The two great warrior Maharajas of Rajputana

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The two great warrior Maharajas of Rajputana

                In Ramayana, Lord Ram  and Lakshman had to build up an army of  Simians  of  Sugreeva to fight Ravana of Sri Lanka.  There was not a single  soldier of  Ayodhya in that war.

                In the Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata,  the entire country of Bhaarath was divided  into two, supporting the Kauravas and Pandavas. The only peculiar case, was that of Lord  Krishna  who was in the Pandavas  side,  whereas his own Army was on the Kauravas side.  It was a war of Dharma and Adharma.

                 In the 19th century,  Indian Maharajas, had maintained their own small  armies. The British cleverly  ordered that all these  princely forces were to be amalgamated  as Imperial Service Troops (IST)  in 1885,  and  they brought in British Officers and other ranks to train the IST. Kashmir was the first to  send its  forces for active service.  The earliest engagement  was in Hunza Nagar  in 1891 and Chitral in 1895. By 1897, there were nine princely state forces, to fight in the Frontier War.  They fought in Tirah (NWFP) Campaign in 1898 and in Boxer Rebellion (China) in 1900/01.  At the outbreak of  world war in 1914, the British had given priority to safeguard the Suez canal, and for this purpose, a quick  regrouping and mobilisation of IST took place  into the  new  "15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade" to be despatched  to  Suez Area.  In this,  troops of  Alwar, Bhavnagar, Jodhpur, Kashmir, Mysore, Hyderabad etc., were  there as Lancers, Transport and Signal  corps, with British Special Service Officers.  Thus,  the Indian princely Kingdoms had no other way, but to  support   the far away  British Rulers, with men, materials  and wealth to fight another  group  of  Ottomon Turks  with German Support,  in Europe. Indian Troops were not mercenaries.

                The only two Maharajas,  who were born warriors, accompanied their forces to  wars.  They were both from the Rajputana (present Rajasthan)  state. One was from Idar  and the other was from Bikaner.  The Maharaja of Idar , Pratap Singhji  was 35 years senior to  Maharaja of Bikaner  Ganga Singhji.  Even though that age difference was there, they took part  in two of the wars  i.e.  the Boxer Rebellion 1900/01 and the First World War ( Great War), together, but apart.  The former had fought in the  Second Afghan War  and the Tirah Campaign where he got wounded in the left leg,, much before the latter's   entry into World wars.  Maharaja Pratap Singh's two teenage sons, Hanut and Sagat, joined him in the trenches also as officers of the Jodhpur Lancers. He took them with him when the Lancers moved to the Middle East in 1918, and they served together in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine.    The latter took part in Second World War with his grand son Prince Karni Singh in the African Sector, when the former Pratap Singhji  was  already dead.  I am searching for a photograph of WW 1, when these two warriors would have met  some where in the  Palestine, Egypt sector. Yes, I am Lucky and got one photo. .

                Maharaja Pratap Singhji, during the period  1878-1922,  served as Chief Minister of Jodhpur, Regent for  four  younger  Maharajas, . He was close to Queen Victoria,  Edward VII and George V, and visited  Europe  many times. After returning  from the Great War, Pratap Singhji, served as a Regent for  a short time before his death in 1922..  He had the honours like  CSI, KCSI, GCSI, CB, KCB, GCVO  from the British, as also war  medals which are listed separately.  His  line of ribbons on the left of chest would have looked like:

 
   Maharaja  Ganga Singhji, of Bikaner, was the ruling King. from 1888 to 1943.  He had his military training in 42 Deoli Regiment, under Col. Bell.  He fought in China-Boxer Rebellion. Later he commanded the Bikaner Camel Corps in First World War 1914-18.  As a ruler of the Sate of Bikaner, he established  a chief court, gave full charter of [powers to the court,  got insurance schemes for employees, savings bank facility, implemented Sharda act to stop child marriages. He was patron of Benares Hindu University, Indian Gymkhana Club, Bombay Natural History Society, etc.etc.,.He  was  a famous Indian  "freemason" ,  chairman of the Indian Public Schools Society (Doon School) from  1929-30. Building of  Ganga Canal, Ganganagar City, Karni Mata temple, Lal Garh palace were his works of fame. He had the honours like   GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, KCB, GCStJ.  War medals are listed separately. His ribbons would have looked like:

 

I have attempted  to compare these two maharajas with their  achievements in the following  table.  I might have missed something. Please correct me, if that be the case.  We cannot forget these great Maharajas.   Brave Indian Rajputs.  Long live their  tribe. 

