The Rajkumar College (or RKC) in

Rajkot Rajkot () is the fourth-largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat, and is in the centre of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Rajkot is the 35th-largest metropolitan area in India, with a population of ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

is one of the oldest

K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquir ...

institutions in

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 ...

. RKC has a 26-acre (105,000 m²) campus in Rajkot.

History

The foundation stone of Rajkumar College was laid in 1868. The institution was designed by Colonel Keatinge and was formally opened by the Governor of Bombay, H. B. Sir Seymour Fitzgerald, in 1870. The college was founded for the education of the princely order by the princes and chiefs of Kathiawad for their sons and relations. In 1938, on the initiative of its founding members, the college became a public school (private school in American terms). The college is a founding member of the Indian Public Schools Conference and a member of the

Round Square Round Square is an international network of schools, based on the educational concepts of Kurt Hahn, and named after a distinctive building at Gordonstoun. Founded by a group of seven schools in the late 1960s, by 1996 it had grown to 20 membe ...

conference of schools, a worldwide association of more than 60 schools that allows students to travel between schools and tour the country or do community service. In 2001 the college opened its doors to girls, in what has been a boys' bastion for over a century. The school has around 50 girls, with boarding facilities. Another endeavor of the Rajkumar College Administration has been Priyalok Villas, a pre-school program for the kids; originally housed in a 1909 Hyde sanatorium but now housed in a different building. Whilst having its own domain, it has access to all the facilities of the Rajkumar College. The school is expanding. The Rajkumar College for Girls, a secondary school was inaugurated on 24 March 2011; before this, the fully functional elementary co-ed school had flourished for a decade. Rajkoomar Indian College, Kattywar

Inauguration of the Rajkumar College for Girls, Rajkot

The Rajkumar College for Girls was inaugurated on 24 March 2011, by Kamla Beniwal, governor of Gujarat. The principal, Mr. Thakkar, said that it was a special day for the Rajkumar family. Almost 140 years ago on 16 December 1870 the college was inaugurated by the governor of the Bombay Presidency, Sir Seymour Fitzgerald.

Student life

Sport teams from the college travel around the country to participate in inter public school competitions and district/state/national level events. Co-curricular activities include public speaking/recitation/debates, bio-enrichment camps, and other cultural activities. The college motto is ''Yasya Bhuddhi, Balam Tasya'' ("Power is where there is knowledge").

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni

* Lael Anson Best, Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Chief of Surgery 2005–2012 at

Rambam Medical Center Rambam Health Care Campus ( he, רמב"ם - הקריה הרפואית לבריאות האדם) commonly called Rambam Hospital, is a teaching hospital in the Bat Galim neighborhood of Haifa, Israel founded in 1938, 10 years before the establishme ...

, Israel Awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2017 *

Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit language.The word ‘Chhatrapati’ is a Sanskrit language compound word ( tatpurusha in Sanskrit) of ''chhatra'' (''parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and ''pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). This title was used ...

: ruler of the erstwhile Kolhapur State *

Yashwantrao Martandrao Mukne Yashwantraoji Martandraoji Mukne (also known as Patangshahji Mukne) (V) (Dada Saheb) (11 December 1917 – 4 June 1978) was an Indian Koli Maharaja of Jawhar State, a flight lieutenant in the Royal Indian Air Force, politician, social work ...

, Maharaja of

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, the first

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from

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* Nawab Ahmad Khan Sidi Ibrahim Khan of

Janjira State Janjira State was a princely state in India during the British Raj. Its rulers were a Siddi dynasty of Habesha descent and the state was under the suzerainty of the Bombay Presidency. Janjira State was located on the Konkan coast in the pre ...

* Krishnakumarsingh Bhavasingh, Maharaja of

Bhavnagar State Bhavnagar State was a princely state with 13 Gun Salutes during the British Raj. It was part of Kathiawar Agency in Saurashtra. The State of Bhavnagar covered an area of 2,961 sq. miles and had a population of 618,429 in 1941. Its ruler ...

