Kishan Singh of Bharatpur

Who was Kishan Singh of Bharatpur?

Maharaja Sir Kishan Singh, KCSI was the ruling Maharaja of princely state Bharatpur and successor of Maharani Girraj Kaur.

Maharaja Kishan Singh was born at Moti Mahal, Bharatpur on 4 October 1899 in a Hindu Jat family. He was eldest son of Maharaja Ram Singh by his second wife, Maharani Girraj Kaur. He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer and Wellington. He succeeded on the deposition of his father on 27 August 1900. Installed on the gadi at Bharatpur on 30 August 1900. He reigned under the regency of his mother until he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers on 28 November 1918.

Attended the funeral of the King-Emperor Edward VII in 1910. He received Delhi Durbar gold medal in 1911 and on 12 February 1926 he was made Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium.

He married on 3 March 1913 with Maharani Rajendra Kaur, youngest daughter of Raja Balbir Singh of Brar clan Raja of Faridkot.

He reorganized army in 1919. He made Hindi as state language. He toured to Sri Lanka and established ‘Brij-mandal’ in Shimla. He also made primary education compulsory. He promulgated social reforms act. He introduced the system of participation of public in state affairs through credit banks, issuing society and village panchayat acts. He promoted the establishment of Ayurvedic hospitals. He started organizing exhibition in Bharatpur every year to promote trade and arts. He took steps towards the protection of cows. The steps taken by him in 1924 famine in the interest of public are always remembered. He relished his Jat background and presided over the 1925 Jat Mahasabha adhiveshan organized at Pushkar.