Ganga Singh

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Ganga Singh
Sadul Singh

Bijey Singh
Vir Singh
Shiv Kanwarji
FatherMaharaj Shri Lal Singh Sahib
MotherMaji Shri Chandravati ji Sahiba

Bikaner (in present-day Rajasthan, India) from 1888 to 1943. As a member of the Imperial War Cabinet, he was present in the Palace of Versailles during The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors.[1]

Early life

Ganga Singh was born on the auspicious day of

Vijay Dashmi on 13 October 1880 to Maharaj Shri Lal Singh Sahib and his wife Maji Shri Chandravatiji Sahiba. He hailed from Royal Rajput family of Bikaner State.[2] He was brother to Dungar Singh, whom he succeeded on 16 December 1888.[citation needed
]

He received his early education from Pandit Ram Chandra Dube. He was educated privately at Mayo College, Ajmer, where he studied for five years. Later, he was tutored by Sir Brian Egerton, who also provided him administrative training.

King Ganga Singh I with Prince Rafiqullah Khan of Bhopal (grandson of Queen Sultan Jahan I of Bhopal) in 1914.

For military training, he was sent to

First World War, he commanded the Bikaner Camel Corps
, which served in France, Egypt and Palestine.

As a ruler, he established a Chief Court in Bikaner, presided over by a Chief Judge who was assisted by two judges. Bikaner was the first State in Rajasthan to take such a step. He announced the establishment of a Representative Assembly in 1913. He later established a High Court with a Chief Justice and two sub-judges by an edict in 1922. Maharaja Ganga Singhji was the first prince in Rajputana to grant full charter of powers to a high court.

A life insurance and Endowment Assurance Scheme was introduced for the benefit of the employees. Also, facilities of a saving bank were made available to the people. He was one of the first rulers to introduce through legislation a Sharda Act by which child marriages ended.

No. 10 Downing Street
, 1917.
Singh (standing, 6th right) in the Hall of Mirrors during the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, 1919

He had a personal gun salute of 17-guns granted in 1918 and a permanent local gun salute of 19-guns granted in 1921. He was an Honorary

Paris Peace Conference 1919 and was Chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes from 1920–26. He also represented India as a delegate at the fifth session of the League of Nations
in 1924. As well, the Maharaja served as Patron of
freemason
in his time.

He was also the third Chairman of the Indian Public Schools Society (The Doon School) from 1929 to 1930.

Family

Marriages

Maharaja Ganga Singh married three times. In July 1897, he married Maharani Vallabh Kanwar (known in Bikaner as "Maharani Ranawatiji" in honour of her native clan), daughter of Maharawat Raghunath Singh Bahadur, ruler of

Bikaner state itself). The lady, known in court as "Maharani Tanwarji" in honour of her native clan, died without progeny in 1922. In May 1908, Ganga Singh married Maharani Ajab Kanwar, daughter of Thakur Bahadur Singh of Bhikamkore under Jodhpur state
. Known as "Maharani Sri Bhatianiji" in honour of her native clan, she bore three children and died in November 1945, surviving Ganga Singh by more than two years.

Children

Maharaja of Bikaner with his daughter
Name Titles Birth Death Notes
Ram Singh Maharajkumar of Bikaner 30 June 1898 30 June 1898 Born to Maharani Ranawatiji; died within hours of birth
Chand Kanwar Maharajkumari of Bikaner 1 July 1899 31 July 1915 Born to Maharani Ranawatiji; died of tuberculosis at the Bhowali sanatorium aged 16
Sadul Singh Yuvaraj of Bikaner, later His Highness the Maharaja Sahib of Bikaner. 7 September 1902 25 September 1950 Born to Maharani Ranawatiji. Succeeded his father as Maharaja of Bikaner. Reigned from 2 February 1943 until his death in 1950.[4]
Bijey Singh Maharajkumar of Bikaner, later Maharaj of Chhatargarh 28 March 1909 11 February 1932 Born to Maharani Bhatianiji. Selected to succeed to the estates of his natural grandfather (Ganga Singh's biological father), Maharaj Shri Lal Singh.
Veer Singh Maharajkumar of Bikaner 7 October 1910 27 March 1911 Born to Maharani Bhatianiji. Died in infancy.
Shiv Kanwarji
  • 1916 – 1930: Maharajkumari of Bikaner
  • 1930 – 1940: Yuvarani of Kotah
  • 1940 – 1991: Maharani of Kotah
  • 1991 – : Rajmata of Kotah
 1 March 1916 12 January 2012 Born to Maharani Bhatianiji. Given in marriage to
Kotah
in April 1930, aged 14.

Death

He died on 2 February 1943 in Bombay after a reign of 56 years, aged 62, and was succeeded by his son

Sadul Singh as His Highness the Maharaja Sahib of Bikaner
.

Achievements

Ganga Singh in 1919
  • Singh constructed the
    Ferozepur District
    in Punjab. There were no permanent settlements in the area except for a few towns under the old Bikaner state.
  • He successfully dealt with the worst famine of the year 1899–1900 AD in the region. The famine inspired the young Maharaja to establish an irrigation system to get rid of the problem permanently.
  • He developed the city of Sri Ganganagar and its surrounding area as the most fertile grain bowl of Rajasthan.
  • He also constructed the Lalgarh Palace at Bikaner (named in memory of his father Lall Singh) between 1902 and 1926.
  • He brought railways and an electricity network to the state.
  • He introduced prison reforms. Bikaner prisoners wove and crafted carpets of India that were sold in the international markets.
  • He established partial internal democracy such as election to the municipalities and appointed a council of ministers to aid and advice.
  • Some land reforms were also introduced.
  • He induced enterprising industrialists and agriculturists from neighbouring state for starting new ventures in his state.
  • He built the existing temple above the Samadhi of Ramdev Pir at Ramdevra in year 1931.
  • He founded several schools and colleges, especially of women
  • He donated two ornately-designed silver gates to be used as main doors of Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok.

Memorials

The University of Bikaner was renamed after him as Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner by an act passed in 2003.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Imperial War Museum. "The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, 28th June 1919". Imperial War Museum.
  2. ISBN 978-0-674-07480-4
    .
  3. ^ "No. 27460". The London Gazette. 1 August 1902. p. 4970.
  4. OCLC 36051619
    .
  5. ^ "Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links

Wikisource has the text of a 1922 Encyclopædia Britannica article about "Ganga Singh".
Ganga Singh
Rathore Dynasty
Born: 3 October 1880 Died: 2 February 1943
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Maharaja of Bikaner

1887–1943 		Succeeded by
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