Pratap Singh Ju Deo
Pratap Singh Ju Deo was the Maharaja of Orchha from 1874 until his death in 1930. BirthHe was born on 3 July 1854.[1] SuccessionAfter the death of his brother, Hamir Singh, in March 1874, he became the Maharaja of Orchha.[2] On this occasion, the British government sent Major A. Mayne to temporarily oversee the administration of the state.[3] On 4 June 1874, Pratap took over the administration, and the British officer was withdrawn in May 1876.[2][3] ReignHe took a great interest in girls' education and established a girls' school in 1875, the first of its kind in Bundelkhand.[3] He established a series of schools throughout his dominions, where education was provided free of cost.[3][4] Books were also distributed at no charge, and the state covered students' expenses when they appeared for university examinations.[3][4] In 1876, he established regular courts of justice and organized the police force.[3][4] He abolished all transit duties in Orchha in 1880.[2] In 1895, he established a postal system in Orchha.[4] During the Indian famine of 1896–1897, he worked tirelessly to provide famine relief.[4] The famine relief efforts cost a total of 1,300,000 rupees.[3][4] The women who observed purdah were given suitable work.[4] Those who could not work received grains daily from the state granaries.[4] He combated the famine of 1905 with the same zeal.[4] He attended the Delhi durbars of 1877, 1903, and 1911.[5] At the Durbar of 1911, his grandsons, Vir Singh and Karan Singh, were selected to serve as pages to George V and Charles Hardinge, the Governor-General of India, respectively.[5] During his state entry into Delhi for the Delhi durbar of 1911, he was accompanied by his eldest son, Pritchard, the Political Agent in Bundelkhand, and the Madur-ul-Maham.[6] His procession included a cavalry escort, richly caparisoned state horses, spearmen, mace-bearers, chhata (transl. umbrella), suraj-mukhi (transl. sun-face), pankha (transl. fan) and bearers carrying Ganges water.[6] There was also a silver and gold palanquin, chanwars (transl. yak tail whiskers), morchals (transl. peacock feather whiskers), aftaba, pandan (transl. betel nut box), itardan (transl. bottle used to hold attar), and other paraphernalia.[6] His mounted personal attendants wore elaborate gold embroidery, and he was followed by the Raja of Dhar.[6] In 1924, he celebrated the golden jubilee of his reign by opening schools, remitting taxes, introducing the Gajshahi rupee, and constructing a Jubilee Hall in the palace.[7] He settled 217 villages, excavated 73 tanks, and dug 7,086 wells.[7] This significantly improved people's lives and increased agricultural productivity.[7] He constructed several buildings and architectural structures.[7] Personal lifeHe married and had three children: two sons and a daughter.[8] His eldest son, Bhagwant Singh, predeceased him in 1920.[8] His younger son, Sawant Singh, was adopted by Bhan Pratap Singh, the Maharaja of Bijawar, and succeeded his adoptive father in June 1900.[8] His daughter married Vishwanath Singh, the Maharaja of Chhatrapur, in 1884 and died in 1921.[8] DeathHe died on 3 March 1930 and was succeeded by his grandson, Vir Singh.[9] Titles, styles, salute and honoursTitles and stylesIn 1882, the Government of India conferred upon him the title of Sawai and, in 1886, granted him the hereditary title of Saramad-i-Rajah-i-Bundelkhand.[2][10] He also held the titles Bharat Dharma Ratnakar and Yog Vidya Vinod.[5] His titles were:
SaluteAs the ruler of Orchha, he was entitled to a fifteen-gun salute.[2][5] However, the Government of India later increased it to seventeen as a personal distinction.[2][12] HonoursHe was appointed GCIE in 1898 and GCSI in 1906.[11] He was made KCB in 1901.[13] The University of Oxford conferred upon him an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law in 1911.[13] References
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