, the first Governor of Madras state *

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Muhammad Mahabat Khan III Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, (Gujarati: મુહમ્મદ ખાન ત્રીજાની, Urdu: 2 August 1898 – 17 November 1959), was the last ruling Nawab of Junagadh of the princely state of Junagadh in India fr ...

, the last

Junagadh State Junagarh or Junagadh ( ur, ) was a princely state in Gujarat ruled by the Muslim Babi dynasty in British India, until its integration into the Union of India in 1948. History Muhammad Sher Khan Babai was the founder of the Babi Pashtun d ...

Ghulam Moinuddin Khanji Ghulam Moinuddin Khanji (22 December 1911 – 13 February 2003) was the ruler of Manavadar State, one of the princely states associated with British India. Although Khanji chose to accede to Pakistan after the partition of India, the state was ...

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Manavadar State Bantva-Manavadar or Manavadar State was a princely state during the era of the British Raj in India. It was located on the Kathiawar peninsula in Gujarat. See also *Political integration of India *Bantva Memons *Bantva References External l ...

Sahibzada 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 langua ...

Omeir Ahmed Khanji

of Devgam

Raol Shri Dharmakumarsinhji Raol Shree Dharmakumarsinhji (April 1917 – January 1986) was an Indian ornithologist, environmentalist and writer as well as a ruling prince. His elder brother Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji was the last Maharaja of the Bhavnagar State in west ...

, prince, ornithologist and environmentalist *

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Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji of Porbandar Lieutenant-Colonel Maharaja Rana Shri Sir Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib Bahadur, KCSI (30 June 1901 – 4 October 1979) was the last Maharaja of Porbandar belonging to Jethwa dynasty, who ascended the throne of princely state of Porbandar o ...

, Maharaja of

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* K.S. Digvijaysinhji, Maharaja

Jam Sahib Jam Sahib ( gu, જામ સાહેબ), is the title of the ruling prince of Nawanagar, now known as Jamnagar in Gujarat, an Indian princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign ...

of Nawanagar *

Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (13 June 1905 – 5 December 1959) was a cricketer who played for England. Playing in the era before the Indian cricket team, he is considered one of India's first great batsmen, alongside his uncle Ranjitsinhji, who also ...

, cricketer *

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, Maharaja, physician and architect *

Kumar Indrajitsinhji Kumar Shri Indrajitsinhji Madhavsinhji () (15 June 1937 – 12 March 2011) was an Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1964 to 1969 as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Early life Indrajitsinhji was born in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He was educated ...

, test cricketer *

Rajendrasinhji Jadeja General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja (15 June 1899 – 1 January 1964), also known as K.S. Rajendrasinhji, was the first Chief of Army Staff of the Indian army, and the second Indian, after Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, to become Comma ...

, commander-in-chief of the Indian armed forces * Kavi Kalapi, poet * Ruswa Majhalumi, poet *

Manoharsinhji Pradyumansinhji, 15th Thakore Saheb of Rajkot Manoharsinhji Pradyumansinhji Jadeja (18 November 1935 – 27 September 2018) was an Indian nobleman and politician. Early life The eldest son of Pradyumansinhji Lakhajirajsinhji, 14th Thakore Saheb of Rajkot, Pradyumansinhji Lakhajirajsinhj ...

, cricketer and politician *

Ashok Kamte Ashok Kamte AC (23 February 1965 – 26 November 2008) was an Indian police officer, serving as the Additional Commissioner of the Mumbai Police supervising the Eastern region. He was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was po ...

Mumbai Police The Mumbai Police (Marathi: मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Mumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay Police'') is the police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a part of Maharashtra Police and has the primary responsibiliti ...

, additional commissioner for the East Region, martyr of 26.11.2008 Mumbai attacks *

Ranjitsinhji Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933), often known as Ranji or K. S. Ranjitsinhji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933, as Ma ...

