PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
The Jagir of Palaitha was granted to Maharaj Mohan Singh, second and
favourite son of Rao Madho Singh (founder of Kotah and grandson of Sar
Buland Rai Ram Raja
Rao Ratan Singh of Bundi, Emperor Jahangir’s senior and trusted
military commander and Panch Hazari Mansabdar) and his wife, Maharani
Shyam Jodha, (daughter
of Maharaja Suraj Singh of Jodhpur and sister of Maharaja Gaj Singh I
of Jodhpur), in 1647 by a Shahi Firman
direct of grant from the Mughal Court of Emperor Shah Jahan. The
Palaitha Apji occupies the first seat on the right of the
Maharao of Kotah in Durbar. Estate holders were ...
- Maharaj MOHAN SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha 1647/1658, he accompanied his father in
most of his battles in Hindustan,
Rajputana and Afghanistan, from the very young age of sixteen and
served
with him in Afghanistan – Balkh Badakshan, Kabul and Kandhar, where his
father was the Governor of the Mughal Empire. Maharaj Mohan Singh was a
commander in the Imperial Army and had a Mansab of 800 Zat and 800
Sowar; he, along with his brothers, Rao Mukund Singh of Kotah, Maharaj
Jujhar
Singh of Kotra, Maharaj Kunhiram Singh of Koela and Maharaj Kishore
Singh of Sangod rallied in favor of the ageing Mughal Emperor Shah
Jahan, when his son Aurangzeb revolted against him and fought against
him at the battlefield of Dharmat, now called Fatehbad, 65 kilometres
out
of Ujjain on 16th April 1658. Four out of the five brothers were killed
in action, having displayed historic gallantry on the battlefield. Only
the youngest Maharaj Kishore Singh of Sangod survived with multiple
wounds. He later on went on to become the fourth Maharao of Kotah;
Maharaj Mohan Singh married and had issue, fifteen sons and one
daughter. He died in the Battle of Dharmat on 16th April 1658.
- Apji Pratap Singh (qv)
- Apji Gopal Singh (qv)
- Apji Kanak Singh (qv)
- Apji Amar Singh, he was granted the Jagir of Nagda with
12 villages.
- Apji Anup Singh, he was granted the Jagir of Dabri.
- Apji Gomad Singh, along with his younger brother, he was
granted the Jagir of Sorsdan with 12 villages.
- Apji Akhay Singh , along with his elder brother, he was
granted the Jagir of Sorsdan with 12 villages.
- Apji Govardhan Singh, he was granted the Jagir of Rajgarh
with 58
villages.
- Apji Gokul Singh, he was granted the Jagir of Badwa.
- Apji PRATAP SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha
- Apji GOPAL SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha
- Apji KANAK SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha
- Apji SANGRAM SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha (#1)
- Apji ROOP SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha, he fought in the battle of Bundi in 1744,
when Maharao Bhim Singh I of Kotah extensively grew the Kingdom from a
Raj of the third order into one of the most powerful military states in
Rajputana. This was the pinnacle period of Kotah’s military expansion.
Apji Roop Singh was appointed as the Nirakshak of Bundi and was based
at Taragarh, Bundi.
- Apji AMAR SINGH I,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha, he
succeeded his grandfather to the Gaddi of Palaitha; during his reign he
took part in the Second
Anglo Maratha War,
married and had issue.
He died
in battle 6th July 1804 at Garot in Indore.
- Apji AJIT SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha 1804/-, born 1783, he killed a tiger in
single combat with a sword during his lifetime; after the Battle at
Garot, Zalim Singh Jhala kept the grant of the land given by the
British East India Company in lieu of Apji Amar Singh’s services at
Garot for himself. This greatly infuriated Apji Ajit Singh who demanded
that the land should belong to the Maharao of Kotah and part to the
Thikana of Palaitha since it was for his father’s services that this
grant was given. He flew into a fit of rage and attacked Zalim Singh
Jhala. He was imprisoned and in all probability murdered or poisoned to
death in prison at Kotah by Zalim Singh Jhala and Palaitha fort was
blown to bits by the Jhala’s artillery except the portion where the
temple of Ma Asapura is situated and the Thikana was absorbed into the
State administration. The Maji Saheb of Palaitha moved to Brindavan
where she lived for 26 years, before HH Maharao Ram Singhji Bahadur II,
finally managed to throw the Jhalas out of Kotah and called her back.
She was given back the Jagir of Palaitha and reinstated with full
honours as before. Mundkati land (i.e. land given in compensation for
blood in battle) given by the State back to Palaitha is still with the
family at Village Bamori, Sultanpur, Kotah for the services rendered at
Garot by Apji Amar Singh. She adopted Apji Fateh Singh from Nagda in
1832.
INTERREGNUM
- Apji FATEH SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha 1832/1858, succeeded by adoption; married
and had adoptive issue.
- (A) Rao Bahadur Apji Amar Singh II (qv)
- Rao Bahadur Apji AMAR
SINGH II, Apji Sahib of Palaitha 1858/1922, born
1852 as Kunwar Amar Singh, son of
Apji Agar Singh of Nagda (a junior branch of the Palaitha family),
he served as a Member
of the State Council 1877/1897, and de
facto ran the administration of Kotah State with utmost sincererity and
diligence keeping the State interests foremost always in his mind;
married and had issue. He died 1922.
- Maj.Gen. Apji Sir Onkar Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Pratap Singh, married Kunwarani Chandra Kanwar,
daughter of Rawat Ratan Singh of Bohera.
- Maj.-Gen. Apji Sir ONKAR
SINGH, Apji Sahib of Palaitha 1922/1951, C.I.E.,
born 1872, educated
at Mayo
College,
Ajmer where he was a recipient of the Viceroy’s Gold Medal for being
the best student in 1885; he served Kotah State and HH Maharao Umed
Singhji Bahadur in
various capacities with great dedication and distinction; Inspector
General of Police, State Police Chief, Chief of Staff of the Kotah
State Forces 1921/1924 with the rank of Major General; Member Mahakma
Khas 1924/1940
and Prime Minister of Kotah State thereafter; married 1stly, