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Revision as of 09:33, 29 April 2006 by Maharaj Devraj (talk | contribs) (→Children)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Sawai Man Singh II or Jai (21 August 1911–24 June 1970) was the Maharaja of Jaipur from 1922 to 1949, subsidiary Prince until 1970, and titular leader of the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. He was also the Rajpramukh of Rajasthan from 1949 to 1956 and the Ambassador to Spain. He was also a notable sportsman and polo player.
Biography
Born in a village to the Thakur of Isarda, a Rajput nobleman, he was adopted by Maharaja Sawai Madhu Singh II at age eleven, and raised as the heir to the throne of the state of Jaipur. Upon his ascension in 1922, he embarked on a program of modernization, building infrastructure and creating numerous public institutions that would later result in Jaipur becoming the capital of Rajasthan. After the abolition of the privy purses, he was also among the first princes to realize the potential of tourism, turning Rambagh Palace into a luxury hotel. He was especially noted as a fanatical polo player, with the sport even being the manner in which he died, in Cirencester, England.
Marriages
His initial marriages were to suitable brides chosen from the royal family of Jodhpur, whose Rajput heritage and social ranking were similar to his own. His first wife was Maharani Marudhar Kanwar, sister of Sumer Singh, the Maharaja of Jodhpur, while his scond consort was Princess Kishore Kanwar, niece of his first wife and daughter of the Maharaja of Jodhpur. His most famous relationship, however, was his legendary courtship and subsequent marriage to the legendary beauty, Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar, daughter of Jitendra of Cooch Behar and Indira of Baroda.
Children
Man Singh had several children; his daughter married the Maharaol of Baria, while his younger sons married princesses from Jubbal, Tripura, and Lunawada. He was succeeded on the throne by Prince Bhawani Singh, while his father's fief of Isarda was granted as a princely subsidiary title to his son Prince Jagat Singh, who became the Raja of Isarda.
Titles from Birth to Death
- Mukut Singh of Isarda
- His Highness the Yuvaraj of Jaipur
- His Highness the Sawai Maharaja of Jaipur
- His Highness the Rajpramukh of Rajasthan, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur
- His Highness Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur