Nihal Singh

For the Indian shooter, see Nihal Singh (sport shooter).

Nihal Singh
Maharaj-Rana of Dholpur
Reign	1873–1901
Coronation	9 February 1873
Investiture	19 February 1883
Predecessor	Bhagwant Singh
Successor	Ram Singh
Regents	Dinkar Rao<br>Thomas Dennehy
Born	4 May 1863
Died	20 July 1901 Mashobra
Issue	Ram Singh<br>Udai Bhan Singh
Names Rais-ud-Daula Sipahdar-ul-Mulk Saramad-i-Rajah-i-Hind Maharajadhiraj Sri Sawai Maharaj-Rana Sir Ram Singh Lokendra Bahadur Diler Jang Jai Deo
House	Bamraulia Dynasty
Father	Kulendar Singh
Mother	Basant Kaur
Religion	Hinduism
Education	Mayo College Imperial Cadet Corps
2=
Military career
Allegiance	<!--No flags per MOS:INFOBOXFLAG-->British Raj
Service/branch	<!--No flags per MOS:INFOBOXFLAG-->Central India Horse
Rank	Major

Nihal Singh CB (4 May 1863 – 20 July 1901) was the Maharaj-Rana of f Dholpur princely state from 1873 until his death in 1901.

Early life

Nihal Singh was born on 4 May 1863, to Kulendra Singh, the heir-apparent of Dholpur, who was born in 1863 and died in 1870, and his wife, Basant Kaur, the daughter of Narendra Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, who died in 1888.<ref name=":6">Imperial coronation durbar 1911. The Imperial Publishing, Lahore. 1911.</ref><ref name=":3">Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1900). The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated, of the Indian Empire, with an Appendix for Ceylon. S. Low, Marston & Company.</ref><ref name=":2">Bayley, C. S. (2004). Chiefs and leading families in Rajputana. Public Resource. New Delhi : Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-1066-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)</ref><ref>Massy, Charles Francis (1890). Chiefs and Families of Note in the Dehli [sic], Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat Divisions of the Panjab. Printed at the Pioneer Press.</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Marriage

He married Harbans Kaur, the second daughter of prince Shahdeo Singh, grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, on 30 April 1879, by whom he had two sons, Ram Singh and Udai Bhan Singh.<ref>Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1900). The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated, of the Indian Empire, with an Appendix for Ceylon. S. Low, Marston & Company.</ref><ref name=":2" />

Reign

He succeeded his grandfather, Bhagwant Singh, as a minor to the throne on 9 February 1873.<ref>De, Amrita Lal (1889). The students' history of Rajpootana, being an account of the Princes of Rajpootana from the earlist (sic) ages to the modern times. Robarts - University of Toronto. Calcutta Printed by Bama Churan Dutta, at the Nobo Sarassuta Press.</ref><ref>Webb, William Wilfrid (1893). The Currencies of the Hindu States of Rájputána. A. Constable and Company.</ref><ref name=":3" />

Minority

Dinkar Rao was appointed as a guardian to oversee the general administration of the state, granting him general powers of control.<ref name=":4">The New Volumes of the EncyclpÆedia Britannica: Constituting, in Combination with the Existing Volumes of the Ninth Edition, the Tenth Edition of that Work, and Also Supplying a New, Distinctive, and Independent Library of Reference Dealing with Recent Events and Developments ... A. & C. Black. 1902.</ref><ref>Buckland, Charles Edward (1906). Dictionary of Indian Biography. Library Reprints, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7222-2504-2.</ref><ref>Neogy, Ajit K. (1979). The Paramount Power and the Princely States of India, 1858-1881. K. P. Bagchi.</ref><ref name=":1" /> However, these powers were subject to the overall control of British authorities.<ref name=":1" /> Due to his ill health, he resigned shortly thereafter.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Subsequently, a British officer was appointed to oversee the political affairs of Dholpur and to manage the education of Maharaj-Rana.<ref name=":1" />

The administration of the state was carried out from 1874 to 1883 by Thomas Dennehy, upon whose departure, a council was replaced by the appointment of a Diwan.<ref>Brockman, H. E. Drake (1957). Gazetteer of Eastern Rajputana (Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli).</ref>

Investiture

He was invested with full ruling powers by Sir Edward Bradford, the-then Agent to the Governor-General of India for Rajputana, on 19 February 1883.<ref>Various Census of India. 1884.</ref>

Feud between Dholpur and Gwalior

Royal Houses of Gwalior and Dholpur never had friendly relations, and the feud between them was always exploited by the British.<ref>Rajasthan (India) (1962). Rajasthan District Gazetteers. Printed at Government Central Press.</ref><ref name=":8">Mauji, Purushottama Viṣrama (1911). Imperial Durbar Album. Lakshmi Arts, Bombay.</ref><ref>Keene, Henry George. The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-2035-7.</ref> However this feud between them was abandoned at a public durbar in 1875.<ref name=":8" /> This occurred when Jiwajirao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior, visited Dholpur and embraced Nihal Singh, the Maharaj-Rana.<ref>Scindia, Vijaya R.; Malgonkar, Manohar (1 September 1987). The Last Maharani of Gwalior: An Autobiography. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-659-7.</ref>

State Bank of Dholpur

State Bank of Dholpur was inaugurated on 16 August 1894.<ref>Sharma, Harish Chandra (1969). Growth of Banking in a Developing Economy: A Case Study of Evolution, Growth, and Future Prospects of Banking in Rajasthan in Relation to Other States of India. Sahitya Bhawan.</ref> Its initial capital was provided by the Maharaj-Rana. It was established to assist impoverished individuals as well as tenants and zamindars who required financial assistance at a low interest rate.<ref>Singh, Bhagat (1914). Annual Report On The Administration Of The Dholpur State For The Year Ending 30 September 1913.</ref>

Wildlife sanctuary

The establishment of the Wildlife Sanctuary in Dholpur traces its origins to the tenure of Thomas Dennehy as the Political Agent in Dholpur during the minority of the Maharaj-Rana.<ref>Rao, C. Hayavando (1915). The Indian biographical dictionary. University of California Libraries. Madras : Pillar.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)</ref><ref name=":7">S Szafranski (1953). A Note on the Dholpur Wild Life Sanctuary, Rajasthan. with a Sketch Map and Two Plates.</ref> During this period, a place within the Van Vihar Forest<ref>"Dholpur Tourism: Best Places To Visit In Dholpur - Rajasthan Tourism". Official Website of Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan.</ref><ref>"Wildlife Sanctuary in Dholpur, Ramsagar Sanctuary Dholpur". www.dholpuronline.in. Retrieved 29 February 2024.</ref> was inhabited by seven sadhus for fifty years.<ref name=":7" /> These sadhus objected to killing animals in the forest on religious grounds, and it is believed that the idea of the first sanctuary originated thus.<ref name=":7" />

Maharaj-Rana and Herbert Cunningham Clogstoun made further improvements, and another area was designated as a sanctuary after the creation of an artificial lake by building a dam on the Banganga River in 1904.<ref name=":7" />

Personal life

He had an impressive collection of jewels, art, historic items, carriages, polo ponies, and dogs.<ref name=":5">ACL-ARCH 00269 Indian Princes And The Crown.</ref> After his death, most of these possessions had to be sold to settle his personal liabilities.<ref name=":5" /> He was an expert horseman, hunter, and pigsticker, and earned many trophies.<ref name=":5" />

Titles, styles, honours and military ranks

Titles and styles

Major His Highness Rais-ud-Daula Sipahdar-ul-Mulk Saramad-i-Rajah-i-Hind Maharajadhiraj Sri Sawai Maharaj-Rana Sir Nihal Singh Lokendra Bahadur Diler Jang Jai Deo, Maharaj-Rana of Dholpur, CB.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Encyclopaedia Indica: Princely States in colonial India. Anmol Publications. 1996. ISBN 978-81-7041-859-7.</ref>

Honours

• United Kingdom:
  • 1898: Companion of the Order of the Bath<ref name=":6" /><ref>Army, Great Britain (1898). The Monthly Army List. H.M. Stationery Office.</ref><ref name=":0">The Imperial Gazetteer of India: Coondapoor to Edwardesābād. Today & Tomorrow's Printers & Publishers [1972. 1908.</ref>
• British India:
  • 1897-8: Frontier Medal in the Tirah campaign<ref>"The India General Service Medal, 1895. Punjab Frontier, Tirah". www.northeastmedals.co.uk. Retrieved 29 February 2024.</ref><ref name=":6" />

Military ranks

He was an Honorary Major in the Central India Horse.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" />

Death

He died on 20 July 1901 at Mashobra, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Ram Singh.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1">Department, India Foreign and Political (1909). A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads, Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries. Superintendent Government Printing, India.</ref><ref name=":0" />

References

Nihal Singh Bamraulia Dynasty Born: 4 May 1863 Died: 20 July 1901
Regnal titles
Preceded by Bhagwant Singh	Maharaj-Rana of Dholpur 1873-1901	Succeeded by Ram Singh