PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
Founded in about 1250. Rulers were ...
- Raja Pancham Singh 1048/1071
- Raja Virbhadra Singh 1071/1087, married and had
issue.
- Raja Karanpal Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Randhir Singh
- Kunwar Hirashah
- Kunwar Hansraj
- Kunwar Kalyanshah
- Raja Karanpal Singh 1087/1112, married and had
issue.
- Raja Kinnar Shah (qv)
- Raja Shaukan Dev (qv)
- Raja Nanak Dev (qv)
- Kunwar Vir Singh, married and had issue.
- Raja Mohanpal Singh (qv)
- Raja Abhaybhupati Singh (qv)
- Raja Kinnar Shah 1112/1130
- Raja Shaukan Dev 1130/1152
- Raja Nanak Dev 1152/1159
- Raja Mohanpal Singh 1159/1197
- Raja Abhaybhupati Singh 1197/1215
- Raja Arjunpal, he ruled at Mahoni 1215/1231,
married and had issue.
- Raja Virpal (qv)
- Raja Sohanpal (qv)
- Kunwar Dayapal, he settled at Etaura, and
subsequent generations occupied Gurha in Bihat
State, and finally Bihat itself. (cf. below)
- Raja Virpal 1231/1251
- Raja Sohanpal 1251/1259, married and had issue.
- Raja Sahjendra Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Ram Singh
- Kunwar Indrajit Singh, ancestor of the later Rajas
of Bihat.
- Raja Sahjendra Singh 1259/1283
- Raja Nanak Dev II 1283/1307, married and had issue.
- Raja Prithviraj Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Indraraj
- Raja Prithviraj Singh 1307/1339
- Raja Ram Singh 1339/1375, married and had issue.
- Raja Ramchandra Singh (qv)
- Raja Mednepal Singh (qv)
- Raja Ramchandra Singh 1375/1384
- Raja Mednepal Singh 1384/1437
- Raja Arjun Dev 1437/1468
- Raja Malkhan Singh 1468/1501, married and had
issue.
- Kunwar Kharag Singh
- Kunwar Jagjit Singh
- Rauja Rudra Pratap (qv)
- Kunwar Jait Singh
- Kunwar Shah Diwan
- Kunwar Devi Singh
- Raja RUDRA PRATAP, 1st Raja of Orchha
1501/1531, he managed to increase his lands
considerably during the confusion caused by Padshah
Baber's invasion; married and had issue. He died 1531.
- Kunwar Kirat Shah
- Kunwar Bhupat Shah
- Raja Bharti Chand (qv)
- Raja Madhukar Shah (qv)
- Kunwar Anand Das
- Kunwar Chandan Das
- Kunwar Durga Das
- Kunwar Ghanshyam Das
- Kunwar Prayag Das
- Kunwar Bhairon Das
- Kunwar Khande Rai
- Kunwar Udyajit Singh of Mahewa, married and had
issue.
- Kunwar Ragho Das
- Kunwar Kosi Das
- Kunwar Ganga Das
- Kunwar Hridaya Narayan
- Kunwar Bharti Chandra, married and had issue.
- Kunwar Bhagwat Das, married and had issue.
- Kunwar Chandju
- Kunwar Kharag Rai
- Kunwar Champat Rai, married and had issue.
He died 1661.
- Kunwar Gopal Rai
- Kunwar Sarvahan
- Kunwar Anand Rai
- Maharajadhiraja Chhatrasal, Raja of
Mahewa, born 1649, married and had issue, 22
sons as well as a further 30 natural sons.
He died 1731.
- Kunwar Rajaraj
- Kunwar Jagatraj [Raja Jagatraj Singh of
Jaitpur], married and had issue (see
Jaitpur). He died 1757.
- Kunwar Hirde Shah [Raja Hirde Shah of
Panna], married and had issue (see Panna).
He died 1739.
- Kunwar Unoop Singh
- Kunwar Bharti Chand [Dewan Bharti Chand
of Jaso], married and had issue (see
Jaso).
- Kunwar Padam Rao [Rao Padam Rao of
Jigni], married and had issue (see Jigni).
- Kunwar Govind Das
- Kunwar Umrood Singh
- Kunwar Sher Singh
- Kunwar Man Singh
- Kunwar Mohan Singh
- Kunwar Dalpat Singh
- Kumari (name unknown) Devi,
married Thakur Sabha Singh Panwar, on his
marriage , he was granted the village of
Salaiyah in Pargana Panwari, as well as
the title of Rao, and had issue.
- generations
- Rao Nawal Singh, Thakur
of
Salaiyah, married and had issue.
- generation
- Rao Aman Singh, Thakur of
Salaiyah, born 14th August 1876.
- Kunwar Ratan Shah
- Kunwar Sujan Rai, died 1661.
- Kunwar Kunwar Sen
- Kunwar Man Shah, ancestor of the Garrauli Royal
Family.
- Kunwar Prem Chandra
- Raja BHARTI CHAND, 2nd Raja of Orchha
1531/1554, he unsuccessfully tried to oppose Sher Shah
on his march to Kalinjar in 1545. He died 1554
- Raja MADHUKAR SHAH, 3rd Raja of Orchha
1554/1592, a religious recluse who allowed the
fortunes of the state to decline from this time; the
Mughal forces invaded Orchha for the first time in
1577 when Sadik Khan managed to take Orchha after a
severe fight; in 1591 the Raja seized some parganas
near Gwalior and was attacked and defeated by the
Imperial troops forcing him to flee to the jungles,
where he died soon afterwards of a natural death;
married and had issue. He died 1592.
- Kunwar Horal Deo, died 1577.
- Raja Ram Shah (qv)
- Raja Bir Singh Deo [Virsingh Dev] (qv)
- Kunwar Indrajit Singh
- Kunwar Pratap Singh
- Kunwar Har Singh Deo, ancestor of the Bhasnai
branch, to which belonged HH Maharaja Lokendra Sir
Bhawani Singh Bahadur of Datia.
- Raja RAM SHAH, 4th Raja of Orchha 1592/1605
(deposed), and Raja of Chanderi 1608/1612, sued for
pardon and was allowed to succeed, but he was a weak
ruler and was unable to keep his brothers in check;
Padshah Akbar deposed the Raja and placed his brother
on the gadi; he was imprisoned in Delhi for a
short time, but was eventually released and granted
the fiefs of Chanderi and Banpur in 1608; married and
had issue.
- Kunwar (name
unknown) Singh, married and had issue.
- Raja Bharat Shah of Chanderi 1612/1646, married
and had issue.
- Raja Devi Singh of Chanderi 1646/1717, married
and had issue.
- Raja Duraj Singh of Chanderi 1717/1733,
married and had issue.
- Raja Durjan Singh of Chanderi 1733/-,
married and had issue.
- Raja Man Singh of Chanderi -/1760,
married and had issue.
- Raja Anirudh Singh of Chanderi
1760/1774, married and had issue.
- Raja Ram Chand of Chanderi
1778/1802, married and had issue.
- Raja Parjapal of Chanderi 1802
- Raja Mur Pahlad of Chanderi
1802/1842, married and had issue.
- Raja Mardan Singh of Chanderi
1842/1858, the state lapsed with
his death and was annexed by the
ruler of Gwalior.
- Raja Hati Singh of Chanderi 1774/1778
- Raja BIR SINGH DEO, 5th Raja of Orchha
1605/1627, a ruler of strong principles and no
scruples, he amassed great wealth and property; he was
not only a great warrior but an enthusiastic builder,
leaving many monuments, forts and temples; married and
had issue. He died 1627.
- Kunwar Chandrabhan
- Kunwar Narhari Das
- Raja Jhujhar Singh (qv)
- Raja Pahar Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Tulsi Das
- Kunwar Beni Das
- Raja Bhagwan Rao of Datia.
- Kunwar Kishan Singh
- Kunwar Hardaul of Baragaon, married and had issue.
- Kunwar Bejani Shah of Baragaon, married and had
issue.
- Kunwar Pratap Singh of Baragaon, married and
had issue.
- Kunwar Diwanrai Singh of Baragaon, married
and had issue.
- Kunwar Umaid Singh, ancestor of the Banka
Pahari Royal Family.
- Kunwar Hindu Singh, ancestor of the Tori
Fatehpur Royal Family.
- Kunwar Samant Singh, received Bijna around
1690 and was the ancestor of the Bijna Royal
Family.
- Kunwar Mokham Singh, ancestor of the
Durwai Royal Family.
- Kunwar Aman Singh, ancestor of the
Chirgaon Royal Family.
