BALRAMPUR (Taluqdari)

  
AREA: 3,945 km2 REVENUE: 4,000,000Rs  ACCESSION DATE: 1956
STATE: Oudh (Gonda Dist.)
 DYNASTY: Janwar RELIGION: Hindu
VILLAGES:  316 POPULATION: 500,000  
     
PRESENT RULER: Maharaja Bahadur DHARMENDRA PRASAD SINGH, Maharaja of Balrampur since 1964.
born 1958, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer; married 6th March 1980, Maharani Vandana Rajya Lakshmi, born 1959, daughter of Lt. Col. Shri Ina Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal, and has issue.
  • Maharaj Kumar Jayendra Pratap Singh, born 29th December 1980, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer; married February 2008, Rajkumari Mahalaxmi Sodha, daughter of Rana Shri Hamir Singhji of Amarkot.
  • Maharaj Kumari Vijayshree Singh, born 21st April 1984.
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The biggest Taluqdari in Oudh, it was founded by Kunwar Balram Das in about 1600, after whom the state was named, a younger son of Raja Madho Singh, the Raja Saheb of Ikauna. The family claims descent from the Great Pandavas of the Mahabharata. A descendant, Raja Tansukhdeo, was 41st in direct line from Arjun Pandawas and lived at Pawagarh in the fort of Bomgarh near Neemuch and took service under the Delhi Emperor. The family motto is Fide et Justitia. Estate holders were..
  • Raja NAWAL SINGH, Raja of Balrampur 1777/-, one of the greatest warriors of the Janwars, repeatedly in conflict with the Nawab of Oudh, defeated, though never completely subjugated, married and had issue.
    • Raja Arjun Singh (qv)
     
  • Raja ARJUN SINGH, Raja of Balrampur, married and had issue.
    • Raja Jai Narain Singh (qv)
    • HH Hon. Maharaja Bahadur Sir Digvijay Singh (qv)
     
  • Raja JAI NARAIN SINGH, Raja of Balrampur -/1836 , died 1836.
    •  
  • Hon. HH Maharaja Bahadur Sir DIGVIJAY SINGH K.C.S.I., Raja of Balrampur 1836/1882, born 1818, conspicuous for his loyalty to the British authorities during the Indian Mutiny in 1857, as a reward for his loyalty, large estates in Gonda and Bahraich were made over to him, he was awarded the K.C.S.I. in 1866 and granted the title of Maharaja Bahadur in October 1859, he also received a personal salute of 9 guns in 1877; he establised a High School and a Hospital at Balrampur, and another Hospital at Lucknow called the Balrampur Hospital; Member of the Governor General's Legislative Council; President of the British Indian Association 1861/1882, married HH Maharani Indra Kunwar (see below), and had issue by Imam Bandi, born shortly before 1831, a muslim lady in a secondary union. He died spl on 27th May 1882.
    • Maharajkumar Bhaiya Jung Bahadur Singh (by Imam Bandi), born 1846, he established a Hospital in Lucknow for the treatment of Europeans, married 1stly, 1861, Kunwarani Hansraj Kunwar, died 1871, married 2ndly, 1872, Kunwarani Rajkali Kunwar, and had issue, as well as a further four sons by Najm-un-nissa, a muslim lady. He died 1st October 1899.
      • Rai Bahadur Bhaiya Ganga Bakhsh Singh (by Kunwarani Hansraj Kunwar) (Photo), born 18th September 1871, educated at the Lyall (Lyon?) Collegiate School, Balrampur; his name was entered in the Darbar list under orders of the Government in 1902 and he was appointed a Bench Honourary Magistrate in 1904, and an Honourary Magistrate for life in 1910 and a Munsiff in the same year; he was granted the title of Rai Bahadur in 1913.
      • Bhaiya Sher Bahadur Singh (by Najm-un-nissa)
     
  • HH Maharani Indra Kunwar, Rani of Balrampur 1882/1886, she adopted Kunwar Udit Narayan Singh, who succeeded as Maharaja Bahadur Sir Bhagwati Prasad Singh. She died sp in 1893.
    • (A) Maharaja Bahadur Sir Bhagwati Prasad Singh (qv)

    BOARD OF REVENUE 1886/1893

    COURT OF WARDS 1893/1900

  • Maharaja Bahadur Sir BHAGWATI PRASAD SINGH K.C.I.E., Raja of Balrampur 1893/1921, born 19th July 1879, K.C.I.E. [cr.1906], K.C.S.I., premier Taluqdar of Oudh after the Maharaja of Kapurthala, President of the British Indian Association 1906/1917 and 1920/1921, married and had issue, one son and six daughters. He died 25th May 1921 (#1).
    • Maharaja Bahadur Sir Pateshwari Prasad Singh (qv)
    • Maharajkumari Lakshmi Patta Devi [Shri Lakshmi Patta Maharani of Jeypore], eldest daughter, married 1913, Lt. Sri Sri Sri Maharaja Ramchandra Deo IV, Raja of Jeypore, born 1893, died sp in 1931. She died sp.
    • Maharajkumari (name unknown), married HH Maharaja Lokendra Balbhadra Singh Ju Dev Bahadur, Maharaja of Datia, and had issue.
    • Maharajkumari (name unknown), sixth daughter, married 16th January 1929, Capt. HH Bisam-Samar-Bijayi Mahamahodya Pancha-Srijukta Maharaja Manikya Sir Bir Bikram Kishore Deb Burman Bahadur of Tripura.
  • Maharaja Bahadur Sir PATESHWARI PRASAD SINGH, Raja of Balrampur 1921/1964, born 2nd January 1914, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer; Kt. [cr.1941], under control of the Court of Wards 1921/1936, married 1932, Maharani Rajya Laxmi Kumari Devi, born 1918, died sp 1999, daughter of HH Maharaja Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal. He died sp in 1964 and was succeeded by his adoptive son from Gangwal.
    • (A) Kunwar Dharmendra Prasad Singh, son of Kunwar Bharat Singh of Gangwal, adopted by Maharaja Bahadur Sir Pateshwari Prasad Singh, and succeeded as Maharaja Bahadur Dharmendra Prasad Singh of Balrampur (qv)
     
  • Maharaja Bahadur DHARMENDRA PRASAD SINGH, Raja of Balrampur (see above)
The assistance of Maharaj Kumar Jayendra Pratap Singh is gratefully acknowledged, November 2002.
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  1. "Who Was Who 1916–1928" ; Volume II, London 1930 ; Adam and Charles Black; p.48