Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Maharaja of Nawanagar from 1933–1948}}
{{Short description|Maharaja of Nawanagar from 1933 to 1966}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| name        = Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, [[GCSI]], [[GCIE]]
| name        = Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji
| title        = [[GCSI]] [[GCIE]]
| image        = Jam-Shri-Digvijaysinhji-Ranjitsinhji-Jadeja-Maharaja-Jam-Saheb-of-Nawanagar.jpg
| image        = Jam-Shri-Digvijaysinhji-Ranjitsinhji-Jadeja-Maharaja-Jam-Saheb-of-Nawanagar.jpg
| succession  = Maharaja Jam Sahib of '''Nawanagar State'''
| caption      = Digvijaysinhji in 1935
| succession  = [[Maharaja]] of [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]]
| moretext    =  
| moretext    =  
| reign        = 1933–1948
| reign        = 2 April 1933 – 3 February 1966
| coronation  =  
| coronation  =  
| cor-type    =  
| cor-type    =  
| predecessor  = [[Ranjitsinhji]]
| predecessor  = [[Ranjitsinhji]]
| successor    = ''Monarchy Abolished''
| successor    = [[Shatrusalyasinhji]]
| succession1  = Jam Saheb of Nawanagar ([[Titular ruler]])
| reign1      = 1948–1966
| predecessor1 = [[Ranjitsinhji]]
| successor1  = [[Shatrusalyasinhji]]
| regent      =  
| regent      =  
| reg-type    =  
| reg-type    =  
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|df=yes|1895|09|18}}
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|df=yes|1895|09|18}}
| birth_place  = [[Sadodar]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| birth_place  = Sadodar, [[Nawanagar State]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />(now [[Jamnagar District]], [[Gujarat]], India)
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1966|02|03|1895|09|18}}
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1966|02|03|1895|09|18}}
| death_place  = [[Bombay]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
| death_place  = [[Bombay]], India
| burial_date  =  
| burial_date  =  
| burial_place =  
| burial_place =  
| spouse      = {{marriage|Maharajkumari Baiji Raj Shri Kanchan Kunverba Sahiba |26 April 1923}}
| spouse      = {{marriage|Maharajkumari Baiji Raj Shri Kanchan Kunverba Sahiba |26 April 1923}}
| issue        = {{Plainlist}}
| issue        = [[Shatrusalyasinhji|Shatrusalyasinhji Jadeja]]
* [[Shatrusalyasinhji]]
* H. H. Jam Saheb
{{Endplainlist}}
| full name    = Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja
| full name    = Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja
| house        = [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]]
| house        = [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]]
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|                date = 8 June
|                date = 8 June
|                year = 2019
|                year = 2019
|              source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/28620.html CricInfo
|              source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/28620.html ESPNcricinfo
|module            = {{Infobox officeholder
|module            = {{Infobox officeholder
|embed            = yes
|embed            = yes
|office          = 4th [[Presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India|President of BCCI]]
|office          = 4th [[List of presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India|President of BCCI]]
|term_start      = 1937
|term_start      = 1937
|term_end        = 1938
|term_end        = 1938
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}}
}}


'''Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCSI|GCIE}} (18 September 1895 – 3 February 1966) was the Maharaja [[Jam Sahib]] of [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]] from 1933 to 1966, succeeding his uncle, the famed [[cricketer]] [[Ranjitsinhji]].
'''Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCSI|GCIE}} (18 September 1895 – 3 February 1966), known widely in Poland as the '''Good Maharaja''' ([[Polish language|Polish]]: ''Dobry Maharadża''), was the ruling [[Maharaja]] [[Jam Sahib]] of [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]] (present day [[Jamnagar]]), succeeding his uncle, the famed [[cricketer]] [[Ranjitsinhji]]. He ruled Nawanagar from 1933 to 1947, when Nawanagar was merged into the [[Saurashtra (state)|United State of Kathiawar]], after which he held his title nominally.  


==Early life and military career==
Jadeja is personally credited with saving around 740 Polish orphans between 1942 and 1946, following the [[Invasion of Poland]]. While serving as the Hindu delegate to the British [[war cabinet]] he convinced members of the [[Red Cross]] and [[Anders' Army]] to transport the orphans to [[Jamnagar]], where he provided them with food, shelter, clothes, education, and medical care in the nearby coastal village of [[Balachadi]]. Following the [[German Instrument of Surrender|Surrender of Germany]], the orphans were returned to Poland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Maharaja Who Saved Hundreds of Polish Orphans |url=https://culture.pl/en/article/the-maharaja-who-saved-hundreds-of-polish-orphans |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=Culture.pl |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Institute of National Remembrance |title=Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja (1895-1966) |url=https://szlakinadziei.ipn.gov.pl/sne/exposures/people/9601,Digvijaysinhji-Ranjitsinhji-Jadeja-1895-1966.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250118133932/https://szlakinadziei.ipn.gov.pl/sne/exposures/people/9601,Digvijaysinhji-Ranjitsinhji-Jadeja-1895-1966.html |archive-date=2025-01-18 |access-date=2025-05-16 |work=Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom |language=en}}</ref>


Ranjitsinhji, a [[Yaduvanshi Rajput]], was born at Sadodar, [[Gujarat]] on 18 September 1895 during the [[British Raj]], nephew of the famed cricketer [[K.S. Ranjitsinhji]]. He was educated at The [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot|Rajkumar College]], [[Rajkot]], in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]], then at [[Malvern College]] and [[University College London]].
In 2011, Jadeja was posthumously bestowed the [[Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland#Degrees|Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit]] by the [[President of Poland]], and is honoured at the [[Good Maharaja Square]] in [[Warsaw]].


Commissioned as second lieutenant in the British Army in 1919, Digvijaysinhji enjoyed a military career for over two decades.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} Attached to the 125th Napier's Rifles (now 5th Battalion (Napier's), The Rajputana Rifles) in 1920, he served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, subsequently receiving a promotion to Lieutenant in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/32967/pages/6355|title=London Gazette}}</ref> He then served with the Waziristan Field Force from 1922 to 1924; after a promotion to captain in 1929, he retired from the army in 1931.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/33790/pages/350|title=London Gazette}}</ref> However, he would continue to receive honorary promotions in the Indian Army until 1947, ending with the rank of lieutenant-general.
==Biography==


Two years later, Digvijaysinhji succeeded his uncle, who had adopted him as his heir. From 1939 until his demise, he was the longest serving President of Governing Council of The [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot|Rajkumar College]], [[Rajkot]].
Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was born on 18 September 1895 in the village of Sadodar (present-day [[Gujarat]]) during the [[British Raj]]. He was the nephew of the famed cricketer and Maharaja, [[Ranjitsinhji]]. He attended [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot|Rajkumar College]] in [[Rajkot]] as well as [[Malvern College]] and [[University College London]].


==Maharaja Jam Sahib==
Commissioned as [[second lieutenant]] in the [[British Indian Army]] in 1919, Jadeja enjoyed a military career for over a decade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-03 |title=Meet Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja who gave refuge to Jews during World War II |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/meet-maharaja-digvijaysinhji-ranjitsinhji-jadeja-who-gave-refuge-to-jews-during-world-war-ii/3227926/ |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=Financialexpress |language=en}}</ref> Attached to the [[125th Napier's Rifles]] (now 5th Battalion (Napier's), [[Rajputana Rifles]]) in 1920, he served with the [[Egyptian Expeditionary Force]], subsequently receiving a promotion to [[Lieutenant]] in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/32967/pages/6355|title=London Gazette}}</ref> He then served with the [[Waziristan Field Force]] from 1922 to 1924; after a promotion to [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]] in 1929, he retired from the army in 1931.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/33790/pages/350|title=London Gazette}}</ref> However, he would continue to receive honorary promotions in the Indian Army until 1947, ending with the rank of [[Lieutenant general|lieutenant-general]].


