 April 1911 - 26 February 1916
3rd
3 October 1918 - September 1922
MonarchsKing Sardar Singh I
(1895 - 1898)
King Sumer Singh I
(1911 - 1916)
King Umaid Singh I
(1918 - 1922)
BornPrince Pratap Singh of Marwar
(1845-10-22)22 October 1845
Died4 September 1922(1922-09-04) (aged 76)
Jodhpur, Kingdom of Marwar
FatherTakht Singh I of Marwar
MotherPrincess Gulab Kunwar of Dhamotar
Military career
Battles/warsSecond Anglo-Afghan War
Tirah campaign
Boxer Rebellion
First World War

Colonel His Highness Maharajadhiraja Sir Pratap Singh I, KCB, GCSI, GCVO (22 October 1845 – 4 September 1922), was a Maharaja of the Kingdom of Idar, administrator and Regent of the Kingdom of Marwar and heir to Ahmednagar later renamed as Himmatnagar from 1902 to 1911.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Pratap was born on 22 October 1845 in Jodhpur, as the third son of Takht Singh I of Marwar and his first wife Queen Gulab Kunwar. He was educated privately, and little is known of his early life. He received administrative training under Ram Singh II of Jaipur.[1]

Administrator and Regent[edit | edit source]

Portrait of Pratap Singh by Sydney Prior Hall, 1887

After their father's death in 1873, his eldest brother Maharaja Jaswant Singh succeeded to the throne of Marwar. Maharaja Jaswant Singh invited by Pratap Singh to lead Jodhpur state administration.[1] From 1878 to 1895, Singh served as Chief Minister for Jodhpur. After his brother's death in 1895, he served as regent for his fifteen-year-old nephew and heir to the Jodhpur throne Sardar Singh of Jodhpur until 1898, then again for his grandnephew Sumer Singh of Jodhpur from 1911 to 1918 and finally for his second grandnephew Umaid Singh from 1918 until his own death in 1922. In total, Pratap Singh had served four rulers of Jodhpur for over four decades. Following the death of the ruler of Idar in 1901, Pratap Singh was Maharajah of that state from 1902 until he resigned in favor of his adopted son in 1911 to return to Jodhpur to be regent. He travelled to Europe often and was close to Queen Victoria and her family, serving as aide-de-camp to Edward VII from 1887 to 1910. He was especially close towards his son, the future George V of the United Kingdom.[citation needed]

Soldier of the Empire[edit | edit source]

Commissioned in the Jodhpur Risala in 1878, Singh served during the Second Afghan War and was mentioned in dispatches. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1887, served under General Ellis in 1897 and served in the Tirah Campaign in 1898 under General William Lockhart, during which he was wounded. Promoted to an Honorary Colonel the same year, he commanded the Jodhpur contingent during the Boxer Rebellion and was promoted to an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).[2] In late 1901 he accepted the post of honorary commandant of the Imperial Cadet Corps under Lord Curzon,[3] and was promoted to the honorary rank of major-general on 9 August 1902.[4] He attended the 1903 Delhi Durbar as an Aide-de-Camp to the Emperor, riding as part of the Viceroy's main entourage.[5]

Singh (third from right) riding alongside Michael Rimington and Sajjan Singh in Linghem, 28 July 1915

Even as an elderly man of 70, Sir Pratap commanded his regiments during the First World War in France and Flanders from 1914 to 1915 and in the Palestine Mandate at Haifa and Aleppo. He led the Jodhpur Lancers, a cavalry unit, in France.[6] He was promoted to the honorary rank of lieutenant-general in 1916[7].

Later years[edit | edit source]

Singh in 1914

In 1911, Pratap abdicated the gadi (throne) of Idar in favour of his adopted son and nephew, Daulat Singh. Following his wartime service and a final stint as Regent of Jodhpur, Singh died at Jodhpur on 4 September 1922.[citation needed]

Honours[edit | edit source]

(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

Singh's honours included:[citation needed]

Titles[edit | edit source]

  • 1845-1873: Maharajkumar Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
  • 1873-1878: Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
  • 1878-1886: Second Lieutenant Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib, CSI
  • 1886-1887: Second Lieutenant Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, KCSI
  • 1887-1897: Lieutenant-Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, KCSI
  • 1897-1898: Lieutenant-Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI
  • 1898-1901: Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, CB
  • 1901-1902: Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, KCB
  • 1902-1911: Major-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Idar, GCSI, KCB
  • 1911-1916: Major-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCVO, KCB
  • 1916-1918: Lieutenant-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCVO, KCB
  • 1918-1922: Lieutenant-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCB, GCSI, GCVO

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The poem A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh was written by Henry Newbolt, which tells about the friendships the Maharaja had with an Englishman.[9]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Famous Indian General Dead". The Straits Times. 6 September 1922. p. 10. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "No. 27337". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 July 1901. p. 4915.
  3. ↑ "Latest intelligence - India". The Times. No. 36628. London. 3 December 1901. p. 5.
  4. ↑ "No. 27462". The London Gazette. 8 August 1902. p. 5101.
  5. ↑ "Latest Intelligence - The Delhi Durbar". The Times. No. 36967. London. 2 January 1903. p. 3.
  6. ↑ Basu, Shrabani (2015). For King and Another Country. New Delhi, CT: Bloomsbury. p. 32. ISBN 978-93-86250-92-6.
  7. ↑ "London Gazette - Supplement". London Gazette (29617): 5719. 6 June 1916. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36794. London. 14 June 1902. p. 12.
  9. ↑ "Poems: New and Old :: :: University of Virginia Library". Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.

External links[edit | edit source]

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