 

Parameter Maharaja Pratap Singhji Maharaja Ganga Singhji
Date of Birth. 22 October 1845 03 October 1880
Father Maharaja Takht Singh Maharaja Lal Singh
Mother Maji Gulab Kunwarji Sahiba Maji Chandravatiji Sahiba
Siblings
Dungar Singh
Children
Maharaja Sadul Singh



Education Private Pandit Chandra Dube, Mayo College Ajmer, Sir Brian Egerton in Administration.
Commission 2nd Lt. Jodhpur Risala, 1878 2nd Lt. 1898-1900; 42 Deoli Regiment.
Second Afghan War Mentioned in Despatches.
Aide-de-Camp to Edward VII 1887-1910

Lt.Col in 1897 Lt.Col 1901-1910
Tirah Campaign (NWFP) 1898, Wounded.
Boxer Rebellion ,China 1900/01 1900

Maj.Gen in 1902.
Hon Commandant of Imperial Cadet Corps. 1903
WW 1: France, Flanders 1914-15, 70 years old.

Lt.Gen. 1916
Palestine, Haifa, Aleppo 1916-1919 Maj.Gen 1917-1919


Lt.Gen. 1930-1937; General 1937-43






Medals and Decorations


1877-Empress of India Gold  medal.

1878-Mentioned in Despatches.; CSI

1878-Afghanistan Medal

1886-KCSI.

1887-Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal

1897- Diamond Jubilee Bar

1897-Mentioned in Despatches; GCSI

1898-India Medal with Clasp; CB

1900-Kaiser-i-Hind Medal 1st Class 1900-Kaiser-i-Hind Medal 1st Class

1900-KCB (M)

1901-China war Medal 1901-China war Medal; KCIE

1902-King Edward VII Coronation Medal 1902-King Edward VII Coronation Medal

1903- Delhi Durbar Clasp 1903- Delhi Durbar Clasp


1903-Order of Phillip,Magnanimous,Hesse


1904-KCSI; 1907- GCIE

1911-King George V Coronation Medal with 1911-King George V Coronation Medal

Durbar Clasp

1911- GCVO 1911-GCSI

1914-1918 Star 1914-1918 Star


1914-Order of St. John GCSt.J

1918-British War Medal; GCB 1918- British War Medal KCB

1918- Inter Allied Victory Medal 1918- Inter Allied Victory Medal

1918-Order of Nile, Egypt 1918-Order of Nile, Egypt

1918-Grand Officer of Legion of Honneur

1919- Jodhpur Great War Medal 1919- GCVO

1921- Grand Cross of order of Star of 1921- GBE

Romania.


1935-King George V Silver Jubilee Medal


1937-King George VI Coronation Medal


1942- Africa Star


1939-1945 War Medal (Posthumous)


1939-1945 Star 1945 (Posthumous)


1945-India Service Medal (Posthumous)


1901,1914,1918 Mention in Despatches.





5 Hon.LL.Ds from Cantab, Edinburh, Oxon,


BHU and Osmania Universities.





Famous for Ganga Canal; Ganga Nagar City


brought Rly and Electricity to State;built


schools,Colleges for women;Karni Matha


temple at Deshnok.



Date of Death. 04 September 1922 at Jodhpur. 02 February 1943 at Mumbai.

 Maharaja  Pratap Singhji

                          TIRAH (IGSM)             CHINA  MEDALS                                                  

The Young and the Old
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
          Maharaja Ganga Singhji.
 
 

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