Hira Singh of Nabha
Encyclopedia
Sir Hira Singh was the ruler of Nabha State
, one of the Phulkian states in the Punjab
.
, on 18 December 1843, the second son of Sardar
Sukha Singh (died 1852), from a distant branch of the royal Sikh Phulkian dynasty of Patiala, Jind
and Nabha
. Little is known about his early life.
of the young Raja, Bhagwan Singh (1842-1871). The remaining two lines of the dynasty-the rulers of Patiala and Jind-in conjunction with the British government fixed upon Hira Singh as the successor to the Nabha gadi
. Hira Singh ascended the throne of Nabha on 9 June 1871 and began a long and successful reign that would usher Nabha into the modern era. Great monuments and public buildings were erected, roads, railways, hospitals, schools and palaces were constructed and an efficient modern army was established that saw service during the Second Afghan War and the Tirah Expedition. As well, agriculture flourished with the construction of an irrigation canal at Sirhind, and Nabha soon produced bountiful harvests of wheat, sugar, pulses, millet and cotton, thus enabling the state to increase the value of its land revenue assessments.
As a result of Hira Singh's improvements, in 1877 Nabha was raised to a salute of 13-guns and Hira Singh himself was decorated with the Kaiser-i-Hind
gold medal and knighted two years later with the GCSI.
. Only a fortnight before his death, Hira Singh was raised to the rank of Maharaja of Nabha. Hira Singh died at the Hira Mahal on Christmas Eve 1911, aged 68 after a four-decade reign. He was succeeded by his only son, Ripudaman Singh
.
Nabha State
Nabha State, with its capital at Nabha, was one of the Phulkian princely states of the Punjab. The state was established in 1763 after the capture of Sirhind by the Sikh Confederacy. With the capture of Sirhind, most of the old imperial province was divided amongst the Phulkian chiefs...
, one of the Phulkian states in the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
.
Early life
Hira Singh was born at Badrukhan, JindJind
Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...
, on 18 December 1843, the second son of Sardar
Sardar
Sardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
Sukha Singh (died 1852), from a distant branch of the royal Sikh Phulkian dynasty of Patiala, Jind
Jind
Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...
and Nabha
Nabha
Nabha is a city and municipal council in the Patiala district to the south-west of the Indian state of Punjab. In 1998, the annual income of Nabha state was Rs 1,50,000/-.- Princely State of Nabha :...
. Little is known about his early life.
The throne of Nabha
In 1871, the line of the Phulkian dynasty which had ruled Nabha, a small 11-gun state, since 1718 became extinct upon the death from tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
of the young Raja, Bhagwan Singh (1842-1871). The remaining two lines of the dynasty-the rulers of Patiala and Jind-in conjunction with the British government fixed upon Hira Singh as the successor to the Nabha gadi
Gadi
The House of Gadi was a dynasty of kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The dynasty is also called the House of Menahem, after its founder. The dynasty lasted for only twelve years and ruled from the then capital of Israel, Samaria. The dynasty is so named because Menahem was the son of Gadi...
. Hira Singh ascended the throne of Nabha on 9 June 1871 and began a long and successful reign that would usher Nabha into the modern era. Great monuments and public buildings were erected, roads, railways, hospitals, schools and palaces were constructed and an efficient modern army was established that saw service during the Second Afghan War and the Tirah Expedition. As well, agriculture flourished with the construction of an irrigation canal at Sirhind, and Nabha soon produced bountiful harvests of wheat, sugar, pulses, millet and cotton, thus enabling the state to increase the value of its land revenue assessments.
As a result of Hira Singh's improvements, in 1877 Nabha was raised to a salute of 13-guns and Hira Singh himself was decorated with the Kaiser-i-Hind
Kaiser-i-Hind
The Kaisar-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj....
gold medal and knighted two years later with the GCSI.
Later years
In 1894, Hira Singh was granted the title of Raja-i-Rajagan and in 1898 was granted a 15-gun personal salute. He was appointed a GCIE in 1903 and the following year was made a Colonel of the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs in the British Indian ArmyBritish Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. Only a fortnight before his death, Hira Singh was raised to the rank of Maharaja of Nabha. Hira Singh died at the Hira Mahal on Christmas Eve 1911, aged 68 after a four-decade reign. He was succeeded by his only son, Ripudaman Singh
Ripudaman Singh of Nabha
Maharaja Ripudaman Singh , later known as Maharaja Gurcharan Singh and as Sardar Gurcharan Singh, was the Maharaja of Nabha from 1911 to 1928, when he was deposed by the British. He later became a Sikh revolutionary....
.
Family
Hira Singh married four times and had two children, a son and a daughter- 1. Her Highness Karangarhwalia Maharani Sahib; married in 1858. No issue.
- 2. Aonanliwali Rani Sahiba; no issue.
- 3. Her Highness Longwalia Maharani Sri Jasmir Kaur Sahiba (d 1921). Married in 1880 and had one son and one daughter:
- Sri Tikka Sahib Ripaduman Singh, who succeeded to the Nabha throne as Maharaja Ripudaman SinghRipudaman Singh of NabhaMaharaja Ripudaman Singh , later known as Maharaja Gurcharan Singh and as Sardar Gurcharan Singh, was the Maharaja of Nabha from 1911 to 1928, when he was deposed by the British. He later became a Sikh revolutionary....
(1883-1942); r. 1911-1928. - Sidh Sri Nabhawala Maharani Ripudaman Devi Sahiba (1881-1911); married Maharaja Ram SinghRana Ram SinghRana Ram Singh, KCIE was the Jat ruler of Dholpur state in Rajasthan, India. He was from Bamraulia gotra of Jats. He was born on 26 May 1883 and succeeded Rana Nihal Singh in 1901 after his death. He was not of age when ascended to the throne...
of DholpurDholpurDholpur is a city in eastern-most parts of the Rajasthan state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dholpur District and was formerly seat of the Dholpur princely state, before Independence....
- Sri Tikka Sahib Ripaduman Singh, who succeeded to the Nabha throne as Maharaja Ripudaman Singh
- 4. unknown wife; no issue
Titles
- 1843-1871: SardarSardarSardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
SriSriSri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
Hira Singh - 1871-1877: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, RajaRajaRaja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
Sri Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, RajaRajaRaja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of NabhaNabhaNabha is a city and municipal council in the Patiala district to the south-west of the Indian state of Punjab. In 1998, the annual income of Nabha state was Rs 1,50,000/-.- Princely State of Nabha :... - 1877-1879: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja Sri Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, KIHKaiser-i-HindThe Kaisar-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj....
- 1879-1894: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja Sri SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, KIH - 1894-1903: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, KIH
- 1903-1904: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, GCIE, KIH
- 1904-1911: ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, GCIE, KIH - 1911: Colonel His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Nabha, GCSI, GCIE, KIH
Honours
- Prince of Wales gold medal-1876
- Kaiser-i-HindKaiser-i-HindThe Kaisar-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj....
medal (KIH)-1877 - Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1879
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1903
- Delhi Durbar gold medal-1903
- Delhi Durbar gold medal-1911