Google Earth Community: The Princely States of India.

The 8th Prime Minister of India, 1989-1990, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Raja Bahadur, of Manda; Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh; Member of the Indian Parliament, both Lok Sabha(Lower House) and Rajya Sabha(Upper House); also a Foreign Minister; Leader of the House, Rajya Sabha(Upper House).

Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Srimant Madhav Rao III Scindia, of Gwalior,(1961-[2001]). educ. at Scindia School, Gwalior, and Winchester and New College, Oxford; member of the Indian Parliament ; Union Minister of State for Railways, of Civil Aviation and Tourism, of Human Resource Development; President: Cricket Board of Control and was a member of various sports clubs in India.

" Maharaj-Kumari" (Princess) of Gwalior, (see Maharaja Madhav Rao III of Gwalior, her brother, see above picture) Maharajkumari Shrimati Vasundhara Raje Scindhia, currently(2007), The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, also Minister of State for External Affairs in 1998-99 in the Union Cabinet, Delhi, as well as a number of other portfolios in the Union Cabinet.

Major-General H.H. Shriman Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Shri Karan Singhji Indar Mahindar Bahadur, Siphar-i-Sultanat, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. b. at Hotel Martinez, Cannes, France, educ. Cathedral High School, Bombay, Presentation Convent School, Srinagar, the Doon School, Dehra Dun, and Delhi University- (MA Political Science 1957, Doctorate in Philosophy.); Governor of the State of Jammu and Kashmir 1965-1967; Member of the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha)(Lower House) 1967-1980 and 1990, MP (Rajya Sabha)(Upper House) since 1996, Union Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation, Health & Family Planning , Education & Culture, Ambassador to the USA 1990-1991, Chair. Auroville Foundation. (with Cabinet status), Special Envoy to Nepal 2006. Author "Towards a New India" , "One Man's World" , "Essays on Hinduism", "Autobiography" "Brief Sojourn" , etc.; Chancellor Jammu and Kashmir Univ. 1949, Benares Hindu Univ. (Pro-Chan. 1960-1963), and Jawarharlal Nehru Univ. Hon. LL.D. (Aligarh Muslim Univ. 1961); President. Authors Guild of India, Commonwealth Soc. of India, Delhi Music Soc.; Co-Chair. World Commission on Global Consciousness & Spirituality, and Indo-French Forum 1997-1999; Vice-Chair. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund; Trustee Green Cross International, etc. Rcvd: Padma Vibushan - 2nd highest civilian honour in India.

H.H. Farzand- i-- Khas- i- Daulat- i- Inglishia Shrimant Maharaja Sir Sayajee Rao III Gaikwad Bahadur, of Baroda, Gujrat.(1875-1939). Represented India at the Imperial Conf. in London 1937. Author "From Caesar to Sultan", "Famine Notes", "Speeches", and "Selected Letters". President, The World Fellowship of Faiths. Hon. LLD. Benares Hindu uni v.

(1900 - 1938) Lieutenant-General H.H. Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, of Patiala, GCSI (1.1.1921), GCIE (12.12.1911), GCVO (17.3.1922), GBE (m 1.1.1918). Grand Cross of the Orders of the Crown of Italy (1918), Nile of Egypt (20.11.1918), Leopold of Belgium (mil 29.11.1918), Crown of Romania (29.9.1922), Redeemer of Greece (x.1.1926), Carlos III of Spain (23.10.1928), White Lion of Czechoslovakia 1st class (mil. 1.1.1930), Legion of Honour of France (30.10.1930, GO 1.8.1918), SS Maurice & Lazarus of Italy (2.4.1935), St Gregory the Great of the Vatican (6.4.1935), and the Dannebrog of Denmark; served in the Great War on the staff in France, Belgium and Italy 1914-1918, Palestine 1918, served in Third Afghan War 1919.

Lt. Colonel Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Ranjitsinhji, of Nawanagar(Jamnagar) (1907-1933), the GREATEST CRICKETER of his age, he played for Sussex, UK, several times for the full season from 1895 to 1912, captain of the Sussex team in 1899-1903; and titled Champion Batsman of England for 1896; India still holds an annual Ranjitsinh Trophy in Cricket for inter-state championships. Besides, the Maharaja served in WW I and gave his house in England to be used as a hospital; and was a very able ruler, building the port of Bedi, and roads, railways, irrigation works, and bird sanctuaries in his state.

Maharaja Sir Krishnaraja IV Wodeyar Bahadur, of Mysore.(1894-1940.). Hon Colonel, 8th King George V's Own Light Cavalry, 24/6/1910. Hon Colonel Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners 6/3/1936. Chancellor Mysore Univ. 1916-1940. Patron The Mythic Soc. 1909-1940, Patron: Mysore and Bangalore Race Clubs.

Maharaja Raja Rama Varma V, of Travancore (1880-1885), a scholar, author and, journalist(!), founded College of Fine Arts at Trivandrum, Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society(London.), member, the Royal Asiatic Society (London.), the Statistical Society, and Society Etude Colonial Maritime (Paris.), Officer of the Order of Public Instruction of France.

Maharaja Gaj Singh II Sahib Bahadur, of Jodhpur,([1952]-), Rajasthan.educated at Cothhill House, Eton College and Christ Church Oxford, graduated in 1970 B.A. (Hons.) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Founder and creator of a number of Philanthropic Institutions and Charitable Trusts associated with Education, Religion, Social Welfare, Medical Care and Rehabilitation of Military personnel. Indian High Commissioner, concurrently accredited to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and as Commissioner to Antigua, St. Kitts, Montsarrat, Caymen Islands & Turks & Caicos Islands 1978/1980.

General Maharajadhiraj Sir Ganga Singh of Bikaner, Rajasthan,(1887-1943), Mbr. Imperial War Cabinet 1917-1919 (signed the Treaty of Versailles[surrender of Germany-WW I] on behalf of India 28th June 1919), Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes 1921-1926, Indian representative at the Imperial Conferences in London 1917, 1919, 1922 & 1930, and at the League of Nations in Geneva 1924, Leader of Indian delegation to the League of Nations 1930, and Indian States representative at Round Table Conferences of 1930 & 1931.Pro-Chancellor Benares Hindu Univ. 1922-1929, and Chancellor 1929-1943. Hon. LL.D. (Cantab. 1911, Edinburgh 1917, Benares Hindu uni v. 1927, and Osmania Univ., Hyderabad), Hon. DCL (Oxon. 1919), Freeman of the Cities of London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol (all 1917).

Colonel Maharaja Sir Jagatdipendra Bhup Bahadur, of Cooch Behar(1922-[1970]), West Bengal educ. St Cyprians Sch., Farnborough; Harrow Sch., Mdsx.; Trinity Coll., Cambridge, and POWRIMC, Dehra Dun. served in WW II in North Africa, Assam, Burma, and South East Asia (present at the Japanese surrender at Singapore 1945)

Commodore Maharaja Sir Krishna Kumarsinhji of Bhavnagar(1919-[1965]),Gujrat. educ. Rajkumar Coll., Rajkot; Brayar's Prep. School., and Harrows School, Middlesex, UK. Governor of Madras 28/1/1948 - 1952.

Colonel H.H. Rais ud-Daula, Sipahdar ul-Mulk, Saramad Rajha-i-Hind, Maharajadhiraja Shri Sawai Maharaj Rana Sir Udai Bhan Singh,(1911-[1954]) Lokendra Bahadur, Diler Jang Jai Deo, Maharaj Rana of Dholpur, GCIE (1.1.1931), KCSI (1.1.1918), KCVO (17.3.1922). educ Mayo Coll., Ajmer, and with the Imperial Cadet Corps, Dehra Dun. Col-in-Chief 1st Patiala Inf. (Rajendra Sikhs). Delegate to the Indian Round Table Conference in London 1931. Author of "Eastern Light of Sanasan Culture" (1946). President. General Conclave of Mayo Coll., Ajmer 1931-1932 & 1941-1942, and the All-India Sanatan Dharm Sabha(All-religions meet) (Lahore) 1924. Pro-Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes 1936.

Senior Princes during the Delhi Durbar (royal reception) for King George V, in 1911.

The City Palace complex, Udaipur, seat of the Maharanas of Udaipur- Mewar, now a residence of Maharana Arvind Singh and partly a museum and hotels. The Lake Palace in the foreground in Lake Pichola is also a hotel.

The Palace of the Maharajas of Mysore, a residence in the rear for the present Maharaja, and the front durbar(reception etc) halls, palace rooms and courtyard for public viewing.

The Fortress of Meharangarh, former citadel of the Maharajas of Jodhpur.

The City Palace at Jaipur, the red façade palace section in the foreground is the limit for public viewing and part of the Mubarak Mahal in the background, with the State flag atop, is private residence of the present Maharaja Bhawani Singh.

The Fortress of Amber, near Jaipur, previous seat of the Jaipur Maharajas.

The Jaisalmer Fort, the Maharaja has a palace inside and is his residence when in Jaisalmer; there are hotels and the whole fort can be toured.

The Jai Vilas Palace of Gwalior, built in a European style, resembles the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, Russia

The Kowdiar Palace of the Maharajas of Trivandrum, in Kerela, South India, is a grand edifice with a mix of Indian and European styles; the present "Maharaja" still lives here.

If all the Princely States of India are grouped for comparisons, than no other similar group would compare for wealth and opulence. Of course, those princes who did not have sufficient resources and could not 'adjust' to changing times, and could not preserve or create wealth are very poor indeed!

MY INTENTION IN CREATING THIS POST IS TO CORRECT THE IMPRESSION (in India, amongst the public) THAT THE PRINCES ARE BEST FORGOTTEN, A USELESS LOT. GOOGLE EARTH REACHES THE YOUNG AND COMPUTER SAVVY USERS SO...................

The Princes of India can count in their numbers a Prime Minister of India, Ministers in the Union Government at Delhi as well as at the various States, Ambassadors and Consuls, senior bureaucrats, sports persons, at international levels as well, and atleast three great cricketers; they were authors, scholars, musicians, painters (a one time Prime Minister, Vishwanath Pratap Singh[Raja of Manda] is a very good painter and writes poetry; and has a somewhat socialist political ideology?!!!); there were soldiers who fought invaders, fought the British, and then some were on the front in World Wars I and II, the Indo Pak Wars, winning decorations both globally and in India. As rulers, some of them did good for their subjects, and, unfortunately, some were scoundrels, cunning to the extreme and selfish, womanisers, and wasted their own wealth; some were eccentrics, and almost all collected, what must be collectively, one of the largest diamond/ jewellery and gold hoardings in the world.

(more States are being added when details are ready.)

The place marks are placed over the Palace of the State, in very few cases where I could not locate a palace, the placemark is over a prominent structure in the town.

There is an introductory 'folder' and then the placemark of each place/State contains more details.

GOOGLE MAPS HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS FOR DISPLAYING ALL THE PLACE MARKS, FOR A FULL READING OF ALL PLACE MARKS PLEASE USE 'VIEW IN GOOGLE EARTH.' WHEN ALL PICTURES DONT OPEN PLEASE CLICK OPEN THE POST AGAIN.

A closer view over India will show the place marks separated from one another otherwise you may be discouraged to look because they will appear cluttered and sometimes overlapping one another.

Each placemark gives the history (and sometimes the legend or an eccentric side of the story) of the relevant State.

pictures, material,courtesy of: 4dw/Royal Ark/India, uq.zzhsoszy, Wikepedia, maharaniofjaipur, House of Mewar, Cochin Royal Family, panaramio contributors, my very sincere gratitude.

ALL ROYAL TITLES AND NAMES OF STATES SHOULD ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERED AND PLACED IN QUOTES (".............") AS INDIA IS A SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC AND THERE IS NO ATTEMPT HERE TO SHOW THESE STATES AS ACTUAL ENTITIES , NO PRINCELY STATE EXISTS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA.

(There is this very peculiar judicial situation where the Judicial Courts in India address the erstwhile Princes by their Titles and Royal Names in all litigation matters.......in The Supreme Court of India, for example, in legal cases and decisions the Titles and royal honorific s continue in use...for example...."Colonel His Highness Sawai Tej Singhji, Maharaja of Alwar vs. The Union of India & Anr." (1978), "H.H. Sir Rama Varma vs. C.I.T." (1994), "The Commissioner of Income-Tax, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal vs. H.H. Maharani Usha Devi" (1998), "Commissioner of Wealth Tax vs. Prince Muffakham Jah Bahadur Chamli Jan" (2000), "Her Highness Maharani Shantidevi P. Gaikwad vs. Savjibhai Haribhai Patel & Ors." (2001), "Union of India & Another vs. Raja Mohammed Amir Mohammad Khan" (2005). )

Edited by geveN (07/18/08 04:41 AM)

Post Extras