Mahendra Singh GCSI (1852-1876) was the Maharaja of Patiala from 1862 to 1876.
| Mahendra Singh | |
|---|---|
| Maharaja of Patiala (more) | |
 Mahendra Singh in 1870 | |
| Maharaja of Patiala | |
| Reign | 1862-1876 |
| Predecessor | Narinder Singh |
| Successor | Rajinder Singh |
| Born | 16 September 1852 |
| Died | 13 April 1876 (aged 23) Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala |
| Issue | Rajinder Singh |
| Dynasty | Phulkian |
| Father | Narinder Singh |
| Religion | Sikhism |
Early life
editMahendra Singh was the son of Narinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala. He was a member of the Phulkian Dynasty and succeeded to the throne in 1862. Singh was still a minor when he became Maharaja and a council of regency ran the Patiala State government until he came of age in 1870.
Reign
editThe project of the Sirhind Canal was sanctioned during his reign in 1867, and Singh contributed one crore and twenty lakhs towards the construction costs of the canal.[1][2] In the 1870 Birthday Honours, Singh was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India.[3]
Singh donated 70,000 rupees to University College, Lahore.[4] In 1873, during the Bihar famine of 1873–1874, he donated 10 lakh rupees to the British Raj government to help famine-stricken people in Bengal.[4] In 1875, Mohindra College was founded and endowed with a palatial building. Mohindra College was established to promote higher education, and the college charged no fees.[5]
The telegraph line between Patiala and Ambala was also constructed during this reign.[6] During his reign, numerous artists and painters from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh would work at his court in Patiala.[7][8]
Personal life
editDying in 1876, Mohinder Singh was succeeded as Maharaja by his four year old son Rajinder Singh, who born in 1872.[9]
Title
editHis Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Mahendra Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI.
References
edit- ^ The Feudatory and zemindari India. Vol. 27. 1946. p. 134. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Nijjar, Bakhshish Singh (1974). Punjab Under The British Rule. Vol. III. New Delhi: K.B. Publications. p. 4.
- ^ "No. 23620". The London Gazette. 31 May 1870. p. 2787.
- ^ a b Who's Who in India. Lucknow: Newal Kishore Press. 1911. pp. Part III - Page 5.
- ^ Yadav, Yojana (12 June 2018). "Patiala's Government Mohindra College: From a regal institution to rural feeder college". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Singh, Chattar (2004). Social and Economic Change in Haryana. Patiala: National Book Organisation. p. 204. ISBN 978-81-87521-10-5. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Srivastava, R. P. (1983). Punjab Painting. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 56. ISBN 978-81-7017-174-4.
- ^ Roopa-lekhā. Delhi: Printed at the I.M.H. Press, Chandri Chowk, Delhi, for the Fine Arts & Crafts Syndicate Limited, Delhi. 1982. p. 18. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ "Rajinder Singh Of Patiala: Maharaja Who Defied Colonial Rulers To Marry His Love And Made Her Embrace Sikhism". Times Now. 19 May 2024. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.