Bhupinder Singh
Maharaja of Patiala (more)
Bhupinder Singh, c. 1911
Maharaja of Patiala
Reign8 November 1900 – 23 March 1938
PredecessorMaharaja Rajinder Singh I
SuccessorMaharaja Yadavindra Singh I
Minister of State
See list
Born(1891-10-12)12 October 1891
Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala, Patiala State, Punjab Province, British India
Died23 March 1938(1938-03-23) (aged 46)
Patiala, Patiala State, Punjab Province, British India
Spouse5
Issue
Detail		Estimated at 88
DynastyPhulkian
FatherMaharaja Rajinder Singh I of Patiala
MotherJasmer Kaur Mansahia
ReligionSikhism
Cricket information
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
Hindus
Marylebone Cricket Club
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 27
Runs scored 643
Batting average 17.37
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 83
Balls bowled 72
Wickets 2
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 2-40
Catches/stumpings 4/0
Source: ESPNcricinfo

Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, GCSI GCIE GCVO GBE (12 October 1891 – 23 March 1938) was an Indian royal and cricket player. He was the ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala in British India from 1900 to 1938.[1] He was born in a Sidhu royal Jat Sikh family.[2]

Biography

Bhupinder Singh was born at the Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala[3] and educated at Aitchison College. At age 9, he succeeded as Maharaja of Patiala state upon death of his father, Maharaja Rajinder Singh, on 9 November 1900. A Council of Regency ruled in his name until he took partial powers shortly before his 18th birthday on 1 October 1909 and was invested with full powers by the Viceroy of India, the 4th Earl of Minto, on 3 November 1910.

Inspecting a BL 12-inch Railway Howitzer in France, August 1918

He served on the General Staff in France, Belgium, Italy and Palestine in the First World War as an honorary lieutenant-colonel, and was promoted honorary major general in 1918 and honorary lieutenant-general in 1931. He represented India at the League of Nations in 1925, and was chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes for 10 years between 1926 and 1938, also being a representative at the Round Table Conference. He married many times and had many children by his wives and concubines.

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was the first man in India to own aircraft, which he bought from the United Kingdom in 1910. For his aircraft he had an airstrip at Patiala built.

He was well known for the construction of buildings with bold architectural designs in Patiala, including Kali Temple, Patiala, and Chail View Palace in the summer retreat of Kandaghat along with Chail Palace and Oak Over and Cedar Lodge in Shimla which now houses the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab State Guest House respectively.[4] He was known as a sportsman. He was also known for an exceptional collection of medals, believed to be the world's largest at the time.[5] According to legend, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh would be driven in a motorcade of 20 Rolls-Royce cars. He had a unique monorail system built in Patiala known as Patiala State Monorail Trainways.

His then Education Minister, Pandit Makhan Lal Banerjee accompanied him to the summer capital of Chail and was also a well-known referee in cricket.

He is perhaps the most famous Maharaja of Patiala, best known for his extravagance and for being a cricketer. His cricket and polo teams – Patiala XI and Patiala Tigers – were among the best of India. He was a great patron of sports.

He was captain of the Indian cricket team that visited England in 1911,[6] and played in 27 first-class cricket matches between 1915 and 1937.[7] For season of 1926/27, he played as member of Marylebone Cricket Club . He donated the Ranji Trophy in honour of Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, Jam Sahib of Nawanagar. He was selected as the captain of India on its first Test tour of England in 1932, but dropped out for reasons of health two weeks before departure and the Maharaja of Porbandar took over. Most of the buildings of Chail Military School were donated by Maharaja of Patiala to the government of India.

Sir Bhupinder Singh founded the State Bank of Patiala in 1917.

He served as the Chancellor of Chamber of Princes from 1926 to 1931. He worked tirelessly for his subjects' betterment and introduced many social reforms in Patiala.

His elder son, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh and younger son Raja Bhalindra Singh both played first-class cricket, Yuvraj also played in one Test for India, in 1934. Raja Bhalindra Singh, later served as President of Indian Olympic Association.

On 23 March 1938, Bhupinder Singh died.

Yuvraj Yadavindra Singh became the Maharaja on 23 March 1938. He was to be the last Maharaja, agreeing to the incorporation of Patiala into the newly independent India on 5 May 1948, becoming Rajpramukh of the new Indian state of Patiala and East Punjab States Union.

Bhupinder Singh's grandson Captain Amarinder Singh is a politician in India and served as Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. Captain Amarinder was again elected as Chief Minister of Punjab in 2017.

Personal life

A group photograph of Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala (reg. 1900–1938) with the cricketer Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja, known as Ranji, and other guests and servants. Patiala, circa 1910

Bhupinder Singh married ten times and had numerous consorts. From those unions, he sired an estimated 88 children of whom at least 53 survived him. He was the owner of the world-famous "Patiala Necklace" manufactured by the famous brand Cartier SA. His wife Maharani Bakhtawar Kaur presented Queen Mary with a magnificent necklace on behalf of the Ladies of India during the Delhi Durbar of 1911 to mark the first visit to India by any Queen Empress.[8] In 1925, he made the largest ever single order to Cartier till date for jewelry worth ₹1,000 million (equivalent to ₹210 billion, US$2.7 billion or €2.6 billion in 2023).[9]

Wives and consorts

Of his five wives, Maharani Vimala Kaur Sahiba of Patiala (1906–1992), his 3rd Dowager Maharani from Ubbewal was his favourite wife. She attended all the ceremonies with him and travelled abroad.

  • Maharani Sri Bakhtawar Kaur Sahiba (1892–1960). Daughter of Sardar Gurnam Singh, Sardar Bahadur of Sangrur, OBI. Married Bhupinder Singh in 1908.
  • Maharani Vimala Kaur Sahiba (original name Dhan Kaur) of Ubbewal (1906–1992). Married Maharaja Bhupinder Singh 1920. OBI.

Titles

  • 1891–1900: Sri Yuvaraja Sahib Bhupinder Singhji
  • 1900–1911: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala
  • 1911–1914: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCIE
  • 1914–1918: Lieutenant-Colonel His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCIE
  • 1918–1921: Major-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCIE, GBE
  • 1921–1922: Major-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI, GCIE, GBE
  • 1922–1931: Major-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE
  • 1931–1935: Lieutenant-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE
  • 1935–1938: Lieutenant-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, GCSG

Honours

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh

(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

British

Foreign

Other

References

  1. ↑ "History of Patiala from Patiala web site". Archived from the original on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2006.
  2. ↑ Ramusack, Barbara N. (1978). The Princes of India in the Twilight of Empire: Dissolution of a Patron-client System, 1914-1939. University of Cincinnati. ISBN 978-0-8142-0272-2.
  3. ↑ "Historical Sikh Events: Phulkian Misl". 26 January 2021.
  4. ↑ Himachal Pradesh – Solan website Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Singh J. A medal for collecting medals. The Tribune (Chandigarh) Sunday, 29 February 2004
  6. ↑ "How the British forged the first Indian cricket team". BBC News. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "Royalty on the cricket field". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "Emerald and diamond choker". Royal Collection. Archived from the original on 21 July 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013. Although, he was married five times, his favorite wife was his third Wife, Maharani Vimal Kaur Sahiba of Ubbewal
  9. ↑ From Bahadur Shah Zafar to the Nizam of Hyderabad, a jewellery brand for the royals, The Print, 5 Nov 2022.
  10. ↑ "No. 32178". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1921. p. 5.
  11. ↑ "Sports University to Be Named After Maharaja Bhupinder Singh". The Pioneer. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
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