- Raja JHUJHAR SINGH, 6th Raja of Orchha
1627/1635, a weak and turbulent ruler, he soon plunged
his state into difficulties; after serving the Mughal
Emperor in the Deccan, he returned home and suspected
his brother of adultery with his wife, he forced his
brother to drink poison and whose name later became
exalted into a local deity; he went into open
rebellion against the Mughal forces in 1634-1635, but
was pursued and driven into the jungles where he
was killed; married and had issue. He died 1635.
- Kunwar Dirghban
- Kunwar Bikramajit, married and had issue.
- Raja DEVI SINGH, 7th Raja of Orchha
1635/1641
- Raja PAHAR SINGH, 8th Raja of Orchha
1641/1653, of Kaniyadana, married and had issue.
- Raja Sujan Singh I (qv)
- Raja Indramani Singh (qv)
- Raja SUJAN SINGH I, 9th Raja of Orchha
1653/1672
- Raja INDRAMANI SINGH, 10th Raja of Orchha
1672/1675, married and had issue.
- Raja JASHWANT SINGH, 11th Raja of Orchha
1675/1684, married and had issue.
- Raja BHAGWAT SINGH, 12th Raja of Orchha
1684/1689, married and had issue.
- Raja Udwat Singh (qv)
- Diwan Rai Singh, married and had issue.
- Diwan Man Singh (fourth son), ancestor of the
Diwan Sahebs of Dhurwai.
- Raja UDWAT SINGH, 13th Raja of Orchha
1689/1735, married and had issue.
- Raja Prithvi Singh (qv)
- Raja Aman Singh, founder of Khaniadhana.
- Raja PRITHVI SINGH, 14th Raja of Orchha
1735/1752, during his rule, more of his territories
were lost to the Marathas.
- Raja Mahendra SANWANT SINGH, 15th Raja of
Orchha 1752/1765, he was granted the title of Mahendra
by Padshah Alamgir.
- Raja Mahendra HATI SINGH, 16th Raja of
Orchha 1765/1768
- Raja Mahendra MAN SINGH, 17th Raja of Orchha
1768/1775
- Raja Mahendra BHARTI CHAND, 18th Raja of
Orchha 1775/1776, adopted from Bijna State.
- Raja Mahendra VIKRAMAJIT, 19th Raja of
Orchha 1776/1817 (abdicated) and in
1834, adopted from Bijna State, he entered into
relations with the British authorities in 1812, later
abdicated in favour of his son, but resumed power on
his death, married and had issue. He died 1834.
- Raja Mahendra Dharam Pal (qv)
- Raja Mahendra DHARAM PAL, 20th Raja of
Orchha 1817/1834, died sp in 1834.
- Raja Mahendra TEJ
SINGH, 21st Raja of Orchha 1834/1842, adopted
from Bijna State, died sp in 1842.
- Raja Mahendra
SUJAN SINGH II, 22nd Raja of Orchha
1842/1848, adopted from Bijna State, married and had
issue. He died 1854
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Hamir Singh (qv)
- HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra
Sawai Shri Sir Pratap Singh Bahadur Ju Deo (qv)
- HH Maharaja
Mahendra HAMIR SINGH, 23rd Maharaja of Orchha
1848/1874, Maharaja [cr.1865], he received a sanad
of adoption in 1862. He died 15th March 1874.
 HH
Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra
Sawai Shri Sir PRATAP SINGH Bahadur Ju Deo
G.C.S.I., 24th Maharaja of Orchha 1874/1930, born
1854, K.C.S.I. [cr.1900], G.C.S.I. [cr.1906],
K.C.B.(mil)[cr.1901], G.C.I.E. [cr.1900], K.C.I.E
[cr.1894], Hon. A.D.C. to His Majesty, The King; he
was granted the title of Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand
[cr.1882], granted a personal salute of 17 guns;
married and had issue. He died 3rd March 1930 (#1).
- Raja Bahadur Bhagwant Singh, Yuvaraj Saheb of
Orchha; married (as his third wife), the third
daughter of Rana Padam Chand of Jubbal, she had issue,
one daughter, and had issue, four sons and one
daughter. He died vp.
- HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja
Mahendra Sawai Shri Sir Vir Singh Ju Deo Bahadur
(qv)
- Rao Raja Karan Singh Ju Deo, married and had
issue.
- Rajkumari Jayanti Devi [Rani Jayanti Devi of
Koti], married Rana Devesh Chand of Koti in
Himachal Pradesh, and had issue. She died 10th
March 2010.
- Rao Raja Narendra Singh Ju Dev, married and
has issue, one daughter and two sons.
- Rajkumari Gita Rathod
- Rajkumar Dhruv Singh Dev
- Rajkumar Rudra Singh Dev, born 1957, married
14th December 1987, Rajkumari Manjari Kumari,
daughter of Raja Vishwaraj Pratap Singh of Kawardha, and
his wife, Rani Shashi Prabha Devi (now the
Rajmata Sahiba of Kawardha).
- Rao Raja Gayanendra Singh Ju Dev, married and
has issue, three daughters and one son.
- Rajkumari Gauri Parikh
- Rajkumari Hema Devi [Rani Hema Chand of
Manaswal], married (as his second wife), Rana
Yatendra Chand of Manaswal.
- Rajkumari Maya Rana
- Rajkumar Vishwajeet Singh Dev
- Rao Raja Jayanendra Singh Ju Deo, married and
had issue.
- Rao Raja Praduman Singh Ju Dev, married and
has issue, three sons.
- Rajkumar Brijraj Singh Dev
- Rajkumar Mrigendra Singh Dev
- Rajkumar Shivraj Singh Dev
- Rajkumari Usha Kumari
- Rao Raja Mahendra Singh Ju Deo, married and had
issue, three daughters and one son.
- Rajkumari Ila Raghuvanshi
- Rao Raja Dinesh Singh Ju Dev, married and has
issue, one daughter and two sons.
- Rajkumari Abha Singh
- Lt.-Col. Rajkumar Abhay Singh Dev
- Rajkumar Ajay Singh Dev
- Rajkumari Gayatri Kumari
- Rajkumari Kumud Singh
- Rajkumari Saraswati Devi [HH Rani Saraswati Devi
of Khilchipur], married HH Raja Rao Bahadur
Yashodar Singh, Raja of Khilchipur, and
had issue.
- Kunwar Sawant Singh, second son, adopted into Bijawar in 1898, as
HH Bharat Dharmendra Maharaja Sawai Sir Sawant Singh
Bahadur of Bijawar.
- Maharajkumari (name unknown) [HH Maharani
Sahiba of Chhatarpur], married 1884 (as his first
wife), HH Maharaja Sir Vishwanath Singh Bahadur of Chhatarpur. She
died sp in 1920.
-
 HH
Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra
Sawai Shri Sir VIR SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur
K.C.S.I., 25th Maharaja of Orchha 1930/1956, born 14th
April 1899, succeded to the gadi on 3rd March 1930 (#2); married 1stly, 1919, a
daughter of HH Thakore Sahib Shri Jaswantsinhji
Becharsinhji of Wadhwan
in Kathiawar, married 2ndly, HH Maharani Kamlaba
Sahiba, daughter of HH Maharajah Shri Bhojrajjisinhji
Bhagwatsinhji Sahib of Gondal
in Kathiawar, and his wife, HH Maharani Raj Kunverba
Saheb, and had issue, one son and one daughter. He
died 1956.
- HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja
Mahendra Sawai Shri Devendra Vijay Singh Ju Deo
Bahadur (by 1st marriage) (qv)
- Maharajkumari Sudha Kumari (by Maharani Kamlaba),
born 22nd November 1930, married (as his second
wife), Kanwar Ratan Singh of Dhami, and had issue.
She died 25th February 1978.
- HH
Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra
Sawai Shri DEVENDRA VIJAY SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur,
26th Maharaja of Orchha 1956/-, born 1919.
- HH
Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra
Sawai Shri MADHUKAR SHAH Ju Deo Bahadur, 27th
Maharaja of Orchha (see above)
OTHER MEMBERS:
- Rani Mahendra Kumari, married (as his first wife),
Raja Surendra Bikram Singh of Itaunja.
- Rao Raja Meherban Singh, married Rani Sheela Devi,
and had issue.
- Rajkumari Kamlesh Kumari, born 1958, married
Kanwar Dushyant Singh of Dhami,
and has issue.
The help of Deepak Aggarwal is gratefully
acknowledged, July 2011.
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