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Sawai Man Singh II (August 21, 1911–June 24, 1970) was the last ruling Maharaja of Jaipur. He ruled that princely state beween 1922 and 1949, when the state acceded unto the Dominion of India. Thereafter, he held office as Rajpramukh of Rajasthan between 1949 to 1956. In later life, as Ambassador of India to Spain. He was also a notable sportsman and polo player.

Early life

Sawai Man Singh II was born Mor Mukut Singh, the second son of Thakur Sawai Singh of Isarda, a nobleman belonging to the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. Mor Mukut grew up in the dusty and non-descript village of Isarda which lies between the towns of Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur. His family was connected to the ruling house of Jaipur. The then Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Madho Singh II, had been born the son of a former Thakur of Isarda; he had been adopted into the ruling family of Jaipur. After giving him up for adoption, Madho Singh's actual father had in turn lacked for an heir. He adopted the son of a distant kinsman and was succeeded by that lad as Thakur of Isarda. That lad was Sawai Singh, father of Mor Mukut Singh. In this manner, Mor Mukut could be reckoned near kin to Maharaja Madho Singh II of Jaipur.

After being adopted to become Maharaja of Jaipur, Madho Singh II led a generally dissolute life. He had numerous children by various concubines, but no sons were borne to him by his lawfully wedded wives, and he lacked for of an heir. A few months before his death in 1922, Madho Singh II adopted Mor Mukut to be his son and heir. Thus, Mor Mukut progressed from being the younger son of a nobleman to being the Maharaja of Jaipur and head of the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. He was eleven years old.

Maharaja 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

• Mor Mukut Singh of Isarda
• His Highness the Yuvaraja of Jaipur
• His Highness the 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

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