Captain H.H.

Maharana Maharana is a variation on the Indian royal title Rana (title), Rana. Maharana denotes 'king of kings', similar to the word "Maharaja". Ruler title in British India Salute states (all in present India) The gun salutes enjoyed by the states that ...

Raj

Shri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javane ...

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

Amarsinhji Banesinhji

Sahib Sahib or Saheb (; ) is an Arabic title meaning 'companion'. It was historically used for the first caliph Abu Bakr in the Quran. The title is still applied to the caliph by Sunni Muslims. As a loanword, ''Sahib'' has passed into several lang ...

(4 January 1879 – 25 June 1954) was the last Maharana Raj Sahib of Wankaner belonging to

Jhala Jhala (Hindi: झाला, ) is a term in Hindustani classical music which denotes the fast-paced conclusions of classical compositions or raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisatio ...

dynasty, who ascended the throne of princely state of Wankaner on 12 June 1881 and ruled until his state was merged into

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

on 15 February 1948. He continued to be officially Maharana Sahib of Wankaner till his death on 28 June 1954. He was installed on the throne upon the death of his father Maharana Banesinhji Jaswantsinhji on 25 June 1881 at age of two years, and the State was placed under administration of government. He joined Rajkumar College, Rajkot for education. After his education was complete, he was given rein of State on 18 March 1889. He served during the

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

with the Kathiawar Motor Ambulance Corps 1915-1916. A well-educated and progressive ruler, he took an interest in improving the welfare of his subjects. He established the first Farmers' Co-operative Bank in Saurashtra to provide finance to farmers, promoted agriculture, as well as the dairy and textile industries. He also introduced village self-government schemes, the first pensions for state employees, reformed the public services and a strong and effective police force. A gifted sportsmen, he excelled in badminton, cricket and marksmanship. He also took an interest in motoring, aircraft and architecture, building several palaces and public buildings in Wankaner and Wankaner House in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

. He celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 31 May 1931. He signed the treaty of accession and merged his State with Union of India forming part of

United State of Kathiawar Saurashtra, also known as United State of Kathiawar, was a State of India that existed between 1948 and 1956, on Saurashtra alias Kathiawar peninsula, with Rajkot as its capital, History Formation as United State of Kathiawar Saurashtra ...

on 15 February 1948. In 1951, a cotton

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

Wankaner Wankaner is a city and a municipality in Morbi district in the State of Gujarat. Until 2013, Wankaner was part of the Rajkot district. Etymology The city was named after its location on the Machhu River, "Wankaner" translating to "riverbend" ( ...

, named Shree Amarsinhji Mills Limited, named after him was founded by his son Pratapsinhji Jhala, which, however, has now been taken over by Kores India in 1980.Kores India
/ref> His grandson, Digvijaysinh Jhala continues to serve the company as a director. His eldest son Pratapsinhji Amarsinhji succeeded to the title of Maharana of Wankaner upon his death on 28 June 1954.

Honours

* Delhi Durbar Gold Medal – 1903 and 1911 *

Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No appoi ...

(KCIE) - 1911 * 1914–15 Star - 1918 *

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in si ...

-1918 * Allied Victory Medal - 1918 * King George V Silver Jubilee Medal – 1935 *

Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(KCSI) – 1936 *

King George VI Coronation Medal The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir of King George VI's coronation. It was awarded to t ...

– 1937 *

Indian Independence Medal The Indian Independence Medal was instituted by the Dominion of India and approved by King George VI by way of a Royal Warrant dated 21 July 1948. It was a commemorative medal for service with the Indian armed forces at the time of independence i ...

– 1947

References

{{authority control 1879 births 1954 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India Indian royalty People from Rajkot district Gujarati people Indian Army personnel of World War I Indian businesspeople in textiles Maharajas of Wankaner