Jagatjit Singh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sir Jagatjit Singh |
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| Maharaja of Kapurthala | |||||
| Reign | 3 September 1877 – 15 August 1947 | ||||
| Coronation | 24 November 1890 | ||||
| Predecessor | Kharak Singh (as Raja) | ||||
| Successor | Monarchy abolished Paramjit Singh (titular ruler) |
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| Born | 24 November 1872 Kapurthala, Kapurthala State, British India |
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| Died | 19 June 1949 (aged 76) Bombay, Bombay State, India |
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| Spouse | six wives | ||||
| Issue | five sons and one daughter | ||||
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| Dynasty | Ahluwalia dynasty | ||||
| Father | Kharak Singh Sahib Bahadur | ||||
| Mother | Anand Kaur Sahiba | ||||
| Religion | Sikh | ||||
Maharaja Sir Jagatjit Singh Sahib Bahadur (born November 24, 1872 – died June 19, 1949) was an important ruler in India. He was the last Maharaja of the princely state of Kapurthala. This state was part of the British Empire of India. He ruled from 1877 until his death in 1949.
He became the ruler of Kapurthala state on October 16, 1877. He took full control of his state on November 24, 1890. Jagatjit Singh loved to travel the world. He was also a "Francophile," meaning he loved French culture and style. He was born into an Ahluwalia Sikh family. He received the special title of Maharaja in 1911.
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh built many beautiful palaces and gardens in the city of Kapurthala. His main palace, Jagatjit Palace, was designed to look like the famous Palace of Versailles in France. He also built a gurdwara (a Sikh temple) in Sultanpur Lodhi.
He represented India at the League of Nations General Assembly in Geneva. He did this in 1925, 1927, and 1929. He also attended the Round Table Conference in 1931. At the time of his death in 1949, he was 76 years old. He was serving as the Lieutenant Governor of the PEPSU. His cousin, Sardar Bhagat Singh, was one of the few Indian judges in the High Court during the British Raj. His grandson, Sukhjit Singh, became a Brigadier in the Indian Army. Another grandson, Arun Singh, was a Minister in the government of Rajiv Gandhi.
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Awards and Honours
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh received many important awards during his lifetime. These awards came from both the British Empire and other countries around the world.
British Awards
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI) in 1911
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) on January 1, 1921
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) on November 29, 1927
- He also received several medals for important events. These included the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal in 1897 and the Delhi Durbar Medal in 1903 and 1911. He also received medals for the jubilees and coronations of King George V and King George VI.
- He was given the Indian Independence Medal in 1947.
International Awards
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh received many high honours from other countries. These included:
- The Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown from Prussia in 1911.
- The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile from Egypt in 1924.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus from Italy in 1924.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit from Chile in 1925.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun from Peru in 1925.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania in 1926.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Menelik II from Ethiopia in 1928.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Sava from Yugoslavia in 1928.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III from Spain in 1928.
- The Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia in 1929.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion from Czechoslovakia in 1934.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Sylvester from the Vatican in 1935.
- The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour from France in 1948.
His Marriages
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh had six wives during his life.
- His first marriage was in 1886 to Maharani Harbans Kaur Sahiba. They had two sons:
- Paramjit Singh Sahib Bahadur
- Mahijit Singh Sahib Bahadur
- His second marriage was in 1891 to Rani Parvati Kaur Sahiba. They had one son:
- Amarjit Singh Sahib Bahadur
- His third marriage was in 1892 to Rani Lakshmi Kaur Sahiba. She was a Princess from a Rajput family.
- His fourth marriage was in 1895 to Rani Kanari Sahiba. They had one son and one daughter:
- Karamjit Singh Sahib Bahadur
- Amrit Kaur Sahiba
- His fifth marriage was in Paris in 1908 to Rani Prem Kaur Sahiba (born Anita Delgado). They had one son:
- Ajit Singh Sahib Bahadur
- His sixth marriage was in Kapurthala in 1942 to Rani Tara Devi Sahiba. She was an actress.
In Popular Culture
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh has been mentioned in popular culture:
- A character named Don Pimpón in the Spanish version of Sesame Street once said he traveled the world with "his friend the Maharaja of Kapurthala."
- He appeared in a flashback scene in the TV show American Horror Story: Freak Show. In the episode "Orphans", he gives a character named Elsa Mars custody of a girl named Mahadevi "Ma Petite" Patel.
See also
- Rajkumari Bibiji Amrit Kaur, who was the first female Indian Cabinet Minister and his first cousin.
