Hira Singh (18 December 1843 – 24 December 1911) was the ruler of

Nabha State Nabha State, with its capital at Nabha, was one of the Phulkian princely states of Punjab during the British Raj in India. Nabha was ruled by Jat Sikhs of Sidhu clan. See also *Patiala and East Punjab States Union *Political integration ...

, one of the Phulkian states in the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

.NABHA: Sir Hira Singh, Raja of Nabha (c.1843-1911).
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Early life

Hira Singh was born at

Badrukhan Badrukhan is a big village about 5 km from Sangrur, the district headquarters, on Sangrur- Barnala road in Punjab, India. History The residents of five small villages, Vada Agwarh, Vichla Agwarh, Dalamwal, Dhaliwas and Thagan wali Patti, un ...

Jind Jind is one of the largest and oldest city in Jind district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is administrative headquarter of Jind district. Rani Talab is the main destination for tourists while Pandu-Pindara and Ramrai are the main reli ...

, on 18 December 1843 , the second son of Sukha Singh (died 1852), from a distant branch of the royal Sikh Phulkian dynasty of

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the '' Qila Mubarak'' (the 'Fortunate Castle') construct ...

and

Nabha Nabha is a city and municipal council in the Patiala district in the south-west of the Indian state of Punjab. It was the capital of the former Nabha State. Nabha is also a sub-division city which comes under Patiala district. Geography Nabha ...

. Little is known about his early life.

The throne of Nabha

In 1871, the line of the Phulkian dynasty which had ruled Nabha, a small 11-gun state, since 1718 became extinct upon the death from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

of the young Raja, Bhagwan Singh (1842–1871). The remaining two lines of the dynasty-the rulers of Patiala and Jind-in conjunction with the British government fixed upon Hira Singh Gosal as the successor to the Nabha ''gadi'' (throne). Hira Singh ascended the throne of Nabha on 9 June 1871 and began a long and successful reign that would usher Nabha into the modern era. Great monuments and public buildings were erected, roads, railways, hospitals, schools and palaces were constructed and an efficient modern army was established that saw service during the

Second Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the ...

and the Tirah Expedition. As well, agriculture flourished with the construction of an irrigation canal at Sirhind, and Nabha soon produced bountiful harvests of wheat, sugar, pulses, millet and cotton, thus enabling the state to increase the value of its land revenue assessments. As a result of Hira Singh's improvements, in 1877 Nabha was raised to a salute of 13-guns and Hira Singh himself was decorated with the Empress of India Gold Medal and knighted two years later with the GCSI.

Later years

In 1894, Hira Singh was granted the title of Raja-i-Rajagan and in 1898 was granted a 15-gun personal salute. He was appointed a GCIE in 1903 and the following year was made a Colonel of the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs in the British Indian Army. Only a fortnight before his death, Hira Singh was raised to the rank of Maharaja of Nabha. Hira Singh died at the Hira Mahal on Christmas Eve 1911, aged 68 after a four-decade reign. He was succeeded by his only son, Ripudaman Singh Gosal.

Family

Hira Singh married four times and had two children, a son and a daughter *1. Karangarhwalia; married in 1858 *2. Aonanliwali Rani ; *3. Jasmir Kaur (d 1921). Married in 1880 and had one son and one daughter: **Ripaduman Singh, who succeeded to the Nabha throne as Maharaja

Ripudaman Singh Maharaja Ripudaman Singh (4 March 1883 – 12 December 1942), later known as Sardar Gurcharan Singh, was the Maharaja of Nabha State from 1911 to 1928, when he was deposed by the British. He later became an Indian revolutionary. Early life R ...

(1883–1942); r. 1911-1928. **Ripudaman Devi (1881–1911); married Ram Singh *4.wife; Khachedu bai

Honours

*Prince of Wales gold medal-1876 *

Empress of India Medal The Empress of India Medal, also referred to as KIH Medal, was a commemorative medal awarded to mark the occasion of the proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India in 1877. It was the first wearable medal issued to mark a commemorative o ...

-1877 *

Knight Grand 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 appointmen ...

(GCSI)-1879 *

Knight Grand 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 ...

(GCIE)-1903 *Delhi Durbar gold medal-1903 *Delhi Durbar gold medal-1911

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nabha, Hira Singh Of People of British India Indian Sikhs Jat rulers Punjabi people British Indian Army officers Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire 1843 births 1911 deaths Maharajas of Nabha