Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

Sir Rajinder Singh (25 May 1872 – 8 November 1900) was a

of the

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, 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, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...

from 1876 to 1900. In 1897, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Star of India for his bravery, by the colonial government. Described as "the first reigning Prince to blend the elements of the English gentleman and Indian potentate." In the 1870s, he became one of the first Indians to own a car, a French

De Dion-Bouton De Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1953. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux. Steam cars T ...

and in 1892. Singh died following a riding accident. He was known for playing polo,

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

and

English billiards English billiards, called simply billiards in the United Kingdom and in many former British colonies, is a cue sport that combines the aspects of carom billiards and pool. Two (one white and one yellow) and a red are used. Each player or team us ...

. The maharaja defied his subjects and the British government when he married Florence Bryan, the daughter of his Irish horse master, persuading her to convert to the

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

faith. He was a close friend of William Beresford and of Frederick Roberts. The Irish composer

Thomas O'Brien Butler Thomas O'Brien Butler (3 November 1861 – 7 May 1915; lost on the '' Lusitania''), was an Irish composer who wrote the Irish-language opera ''Muirgheis'' (1903). Biography O'Brien Butler, as he was generally known, was born in Caherciveen, Cou ...

(1861–1915), who spent some time in India, dedicated a song composition to him. He was the son of Maharaja

Mahendra Singh of Patiala Mohinder Singh (1852-1876) was the Maharaja of Patiala from 1862 to 1876. Life Mohinder Singh was the son of Narinder Singh, Maharaja of the State of Patiala. He was a member of the Phulkian Dynasty and succeeded to the throne in 1862 whil ...

, a member of the

Phulkian Dynasty The Phulkian (or Phoolkian) Maharajas were Jat-Sikh rulers and aristocrats in the Punjab region of India. They governed the states of Faridkot, Jind, Nabha, Malaudh and Patiala, allying themselves with the British Raj as per the Cis-Sutlej t ...

. One of his sons was Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh.Historical Sikh Events: Phulkian Misl
/ref>History of the Jatt Clans - Dr H.S Duleh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Rajinder Jat rulers Indian Sikhs Maharajas of Patiala Punjabi people 1872 births 1900 deaths Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Indian polo players Indian players of English billiards