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Jiwajirao Scindia

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Last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior from 1925–1948
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Sir George Jiwajirao Scindia
Maharaja of Gwalior
7th and the last ruling Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, c. 1940
Maharaja of Gwalior
Reign5 June 1925 – 28 May 1948
PredecessorMadho Rao Scindia I
SuccessorMadhavrao Scindia
Recipient privy purse, benefits, and title "Maharaja of Gwalior"
Reign28 May 1948 – 16 July 1961
SuccessorMadhavrao Scindia
Born(1916-06-26)26 June 1916
Gwalior, Gwalior State, British India
Died16 July 1961(1961-07-16) (aged 45)
Samudra Mahal, Bombay, Maharashtra, India
SpouseVijaya Raje Scindia
IssuePadma Raje
Usha Raje
Madhavrao Scindia
Vasundhara Raje Scindia
Yashodhara Raje Scindia
HouseScindia
FatherMadho Rao Scindia
MotherGajrabai Raje Sahib Scindia
ReligionHindu

Sir George Jiwajirao Scindia KStJ (26 June 1916 – 16 July 1961) was the ruler of the Gwalior state during the British Raj and later the Rajpramukh (Governor) of the Indian state of Madhya Bharat.

Jiwajirao was the Maharaja, of the princely state of Gwalior in central India from 1925 until 1947. After the state was absorbed into independent India, he was granted a privy purse, certain privileges, and the use of the title Maharaja of Gwalior by the Government of India, which he retained until his death in 1961. He also served as the rajpramukh (governor) of the state of Madhya Bharat until 1956.

Early life

Jivajirao Scindia as a child; Hand-coloured photograph, c. 1930

Jiwajirao was a scion of the Scindia family, descended from the Maratha general Ranojirao Scindia. Ranojirao was the head of the Maratha armies in Malwa during the first part of the 18th century, as the Maratha Empire was expanding rapidly at the expense of the Mughal Empire. Daulatrao Scindia shifted the capital from Ujjain to the new city of Lashkar, near the historic fortress-city of Gwalior. The Scindias signed the peace treaty of Salbai with British in 1818 at the conclusion of their benefits from them after they lost the 3rd War Third Anglo-Maratha War. At 68,291 km, Gwalior was the largest state in the Central India Agency, and among the five largest princely states in all of India.

Personal life

Jiwajirao became Maharaja on 5 June 1925, succeeding his father Madho Rao Scindia upon his death. On 21 February 1941, he married Lekha Divyeshwari Devi, afterwards known as Vijaya Raje Scindia, who was descended from the powerful Rana dynasty of Nepal. They were the parents of five children, four daughters and a son, including:

Career

Jivajirao on a 1942 half anna coin.

Jiwajirao ruled Gwalior state as an absolute monarch and a British vassal until shortly after India's independence on 15 August 1947. The rulers of Indian princely states were required to accede to either of the two dominions (India and Pakistan) created by the India Independence Act 1947. Jivajirao signed a covenant with the rulers of the adjoining princely states that united their several states to form a new state within the Union of India known as Madhya Bharat. This new covenanted state was to be governed by a council headed by a ruler to be known as the Rajpramukh. Madhya Bharat signed a fresh Instrument of Accession with the Government of India effective 15 June 1948. Jivajirao Scindia became the first rajpramukh, or appointed governor, of the state on 28 May 1948. He served as Rajpramukh until 31 October 1956, when the state was merged into Madhya Pradesh.

Family

After his death in 1961, Jiwajirao's family remained involved in politics. In 1962, his widow, Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia, was elected to the Lok Sabha, beginning the family's career in electoral politics. She was initially a member of the Indian National Congress party, parted ways in 1967, joined the Jana Sangh, and later became an influential member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Their son, Madhavrao Scindia, was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971, representing the Jana Sangh. He later joined the Congress in 1980 served until his death in 2001. Madhavrao's son, Jyotiraditya Scindia, was also a member of the Congress Party, was elected in 2002 to the seat formerly held by his father. On 10-March-2020 Jyotiraditya Scindia quit Indian National Congress and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2020 as BJP member. Jivajirao's daughter Vasundhara Raje is an eminent politician associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. She was the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan and also was a member of the Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms since 1989. Vasundhara Raje's son, Dushyant Singh of Dholpur is a BJP MP. His youngest daughter, Yashodhara Raje has served as a State Minister in the Madhya Pradesh government.

Full name and titles

Jivajirao was also known with his full name: Lieutenant-General His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, GCSI, GCIE.

During his life he acquired several titles and honorific names:

  • 1916 – 1925: Yuvaraja Maharaj Shrimant Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur
  • 1925 – 1937: His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior
  • 1937 – 1941: His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, KStJ
  • 1941 – 1943: Captain His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Sir Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, GCIE, KStJ
  • 1943 – 1945: Major His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Sir Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, GCIE, KStJ
  • 1945 – 1946: Major-General His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Sir Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, GCIE, KStJ
  • 1946 – 1961: Lieutenant-General His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Sir Jivaji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Mua'zzama-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ

Honours

(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

References

  • Neelesh Ishwarchandra Karkare (2014). Shreenath Madhavji : Mahayoddha Mahadji Ki Shourya Gatha. Neelesh Ishwarchandra ( Gwalior). ISBN 9789352670925.
  • Neelesh Ishwarchandra Karkare (2017). Tawaareekh-E-ShindeShahi. Neelesh Ishwarchandra ( Gwalior). ISBN 9789352672417.
  • Dr. Ishwarchandra Ramchandra Karkare (2008). Gwalior Gaurav. Gwalior Sahitya Academy ( Gwalior).
  1. ^ Ramusack, Barbara N. (2004). The Indian princes and their states. Cambridge University Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-521-26727-4. The crucial document was the Instrument of Accession by which rulers ceded to the legislatures of India or Pakistan control over the defence, external affairs, and communications. In return for these concessions, the princes were to be guaranteed a privy purse in perpetuity and certain financial and symbolic privileges such as exemption from customs duties, the use of their titles, the right to fly their state flags on their cars, and to have police protection. ... By December 1947 Patel began to pressure the princes into signing Merger Agreements that integrated their states into adjacent British Indian provinces, soon to be called states or new units of erstwhile princely states, most notably Rajasthan, Patiala and East Punjab States Union, and Matsya Union (Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karaulli).
  2. Pal, Riddhi. "Scion of the cursed dynasty". thisday.app. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  3. Maharaja of Gwalior, Sir George Jiwajirao Scindia (29 October 2024). "Last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior". Royal Archives. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
Jiwajirao Scindia Scindia DynastyBorn: 26 June 1916 Died: 16 July 1961
Regnal titles
Preceded byMadhavrao II Maharaja of Gwalior
1925–1948 		Succeeded byMonarchy abolished
(Merge within the Republic of India)
Political offices
Preceded byPost created 15 June 1948 Rajpramukh of Madhya Bharat
1948–1956 		Succeeded byPost abolished by the Government of India 31 October 1956; succeeded by that of Governor of Madhya Pradesh
Titles in pretence
Preceded byNone; monarchy abolished in 1948 — TITULAR —
Maharaja of Gwalior
1948–1961
Reason for succession failure:
Monarchy abolished in 1948 		Succeeded byMadhavrao III
Maratha Confederacy
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Peshwas
Amatya & Pratinidhi
Women
Maratha Confederacy
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