Pratap Singh of Idar

Lieutenant-General Pratap Singh, GCB, GCSI, GCVO (21 October 1845 – 4 September 1922) was a career British Indian Army officer, Maharaja of the princely state of Idar (Gujarat) and heir to Ahmednagar later renamed as Himmatnagar from 1902 to 1911, when he abdicated in favour of his adopted son.

The Maharaja of the State of Idar

Pratap Singh
Sir Pratap Singh of Idar
Born21 October 1845
Died4 September 1922
Allegiance British Empire
Service/branch British Indian Army
RankLieutenant General
Battles/warsSecond Afghan War
Tirah Campaign
Boxer Rebellion
First World War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Early life

Singh was born on 22 October 1845. He was the third son of Takht Singh of Jodhpur (1819–13 February 1873) the Maharaja of Jodhpur, and his first wife, Gulab Kunwarji Maji. He was educated privately, and little is known of his early life. He received administrative training under Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur, whose brother Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur then invited him to his State.[1]

Administrator and Regent

From 1878 to 1895, Singh served as Chief Minister for Jodhpur following his father's death in 1873 and his eldest brother's succession to the throne. After his brother's death in 1895, he served as regent for his fifteen-year-old nephew and heir to the Jodhpur throne until 1898, then again for his grandnephew from 1911 to 1918 and finally for his second grandnephew from 1918 until his own death in 1922. In total, Pratap Singh had served four rulers of Jodhpur for over four decades. Following the death of the ruler of Idar in 1901, Pratap Singh was Maharajah of that state from 1902 until he resigned in 1911 to return to Jodhpur. He travelled to Europe often and was close to Queen Victoria and her family, serving as aide-de-camp to Edward VII from 1887 to 1910. He was especially close towards his son, the future George V of the United Kingdom.

Soldier of the Empire

Commissioned in the Jodhpur Risalda in 1878, Singh served during the Second Afghan War and was mentioned in dispatches. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1887, served under General Ellis in 1897 and served in the Tirah Campaign in 1898 under General William Lockhart, during which he was wounded. Promoted to an Honorary Colonel the same year, he commanded the Jodhpur contingent during the Boxer Rebellion and was promoted to an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).[2] In late 1901 he accepted the post of honorary commandant of the Imperial Cadet Corps under Lord Curzon,[3] and was promoted to the honorary rank of Major-General on 9 August 1902.[4] Even as an elderly man of 70, Sir Pratap commanded his regiments heroically during the First World War in France and Flanders from 1914-1915 and in the Palestine Mandate at Haifa and Aleppo. He was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1916.

Later years
Pratap Singh in 1914

In 1911, Pratap abdicated the gadi (throne) of Idar in favour of his adopted son and nephew, Daulat Singh. Following his wartime service and a final stint as Regent of Jodhpur, Singh died at Jodhpur on 4 September 1922.

Honours

(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

Singh's honours included:

  • Empress of India Gold Medal, 1877
  • Mentioned in Dispatches (MID), 1878
  • Afghanistan Medal, 1878
  • Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal 1887, with Diamond Jubilee bar, 1897
  • Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) 1897
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI), 1897; KCSI, 1886; CSI, 1878
  • India Medal w/Clasp, 1898
  • Kaisar-i-Hind Medal 1st Class, 1900
  • China War Medal, 1901 (He received the medal in person by King Edward VII during an audience in June 1902, when he visited London to attend the King's coronation[5])
  • King Edward VII Coronation Medal, 1902, with Delhi Durbar Clasp, 1903
  • King George V Coronation Medal, 1911, with Delhi Durbar Clasp
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), 1911
  • 1914 Star, 1918
  • British War Medal, 1918
  • Inter-Allied Victory Medal, 1918
  • GCB: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, 1918 (KCB, 1900) (CB, 1898)
    • KCB(m): Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) – 29 November 1900 – in recognition of services during the recent operations in China (Boxer rebellion).[2] He was invested personally by King Edward VII during an audience in June 1902, when he visited London to attend the King's coronation.[5]
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile of Egypt, 1918
  • Grand Officer of the Legion d'Honneur, 1918
  • Jodhpur Great War Medal, 1919
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania, 1921

Titles
  • 1845-1873: Maharajkumar Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
  • 1873-1877: Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
  • 1877-1878: Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib
  • 1878-1886: Second Lieutenant Maharaj Shri Pratap Singh Sahib, CSI
  • 1886-1887: Second Lieutenant Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, KCSI
  • 1887-1897: Lieutenant-Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, KCSI
  • 1897-1898: Lieutenant-Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI
  • 1898-1901: Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, CB
  • 1901-1902: Colonel Maharaj Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib, GCSI, KCB
  • 1902-1911: Major-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Idar, GCSI, KCB
  • 1911-1916: Major-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCVO, KCB
  • 1916-1918: Lieutenant-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCVO, KCB
  • 1918-1922: Lieutenant-General His Highness Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Sir Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur, GCB, GCSI, GCVO
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References
  1. "Famous Indian General Dead". The Straits Times. 6 September 1922. p. 10. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  2. "No. 27337". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 July 1901. p. 4915.
  3. "Latest intelligence - India". The Times (36628). London. 3 December 1901. p. 5.
  4. "No. 27462". The London Gazette. 8 August 1902. p. 5101.
  5. "Court Circular". The Times (36794). London. 14 June 1902. p. 12.


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