Upon the passing of his uncle, Digvijaysinhji became Maharaja Jam Sahib in 1933, continuing his uncle's policies of development and public service. [[Knighted]] in 1935, Sir Digvijaysinhji joined the [[Chamber of Princes]], leading it as president from 1937 to 1943. Upholding the cricketing tradition of his uncle, he served as President of the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] in 1937–1938 and was a member of several prominent sporting clubs. He had previously played a single [[first-class cricket|first-class]] match during the 1933–34 season, captaining [[Western India cricket team|Western India]] against the [[Marylebone Cricket Club|MCC]] during [[English cricket team in India in 1933–34|its tour of India and Ceylon]].<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/38/38769/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Digvijaysinhji (1)] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 October 2014.</ref> He scored 0 and 6 in his two innings, in what was also the only first-class match played by his brother, [[Pratapsinhji]].<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/14/14869.html Western India v Marylebone Cricket Club], Marylebone Cricket Club in India and Ceylon 1933/34 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 October 2014.</ref> During the Second World War, Sir Digvijaysinhji served on the [[Imperial War Cabinet]] and the National Defence Council, along with the [[Pacific War Council]].
=== Maharaja Jam Sahib ===
Following the death of his uncle, Jadeja became Maharaja Jam Sahib in 1933, continuing his uncle's policies of development and public service. He was [[knighted]] in 1935 and joined the [[Chamber of Princes]], leading it as president from 1937 to 1943. Upholding the cricketing tradition of his uncle, he served as President of the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] in 1937 to 1938 and was a member of several prominent sporting clubs. He had previously played a single [[first-class cricket|first-class]] match during the 1933–34 season, captaining [[Western India cricket team|Western India]] against the [[Marylebone Cricket Club|MCC]] during [[English cricket team in India in 1933–34|its tour of India and Ceylon]].<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/38/38769/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Digvijaysinhji (1)] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 October 2014.</ref> He scored 0 and 6 in his two innings, in what was also the only first-class match played by his brother, Pratapsinhji.<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/14/14869.html Western India v Marylebone Cricket Club], Marylebone Cricket Club in India and Ceylon 1933/34 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 October 2014.</ref> During the Second World War, Jadeja served on the [[Imperial War Cabinet]] and the National Defence Council, along with the [[Pacific War Council]].


==Polish refugees==
=== Polish refugees ===
In 1942, he established the Polish Children's Camp in [[Balachadi]] for [[Displaced person|refugee]] Polish children who were brought out of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] during [[World War II]].
[[File:Maharaja with kids and women from Poland.jpg|thumb|Maharaja Jadeja with Polish children on Christmas Eve]]
It existed until 1945, when it was closed and the children were transferred to Valivade, a quarter of the city of [[Kolhapur]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=47057|title=Refugee camps in India, Jamnagar-Balachadi|access-date=8 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713170807/http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=47057|archive-date=13 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120910203530/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-09-17/ahmedabad/27825350_1_maharaja-camps-jamnagar Anuradha Bhattacharya, ''History of Polish refugees in India between 1942–48''] [in] Polish love story in Gujarat, The Times of India, 17 September 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268578 Little Warsaw Of Kathiawar] ''Outlook'', 20 December 2010.</ref> The camp site today is part of 300 acre campus of the [[Sainik School, Balachadi|Sainik School Balachadi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268579|title=History: humanism Balachadians To Their Core Nawanagar saved their lives. The Poles show they have not forgotten.|date=20 December 2010|work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]}}</ref> [[The Jamsaheb Digvijay Singh Jadeja School]] in [[Warsaw]] was established to honour this legacy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/a-maharaja-in-warsaw/article12980412.ece|title=A Maharaja in Warsaw|author=Jayaraj Manepalli|work=The Hindu|date=28 April 2012 |access-date=28 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://orka.sejm.gov.pl/opinie8.nsf/nazwa/235_u/$file/235_u.pdf|title=Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w sprawie uczczenia pamięci Dobrego Maharadży|access-date=12 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://theindiandiaspora.com/news-details/diaspora-news/primary-news/good-maharaja-of-jamnagar-remembered-in-polish-parliament.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315031817/http://theindiandiaspora.com/news-details/diaspora-news/primary-news/good-maharaja-of-jamnagar-remembered-in-polish-parliament.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=15 March 2016|title='Good Maharaja' of Jamnagar remembered in Polish parliament|author=Surender Bhutani|work=theindiandiaspora|access-date=14 March 2016}}</ref>


[[File:HH The Jam Sahib Of Nawanagar visits HMS Nelson Sep 1942.jpg|thumb|right|{{center|Taking the salute on visiting [[HMS Nelson (28)|HMS ''Nelson'']] in Scotland, September 1942}}]]
After the [[independence of India]], he signed the [[Instrument of Accession]] to the [[Dominion of India]] on 15 August 1947. He merged Nawanagar into the United State of Kathiawar the following year, serving as its ''[[Rajpramukh|Rajpramukh, a Chief of State]]'' until the [[Government of India]] abolished the post in 1956.


[[File:Maharaja with kids and women from Poland.jpg|thumb|Maharaja with children on Christmas Eve]]
=== League of Nations and United Nations delegate ===
Jadeja represented India as a delegate at the first session of the [[League of Nations]] in 1920.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiana.edu/~league/1thordinaryassemb.htm|title=First Ordinary Session of the Assembly|access-date=28 December 2015|archive-date=13 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113014630/http://www.indiana.edu/~league/1thordinaryassemb.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>


[[File:Skwer Dobrego Maharadży w Warszawie.JPG|thumb|upright|"Good Maharaja's Square" in Warsaw, Poland, was named after Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji in recognition of his help to Polish refugees during World War II]]
He was also the Deputy Leader of the Indian delegation to the UN, and chaired both the UN Administration Tribunal and the UN Negotiating Committee on Korean Rehabilitation following the [[Korean War]].


[[File:Pomnik_dobrego_maharadży_polski.jpg|thumb|Memorial in Warsaw]]
=== Death ===
[[File:Homage_to_the_Good_Maharajah_Monument,_Warsaw_Ochota,_Poland_04.jpg|thumb|Memorial in [[Warsaw]]. The nearby "Good Maharaja's Square" was named after Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji in recognition of his help to Polish refugees during [[World War II]].]]
Jadeja died in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] on 3 February 1966, aged 70. He was survived by his only son, [[Shatrusalyasinhji|Shatrusalyasinhj]], who was a [[first-class cricket]]er for [[Saurashtra cricket team|Saurashtra]].


In 1942, he established the Polish Children's Camp in [[Jamnagar]]-Balachadi for [[Displaced person|refugee]] Polish children who were brought out of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] during [[World War II]]. 
=== Legacy ===
 
A 2015 documentary titled "Little Poland in India" was made in collaboration of both Indian and Polish governments to honour the efforts of Maharaja Jam Sahib<ref>{{Citation |last=AakaarFilms |title=A Little Poland in India (English) - The Complete Documentary |date=2015-11-22 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIPq-8RZxxM |access-date=2018-05-24}}</ref> and [[Kira Banasinska]], who led the movement in India to rehabilitate Polish refugees. In 2025, a monument honoring Jadeja was installed in [[Nevatim]], a community in southern Israel that has a sizable population of Jews from India.
It existed until 1945, when it was closed and the children were transferred to Valivade, a quarter of the city of [[Kolhapur]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=47057|title=Refugee camps in India, Jamnagar-Balachadi|access-date=8 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713170807/http://kresy-siberia.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=47057|archive-date=13 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120910203530/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-09-17/ahmedabad/27825350_1_maharaja-camps-jamnagar Anuradha Bhattacharya, ''History of Polish refugees in India between 1942–48''] [in] Polish love story in Gujarat, The Times of India, 17 September 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268578 Little Warsaw Of Kathiawar] ''Outlook'', 20 December 2010.</ref> The camp site today is part of 300 acre campus of the [[Sainik School, Balachadi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268579|title=History: humanism Balachadians To Their Core Nawanagar saved their lives. The Poles show they have not forgotten.|date=20 December 2010|work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]}}</ref>
[[The Jamsaheb Digvijay Singh Jadeja School|The Jamsaheb Digvijaysinh Jadeja School]] in [[Warsaw]] was established to honour this legacy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/a-maharaja-in-warsaw/article12980412.ece|title=A Maharaja in Warsaw|author=Jayaraj Manepalli|work=The Hindu|access-date=28 December 2015}}</ref> In 2016, 50 years after Jam Saheb's death, Poland's Parliament unanimously adopted a special resolution honouring Jam Saheb Digvijay Sinhji for his aid to Polish children refugees during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://orka.sejm.gov.pl/opinie8.nsf/nazwa/235_u/$file/235_u.pdf|title=Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w sprawie uczczenia pamięci Dobrego Maharadży|access-date=12 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://theindiandiaspora.com/news-details/diaspora-news/primary-news/good-maharaja-of-jamnagar-remembered-in-polish-parliament.htm|title='Good Maharaja' of Jamnagar remembered in Polish parliament|author=Surender Bhutani|work=theindiandiaspora|access-date=14 March 2016}}</ref>
 
A documentary titled "Little Poland in India" was made in collaboration of both Indian and Polish governments to honour the efforts of Maharaja Jam Sahib<ref>{{Citation|last=AakaarFilms|title=A Little Poland in India (English) - The Complete Documentary|date=2015-11-22|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIPq-8RZxxM|access-date=2018-05-24}}</ref> and [[Kira Banasinska]], who led the movement in India to rehabilitate Polish refugees.<ref name="Tribune-30Jun19">{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spectrum/slice-of-india-in-london/794763.html|title=Slice of India in London|date=30 June 2019|work=The Tribune|location=Chandigarh}}</ref>
After [[independence of India]], he signed the [[Instrument of Accession]] to the [[Dominion of India]] on 15 August 1947. He merged Nawanagar into the [[United State of Kathiawar]] the following year, serving as its ''[[Rajpramukh]]'' until the [[Government of India]] abolished the post in 1956.
 
==Representative at international organisations==
 
Divijaysinhji represented India as a delegate at the first session of the [[League of Nations]] in 1920.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiana.edu/~league/1thordinaryassemb.htm|title=First Ordinary Session of the Assembly|access-date=28 December 2015}}</ref> He was also the Deputy Leader of the Indian delegation to the UN, and chaired both the UN Administration Tribunal and the UN Negotiating Committee on Korean Rehabilitation following the [[Korean War]].
 
==Personal life==
 
On 7 March 1935 at [[Sirohi]], Sir Digvijaysinhji married Maharajkumari Baiji Raj Shri Kanchan Kunverba Sahiba (1910–1994), second daughter of Maharajadhiraj Maharao Sri Sir Sarup Ram Singhji Bahadur, the Maharao of [[Sirohi]]. She took the name of Her Highness Deoriji Maharani Shri Gulab Kunverba Sahiba, and the couple had one son and three daughters.
 
==Death==
 
After a reign of 33 years, Sir Digvijaysinhji died in Bombay on 3 February 1966, aged 70. He was succeeded by his only son, [[Shatrusalyasinhji]], who was a [[first-class cricket]]er for [[Saurashtra cricket team|Saurashtra]].


==Honours==
==Honours==


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(ribbon bar, as it would look today)
[[File:1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna.svg|100px]]
[[File:1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna.svg|100px]]
[[File:Order of the Indian Empire Ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:Order of the Indian Empire Ribbon.svg|100px]]
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[[File:GeorgeVICoronationRibbon.png|100px]]
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[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|100px]]
[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|100px]]
[[File:ImperialOrderCrownIndiaRibbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:POL Order Zaslugi RP kl3 BAR.png|100px|3rd class]]
[[File:POL Order Zaslugi RP kl3 BAR.png|100px|3rd class]]


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*[[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]] (GCSI)-1947 (KCSI-1935)
*[[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]] (GCSI)-1947 (KCSI-1935)
*[[India Service Medal]]-1945
*[[India Service Medal]]-1945
*[[Order of the Star of India]]- 1947
*[[Indian Independence Medal]]-1947
*[[Indian Independence Medal]]-1947
*Commander's Cross of the [[Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland]] (posthumous) – 2011<ref>{{cite web|last=Iwanek |first=Krzysztof |title=Maharadża odznaczony, nadanie imienia skwerowi na dobrej drodze! |url=http://www.polska-azja.pl/2012/02/01/maharadza-odznaczony-nadanie-imienia-skwerowi-na-dobrej-drodze/ |language=pl |date=1 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515192525/http://www.polska-azja.pl/2012/02/01/maharadza-odznaczony-nadanie-imienia-skwerowi-na-dobrej-drodze/ |archive-date=15 May 2013 }}</ref>
*Commander's Cross of the [[Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland]] (posthumous) – 2011<ref>{{cite web|last=Iwanek |first=Krzysztof |title=Maharadża odznaczony, nadanie imienia skwerowi na dobrej drodze! |url=http://www.polska-azja.pl/2012/02/01/maharadza-odznaczony-nadanie-imienia-skwerowi-na-dobrej-drodze/ |language=pl |date=1 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515192525/http://www.polska-azja.pl/2012/02/01/maharadza-odznaczony-nadanie-imienia-skwerowi-na-dobrej-drodze/ |archive-date=15 May 2013 }}</ref>
==In popular culture==
The upcoming [[India|Indo]]-[[Polish language|Polish]] [[war epic]] film [[The Good Maharaja|The Good Maharaja (2022)]] is going to depict Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja.


== See also ==
== See also ==
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[[Category:Cricketers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Indian royalty]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian royalty]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland]]
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[[Category:Presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India]]
[[Category:Polish refugees]]
[[Category:Polish refugees]]
[[Category:India–Poland relations]]
[[Category:Polish expatriates in India]]
[[Category:Polish expatriates in India]]
[[Category:Refugees in India]]
[[Category:Refugees in India]]

Latest revision as of 22:59, 15 March 2026


Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji
GCSI GCIE
Digvijaysinhji in 1935
Maharaja of Nawanagar
Reign2 April 1933 – 3 February 1966
PredecessorRanjitsinhji
SuccessorShatrusalyasinhji
Born(1895-09-18)18 September 1895
Sadodar, Nawanagar State, British India
(now Jamnagar District, Gujarat, India)
Died3 February 1966(1966-02-03) (aged 70)
Bombay, India
Spouse
Maharajkumari Baiji Raj Shri Kanchan Kunverba Sahiba
​
(
m. 1923)
IssueShatrusalyasinhji Jadeja
Names
Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja
HouseNawanagar
Military career
Service/branch British Indian Army
Years of service1919–1947
Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm
RoleBatsman
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1933–1934Western India
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 1
Runs scored 6
Batting average 3.00
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 6
Catches/stumpings 0/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 8 June 2019
4th President of BCCI
In office
1937–1938
Preceded bySir Hamidullah Khan
Succeeded byP. Subbarayan

Sir Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja GCSI GCIE (18 September 1895 – 3 February 1966), known widely in Poland as the Good Maharaja (Polish: Dobry Maharadża), was the ruling Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar (present day Jamnagar), succeeding his uncle, the famed cricketer Ranjitsinhji. He ruled Nawanagar from 1933 to 1947, when Nawanagar was merged into the United State of Kathiawar, after which he held his title nominally.

Jadeja is personally credited with saving around 740 Polish orphans between 1942 and 1946, following the Invasion of Poland. While serving as the Hindu delegate to the British war cabinet he convinced members of the Red Cross and Anders' Army to transport the orphans to Jamnagar, where he provided them with food, shelter, clothes, education, and medical care in the nearby coastal village of Balachadi. Following the Surrender of Germany, the orphans were returned to Poland.[1][2]

In 2011, Jadeja was posthumously bestowed the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit by the President of Poland, and is honoured at the Good Maharaja Square in Warsaw.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was born on 18 September 1895 in the village of Sadodar (present-day Gujarat) during the British Raj. He was the nephew of the famed cricketer and Maharaja, Ranjitsinhji. He attended Rajkumar College in Rajkot as well as Malvern College and University College London.

Commissioned as second lieutenant in the British Indian Army in 1919, Jadeja enjoyed a military career for over a decade.[3] Attached to the 125th Napier's Rifles (now 5th Battalion (Napier's), Rajputana Rifles) in 1920, he served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, subsequently receiving a promotion to Lieutenant in 1921.[4] He then served with the Waziristan Field Force from 1922 to 1924; after a promotion to captain in 1929, he retired from the army in 1931.[5] However, he would continue to receive honorary promotions in the Indian Army until 1947, ending with the rank of lieutenant-general.

