Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Maharaja Sir Sajjan Singh Bahadur (13 January 1880 – 3 February 1947) was a British Indian Army officer and the Maharaja of

Ratlam State Ratlam State was a 13 gun salute (15 local) princely state in India, part of the Malwa Agency of Central India during the British Raj. The state's capital was Ratlam town in modern Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh. Ratlam State was original ...

, ruling from 1893 until 1947.

Life and career

The only son of Ranjit Singh, Sajjan Singh succeeded to the Ratlam throne at the age of 13, and was educated at Daly College, Indore and at Mayo College, Ajmer. He served with the Imperial Cadet Corps, Dehra Dun, and reigned under a regency until he came of age in 1898. Commissioned an honorary Captain in the British Indian Army in 1908. Gen

He was promoted to Major in 1911 and served on the Western Front during the First World War from 1914 to 1915. He was mentioned in despatches and promoted to

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

in 1916 and to

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in 1918. Owing to his wartime service, he was raised from an 11-gun to a 13-gun salute in 1918, and was promoted to the rank of a hereditary Maharaja in 1921, also receiving a 15-gun local salute at the same time. After the war, Singh served as regent of Rewa State from October 1918 to October 1922. He also served in the

Third Anglo-Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War; fa, جنگ سوم افغان-انگلیس), also known as the Third Afghan War, the British-Afghan War of 1919, or in Afghanistan as the War of Independence, began on 6 May 1919 when the Emirate of Afghanistan inv ...

as aide-de-camp to the General Officer Commanding 1st Division on the North-West Frontier. From 1915 to 1936, Sajjan Singh served as aide-de-camp to

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

and was also aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) when the latter toured India from 1921 to 1922; he was appointed a KCVO for this in 1922. Singh subsequently served as an honorary and extra ADC to George VI until 1947. A polo aficionado, he served as Steward of the Indian Polo Association, and also as member of the general councils of Daly and Mayo Colleges.

Personal

Singh married five times and had two sons and three daughters by his fifth wife, Sodhabai of Nawanagar # Gulab Kunverba (1923-19?). Married the Bahadur Singh, the Maharao of

Bundi Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India and capital of the former princely state of Rajputana agency. District of Bundi is named after the former princely state. Demographics According to the 2011 Indian cens ...

. # Raj Kunverba (k. in a fire, 1931) # Lokendra Singh (9 November 1927 - 24 June 1991). Second and last ruling Maharaja of Ratlam; succeeded upon his father's death on 3 February 1947; acceded to the Union of India on 15 August 1947. Derecognised by the Indian Government 28 December 1971; died without issue. #Chandra Kunverba (c1930-1950s). Engaged to

Karan Singh Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh. He was the prince regent of Jammu and Kashmir until 1952. From 1 ...

until the engagement was broken off in 1949 by

Hari Singh Maharaja Sir Hari Singh (September 1895 – 26 April 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Hari Singh was the son of Amar Singh and Bhotiali Chib. In 1923, following his uncle's death, Singh became ...

. Married Brijendra Singh Tomar, ''zamindar'' of Baler; killed in a motor crash in the 1950s. #Ranbir Singh (2 October 1932 - 20 January 2011). Succeeded his elder brother as titular Maharaja on 24 June 1991; died without male issue and without naming an heir, since which time the succession to the throne has been in dispute.

Death

Singh died on 3 February 1947, aged 67, and was succeeded by his elder son Lokendra Singh.

Titles

*1880-1893:

Yuvraj Yuv(a)raj(a) (Sanskrit: युवराज) is an Indian title for the crown prince, and the heir apparent to the throne of an Indian (notably Hindu) kingdom or (notably in the Mughal Empire or British Raj) princely state. It is usually applied t ...

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 ...

Sajjan Singh Bahadur, Yuvraj of

Ratlam Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam di ...

*1893-1908:

His Highness Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adject ...

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

Shrimant A baby shower is a party of gift-giving, drinking beers or a ceremony that has different names in different cultures. It celebrates the delivery or expected birth of a child or the transformation of a woman into a mother. Etymology The term ''s ...

Sajjan Singh

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 ...

Bahadur, Raja of Ratlam *1908-1909: Captain His Highness Raja Shrimant Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Raja of Ratlam *1909-1911: Captain His Highness Raja Shrimant

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 ...

Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Raja of Ratlam, KCSI *1911-1916: Major His Highness Raja Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Raja of Ratlam, KCSI *1916-1918:

His Highness Raja Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Raja of Ratlam, KCSI *1918-1921:

His Highness Raja Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Raja of Ratlam, KCSI *1921-1922: Colonel His Highness

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, a ...

Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Ratlam, KCSI *1922-1931: Colonel His Highness Maharaja Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Ratlam, KCSI, KCVO *1931-1936: Colonel His Highness Maharaja Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Ratlam,

GCIE 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 app ...

, KCSI, KCVO *1936-1947:

His Highness Maharaja Shrimant Sir Sajjan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Ratlam, GCIE, KCSI, KCVO

Honours

(ribbon bar, as it would look today) Order of the Indian Empire Ribbon

1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna

* Gold

Delhi Durbar Medal (1903) Delhi Durbar Medals were instituted by the United Kingdom to commemorate the Delhi Durbar where the new Emperor of India was proclaimed, in 1903 for Edward VII, and in 1911 for George V. On both occasions the medals were one and a half inches in ...

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)-1909 * Gold

Delhi Durbar Medal (1911) Delhi Durbar Medals were instituted by the United Kingdom to commemorate the Delhi Durbar where the new Emperor of India was proclaimed, in 1903 for Edward VII, and in 1911 for George V. On both occasions the medals were one and a half inches in ...

* Mentioned in Despatches-1915 * 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 *Officer of the

Legion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

of France-1918 *

India General Service Medal (1909) __NOTOC__ The Indian General Service Medal (1909 IGSM) was a campaign medal approved on 1 January 1909,British Battles and Medals, p. 220. for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies. From 1919, it was also awarded to officers a ...

(with Afghanistan-NWF clasp) -1919 *Knight Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

(KCVO)-1922 *

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)-1931 * King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935 *

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Sajjan Maharajas of Madhya Pradesh Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Officiers of the Légion d'honneur British Indian Army generals 1880 births 1947 deaths Indian Army personnel of World War I Indian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order