{{Infobox royalty , name = Shivashanmukha Rao , title =

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 ...

of Sandur , image = , image_size = 300x380px , caption = , succession = , reign = 1861 - 3 May 1878 , coronation = 1863 , predecessor = Venkata Rao II , regent = , successor1 = Ramachandra Vitthala Rao , suc-type = , full name = Srimant Raja Shivahsanmukha Rao Vitthala Rao Hindurao Ghorpade , regnal name = , house = Ghorpade Dynasty , house-type = , father = , mother = , birth_date = {{birth date, 1847, 10, 17, df=yes , birth_place =

Sanduru Sanduru (often written Sandur) is a town in Bellary District in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative seat of Sanduru taluka. Sandur was ruled by the Ghorpade royal family of the Marathas.The present scion of Sandur is Ajai ...

, death_date = {{Death date and age, 1878, 05, 03, 1847, 10, 17, df=yes , death_place =

Bellary Bellary, officially Ballari, in the eponymous Bellary district, is a city in the state of Karnataka, India. History Bellary was a part of Rayalaseema (Ceded Districts) which was part of Madras Presidency till 1 November 1956. The Ballari ...

, occupation = , signature_type = , signature = , religion =

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Raja Srimant Shivashanmukha Rao Venkata Rao Hindurrao Ghorpade (17 October 1847 - 3 May 1878) was a member of the Ghorpade Dynasty who served as the

of Sandur State from 1861 to 1878. His reign was noted for its progressive reforms.

Early life

Shivashanmukha Rao was born on 17 October 1847 to Venkata Rao II, the reigning Raja of Sandur. Being the eldest son, Shivashanmukha Rao was heir-apparent to the throne. Shivashanmukha Rao was educated in private.

Reign

When Venkata Rao died in 1861, 14-year old Shivashanmukha Rao ascended the throne. As he was yet a minor, the administration was handled by a regency. Shivashanmukha Rao did not have a full formal coronation till 1863, when his ''sanad'' was renewed by the Madras government. In 1876, he was accorded the title of "Raja" by the British. As soon as he assumed the throne in 1863, Shivashanmukha Rao selected J. Macartney, a

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

of the LMS as his agent and advisor. During his tenure, Macartney introduced many reforms and improved the administration of the state. Macartney retired in 1885 and was succeeded by J. G. Firth, a former tahsildar of Bellary. Venkata Rao was a recipient of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

medal (1876). In 1877, was awarded a

Kaisar-i-Hind Medal The Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for Public Service in India was a medal awarded by the Emperor/Empress of India between 1900 and 1947, to "any person without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex ... who shall have distinguished himself (o ...

on the occasion of the Delhi Durbar.

Personal life

Shivashanmukha Rao was the oldest surviving son of Venkata Rao through his six wives. Shivashanmukha Rao married Rani Sundarabai Ghorpade. They had two sons - Vittal Rao and Maloji Rao both of whom predeceased their father.

Death

Shivashanmukha Rao died at Sandur on 3 May 1878 after a long illness. As he did not have sons of his own, Shivashanmukha Rao was succeeded as Raj by his younger brother

Ramachandra Vitthala Rao Raja Srimant Ramachandrarao Vitthala Rao Ghorpade CIE (29 March 1850 – 3 December 1892) was a member of the Ghorpade Dynasty who served as the Maharaja of the princely state of Sandur from 1878 to 1892. Early life Ramachandra Vitthala Rao ...

. 1847 births 1878 deaths Recipients of the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal