Manoharsinhji Pradyumansinhji

In this Indian name, the name Pradyumansinhji is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Manoharsinhji.

Manoharsinhji Pradyumansinhji Jadeja (18 November 1935 – 27 September 2018) was an Indian politician.

Manoharsinh Jadeja
15th Thakore Saheb of Rajkot State
In office November 1973 – September 2018
Preceded by	Pradyumansinhji Jadeja
Succeeded by	Mandhatasinhji Jadeja
Cabinet Minister of Finance, Health, and Youth Services in Gujarat
In office 1980–1985
Constituency	Rajkot South
MLA of Gujarat State
In office 1967–1971
Constituency	Rajkot West
In office 1980–1985
Constituency	Rajkot South
In office 1990–1995
Constituency	Rajkot West
Personal details
Born	18 November 1935 Rajkot, Rajkot State, British India
Died	28 September 2018 (aged 82) Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Alma mater	Rajkumar College Elphinstone College
Cricket information
Batting	Right-handed
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1956–1963	Saurashtra
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 14 Runs scored 614 Batting average 29.23 100s/50s 1/4 Top score 144 Balls bowled 356 Wickets 5 Bowling average 58.40 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/33 Catches/stumpings 3/–
Source: CricketArchive, 12 December 2012

Early life

The eldest son of Pradyumansinhji Lakhajirajsinhji, the 14th Thakore Saheb, Manoharsinhji was born at the Ranjit Vilas Palace in Rajkot. He was educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot, and at Elphinstone College, Mumbai. Manoharsinhji had a bachelor of arts honours degree and a bachelor of laws degree. He was awarded a Master of Laws degree from the University of London.

Cricketing career

Like his father and grandfather (the 12th Thakore Saheb), Manoharsinhji was a keen cricketer, and made his first-class debut for Saurashtra against Gujarat in the 1955–56 Ranji Trophy, scoring 59 runs in his first innings. Manoharsinhji served as captain of the team from the 1957–58 season onwards, and was a regular in the team until his retirement after the 1963–64 season. Usually playing as a top order batsman, his highest first-class score (and only century) was an innings of 144 runs against Gujarat in December 1957. Overall, Manoharsinhji played 14 first-class matches, scoring 614 runs at an average of 29.23.

Political career

Standing for the Indian National Congress in the constituency of Rajkot, Manoharsinhji was elected to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in 1967, and served until 1971. Upon the death of his father in November 1973, he acceded to the title of Thakore Saheb. The title had afforded no powers or privileges since Indian independence in 1947, and serves merely as a courtesy, although property attached to the title remains with the Thakore Saheb. Manoharsinhji served two further terms as a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly for the Rajkot (I) constituency—from 1980 to 1985 and 1990 to 1995—and occupied a number of positions in the cabinet, including Minister for Finance, Minister for Youth Services, and Minister for Health. From 1998, he served as a vice-president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, the state division of the Indian National Congress. Politically, Manoharsinhji is generally known under the name "Manoharsinh Jadeja", deriving from his family's dynastic name.

Personal life

Manoharsinhji married Mankumari Devi Sahiba, the second daughter of Tej Singh Prabhakar, Maharaja of Alwar, in 1949, and had one son and four daughters. In November 2010 he purchased the Star of India, a vintage Rolls-Royce car custom-built for his grandfather Dharmendrasinhji Lakhajiraj in 1934. The car had been outside of the family for 42 years, as a part of Bill Meredith-Owens' Collection and was once the most expensive car in the world.

Death

Manoharsinhji died at his house at the Ranjit Vilas Palace on 27 September 2018.