Madho Singh II.

Madho Singh II of Jaipur

approx. 2 m high silver jug ​​in the palace of Jaipur

Maharajadhiraja Sawai Madho Singh II (born August 29, 1861 in Isarda (?), † September 7, 1922 in Jaipur ) ruled the princely state of Jaipur from 1880 until his death. He was the adopted son of Maharaja Ram Singh II.

biography

Kaim Singh was born the younger son of the large landowner and local prince ( thakur ) of Isarda with close ties to the royal court of Jaipur. After the death of his biological father, his older brother took over the paternal inheritance; Kaim Singh hired himself as a cavalry officer ( risaldar ) in the army of the rather insignificant princely state of Tonk . At an unspecified point in time he made the acquaintance of the childless Maharajas of Jaipur, who adopted him on his deathbed and named him as his successor. He then took the name Madho Singh II.

On the one hand, he proved to be a modern statesman who improved the transport, education and health systems within his territory. In the famine years 1896/97 and 1899/1900 he financed food aid; He also appealed to the Viceroy Lord Curzon to help set up a permanent emergency fund. On the other hand, he was a traditional Hindu who could only attend Edward VII's coronation ceremonies in London if he had enough Ganges water to cleanse his body and mind; For this purpose, two huge silver vessels with a weight of 346 kg each and a capacity of about 4000 liters were made.

In addition, Madho Singh proved to be a loyal partner of the British Crown in its military engagements: He sent troops in the power struggle for Chitral (1894/95), in the so-called Tirah Campaign (1897/98) and to South Africa ; during the First World War he supported the British on the Mesopotamia front . For his services he was showered with medals and titles by the British Crown.

Succession

Although he fathered 65 sons and daughters with his numerous mistresses, Madho Singh II remained - despite several wives - without a legal heir. In 1921 he adopted his nephew, the second son of Thakurs of Isarda, who succeeded him as Maharaja Man Singh II after his death .

buildings

During his more than 40-year reign he made numerous changes to the Jaipur City Palace. In addition, he financed the construction of a palatial temple ( Jaipur temple ) in honor of Krishna in the city of Vrindavan .

Web links

Commons : Madho Singh II  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Silver jugs in the palace of Jaipur - photos + information (English)
• Maharajas of Jaipur - Photos + Info (English)