, test cricketer and later Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar *

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, Maharaja of

Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city in the Bhavnagar district of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, a state of India. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Takhtasinhji Gohil (1703–1764). It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state befo ...

Sujan R. Chinoy Sujan R. Chinoy (born 1958) is a former Indian diplomat currently serving as the Director General of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), India's foremost think-tank in New Delhi in the field of defence, secu ...

, diplomat and China expert; Ambassador of India to Japan * Maharaja Bhavsinhji II of

Forty Years (1870–1910) of the Rajkumar College by Chester Macnaghten. First principal of the college and other sources. Compiled by Sir H.H. Bhavsinhji, Maharaja of Bhavnagar. *

Himmatsinhji Vijayaraji Himmatsinhji M. K. (9 October 1928 – 22 February 2008) was a noted ornithologist, politician and scion of the erstwhile Jadeja ruling family of Kutch, who was member of 3rd Lok Sabha from Kutch. Himmatsinhji also served as trustee of Ash ...

, noted ornithologist and a prince of

Kutch State Kutch State was a state within India from 1947 to 1956. Its capital was Bhuj. The state's territory now forms a Kachchh district within the Indian state of Gujarat. History Kutch State was formed out of the territory of the former princely ...

Bhavsinhji Madhavsinhji Maharaja Rana Shri Bhavsinhji Madhavsinhji Sahib Bahadur (26 December 1867 – 10 December 1908) was the Maharaja of Porbandar belonging to Jethwa dynasty, who ascended the throne of princely state of Porbandar on 15 September 1900 and ruled ...

, the Maharana of Porbandar. *

Amarsinhji Banesinhji Captain H.H. Maharana Raj Shri Sir Amarsinhji Banesinhji Sahib (4 January 1879 – 25 June 1954) was the last Maharana Raj Sahib of Wankaner belonging to Jhala dynasty, who ascended the throne of princely state of Wankaner on 12 June 1881 and ...

, the Maharana Raj Sahib of

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" ( ...

* Thakor Saheb Chaitanyadev of Wadhwan – past President of the College Council *

Meghrajji III of Dhrangadhra-Halvad Maharaja Sir Mayurdwajsinhji Meghrajji III, KCIE, FRAS, FRAI, FRHistS (3 March 1923 – 1 August 2010) was the last ruling Maharaja of Dhrangadhra-Halvad. He was an academic, politician, member of several distinguished academic bodies, and o ...

– past President of the College Council *

Lavkumar Khachar Lavkumar Jiva Khachar or K.S. Lavkumar (24 February 1930 – 2 March 2015) was an ornithologist, nature and wildlife conservationist from India. Biography Khachar was born on 24 February 1930 in the royal family of the former princely state of J ...

, ornithologist

Faculty

Herbert Barritt Herbert William Barritt (12 February 1904 – 26 May 1967) was an English first-class cricketer and educator. Barritt was born in the North Yorkshire village of Cross Hills in February 1904. He was educated nearby at Keighley Grammar School ...

, principal of the school in the 1940s

Council presidents

* Darbar Saheb Shri Mahipal Vala of Jetpur * Thakor Saheb Chaitanyadev of Wadhwan – past *

– past

References

External links

https://www.edustoke.com/rajkot/rajkumar-college-sadar-residential
Founding member of the Indian Public School Conference

Forty Years (1870–1910) of the Rajkumar College. Rajkot abridged from the papers of the late Chester Macnaghten first principal of the college and other sources. Compiled by Sir H.H. Bhavsinhji, Maharaja of Bhavnagar.
{{Member Schools of Round Square Education in Rajkot Private schools in Gujarat Boarding schools in Gujarat Schools in Colonial India Boys' schools in India Girls' schools in Gujarat Educational institutions established in 1868 1868 establishments in British India Education in the princely states of India Round Square schools