Ganga Singh of Bikaner
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General Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, KCB (13 October 1880, Bikaner–2 February 1943, Bombay) was a ruler with modern reformist vision of the princely state of Bikaner in present-day Rajasthan, India. He was the only non-Anglo member of the British Imperial War Cabinet during World War I.
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[edit] Biography
Sri Ganga Singh was born on 13 October 1880, the third and youngest son of Maharaj Sri Lal Singh, and brother to Dungar Singh.
Succeeding his brother in 1887, he was initially educated privately, then at Mayo College, Ajmer 1889/1894. From 1895 to 1898, he was put under the guidance of Sir Brian Egerton for administrative training, learning administrative work from that of Patwari to that of Prime Minister.
For military training, he was sent to Deoli in 1898 and attached to the Deoli Regiment, which had the reputation of being one of the finest Regiment in India under the command of Lt. Col. Bell. He established a Chief Court in Bikaner, presided over by a Chief Judge who was assisted by two Judges. Bikaner was the first State in Rajasthan to take such a step.
He announced the establishment of a Representative Assembly in 1913. He later established a High Court with a Chief Justice and two sub-judges by an Edict in 1922. Maharaja Ganga Singhji was the first prince in Rajputana to have granted full charter of powers to a High Court.
A life insurance and Endowment Assurance Scheme was introduced for the benefit of the employees. Also, facilities of a Saving Bank were made available to the people. He was one of the first rulers to introduce through legislation a Sharda Act by which child marriages were stopped.
He had a personal gun salute of 19-guns granted in 1918 and a permanent local gun salute of 19-guns granted in 1921, was the Hon. ADC to HRH the Prince of Wales in 1902 and to HM George V in 1910. A Member of the Central Recruiting Board-India 1917, he represented India at the Imperial War Conference 1917, the Imperial War Cabinet and the Paris Peace Conference 1919 and was Chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes from 1920-26.
As well, Sir Ganga served as Patron of Benares Hindu University and Sri Bharat Dharam Mahamandal, as Vice President of East India Association and Royal Colonial Institute, a Member of the Indian Gymkhana Club and of the Indian Army Temperance Association, the General Council of Mayo and Daly Colleges the Indian Society of Oriental Art, the Indian Society-London, the Bombay Natural History Society, and was the first Member of the Indian Red Cross Society.
He married 1stly in July 1897 HH Maharani Vallabhkuver Sahiba of Pratapgarh; she died 19th August 1906. He then married 2ndly HH Maharani Sri Bhatiyaniji Sahiba of Bikampur and had issue, four sons and two daughters. He died 2nd February 1943 in Bombay after a reign of 56 years, aged 62, and was succeeded by his son Sir Sadul Singh
[edit] Achievements
- Maharaja Ganga Singh is remembered for having constructed the Ganga Canal. He inspired people to come and settle in this new Command area. A large population settled than there. Among them the Sikh families mostly the land owners, migrated to this region from the Punjab around 1928, when the canal was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of the former Bikaner state. Hindu families are the original inhabitants of this region; however, there were no permanent settlements in this area (except for a few towns under the old Bikaner state).
- He successfully dealt with and managed to fight the worst famine of the year 1899-1900 AD in the entire region. This famine inspired the young Maharaja to establish a good irrigation system to get rid of the problem permanently.
- He developed the city of Sri Ganganagar & its surrounding area as the most fertile grain bowl of Rajasthan
- He also constructed the Lallgarh Palace at Bikaner (named in memory of his father Lall Singh) between 1902 and 1926.
- He brought railways & an electricity network to the state.
- He introduced prison reforms. In those days Bikaner prisoners used to weave and craft the best carpets of India which were then sold in the international markets.
- He established partial internal democracy such as election to the municipalties & appointed a council of ministers to aid and advice.
- Some land reforms were also introduced.
- He induced enterprising Industrialist & agriculturists from neighbouring state for starting new ventures in his state.
[edit] Styles
1887-1898: His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner
1898-1900: 2nd Lieutenant His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner
1900-1901: Major His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, Kaiser-i-Hind
1901-1904: Major His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, KCIE, Kaiser-i-Hind
1904-1907: Major His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, KCSI, KCIE, Kaiser-i-Hind
1907-1909: Major His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCIE, KCSI, Kaiser-i-Hind
1909-1910: Lieutenant-Colonel His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCIE, KCSI, Kaiser-i-Hind
1910-1911: Colonel His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCIE, KCSI, Kaiser-i-Hind
1911-1917: Colonel His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCSI, GCIE, Kaiser-i-Hind
1917-1919: Major-General His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCSI, GCIE, KCB, Kaiser-i-Hind
1919-1921: Major-General His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, KCB, Kaiser-i-Hind
1921-1930: Major-General His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, KCB, Kaiser-i-Hind
1930-1937: Lieutenant-General His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, KCB, Kaiser-i-Hind
1937-1943: General His Highness Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Maharaja Shiromani Sir Ganga Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, KCB, Kaiser-i-Hind
[edit] Honours
Kaiser-i-Hind, 1st Class-1900
King Edward VII Coronation Medal-1902
Delhi Durbar Medal (gold)-1903
Grand Cross of the Order of Philip the Magnanimous of Hesse-1903
Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1907 (KCIE-1901)
King George V Coronation Medal-1911
Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1911 (KCSI-1904)
Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John (GCStJ)-1914
Honorary LL.D (Edinburgh)-1917
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)-1918
British War Medal-1918
Victory Medal-1918
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile of Egypt-1918
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)-1919
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) - New Year Honours 1921, for war service[1]
Honorary LL.D (Benares Hindu University)-1927
Honorary LL.D (Osmania University)-1927
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935
King George VI Coronation Medal-1937
Africa Star-1942
War Medal 1939-1945-1945 (posthumous)
1939-1945 Star-1945 (posthumous)
India General Service Medal-1945 (posthumous)
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Ganga Singh at realbikaner.com
- Ganga Singh at the British National Portrait Gallery
- A complete list of his accomplishments with a brief biography