Maharaja Jam Sahib[edit | edit source]

Following the death of his uncle, Jadeja became Maharaja Jam Sahib in 1933, continuing his uncle's policies of development and public service. He was knighted in 1935 and joined the Chamber of Princes, leading it as president from 1937 to 1943. Upholding the cricketing tradition of his uncle, he served as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1937 to 1938 and was a member of several prominent sporting clubs. He had previously played a single first-class match during the 1933–34 season, captaining Western India against the MCC during its tour of India and Ceylon.[6] He scored 0 and 6 in his two innings, in what was also the only first-class match played by his brother, Pratapsinhji.[7] During the Second World War, Jadeja served on the Imperial War Cabinet and the National Defence Council, along with the Pacific War Council.

Polish refugees[edit | edit source]

In 1942, he established the Polish Children's Camp in Balachadi for refugee Polish children who were brought out of the USSR during World War II.

Maharaja Jadeja with Polish children on Christmas Eve

It existed until 1945, when it was closed and the children were transferred to Valivade, a quarter of the city of Kolhapur.[8][9][10] The camp site today is part of 300 acre campus of the Sainik School Balachadi.[11] The Jamsaheb Digvijay Singh Jadeja School in Warsaw was established to honour this legacy.[12][13][14]

After the independence of India, he signed the Instrument of Accession to the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947. He merged Nawanagar into the United State of Kathiawar the following year, serving as its Rajpramukh, a Chief of State until the Government of India abolished the post in 1956.

League of Nations and United Nations delegate[edit | edit source]

Jadeja represented India as a delegate at the first session of the League of Nations in 1920.[15]

He was also the Deputy Leader of the Indian delegation to the UN, and chaired both the UN Administration Tribunal and the UN Negotiating Committee on Korean Rehabilitation following the Korean War.

Death[edit | edit source]

Memorial in Warsaw. The nearby "Good Maharaja's Square" was named after Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji in recognition of his help to Polish refugees during World War II.

Jadeja died in Bombay on 3 February 1966, aged 70. He was survived by his only son, Shatrusalyasinhj, who was a first-class cricketer for Saurashtra.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

A 2015 documentary titled "Little Poland in India" was made in collaboration of both Indian and Polish governments to honour the efforts of Maharaja Jam Sahib[16] and Kira Banasinska, who led the movement in India to rehabilitate Polish refugees. In 2025, a monument honoring Jadeja was installed in Nevatim, a community in southern Israel that has a sizable population of Jews from India.

Honours[edit | edit source]

3rd class

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "The Maharaja Who Saved Hundreds of Polish Orphans". Culture.pl. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Institute of National Remembrance. "Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja (1895-1966)". Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom. Archived from the original on 18 January 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Meet Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja who gave refuge to Jews during World War II". Financialexpress. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "London Gazette".
  5. ↑ "London Gazette".
  6. ↑ First-class matches played by Digvijaysinhji (1) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  7. ↑ Western India v Marylebone Cricket Club, Marylebone Cricket Club in India and Ceylon 1933/34 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Refugee camps in India, Jamnagar-Balachadi". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  9. ↑ Anuradha Bhattacharya, History of Polish refugees in India between 1942–48 [in] Polish love story in Gujarat, The Times of India, 17 September 2006
  10. ↑ Little Warsaw Of Kathiawar Outlook, 20 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "History: humanism Balachadians To Their Core Nawanagar saved their lives. The Poles show they have not forgotten". Outlook. 20 December 2010.
  12. ↑ Jayaraj Manepalli (28 April 2012). "A Maharaja in Warsaw". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w sprawie uczczenia pamięci Dobrego Maharadży" (PDF). Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  14. ↑ Surender Bhutani. "'Good Maharaja' of Jamnagar remembered in Polish parliament". theindiandiaspora. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "First Ordinary Session of the Assembly". Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  16. ↑ AakaarFilms (22 November 2015), A Little Poland in India (English) - The Complete Documentary, retrieved 24 May 2018
  17. ↑ Iwanek, Krzysztof (1 February 2012). "Maharadża odznaczony, nadanie imienia skwerowi na dobrej drodze!" (in polski). Archived from the original on 15 May 2013.

External links[edit | edit source]

Preceded by
Jam Saheb Shri Ranjitsinhji 		Jam Saheb of Nawanagar
1933–1948 		Succeeded by
Merged with Dominion of India
Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Digvijaysinhji_Ranjitsinhji_Jadeja&oldid=462159"
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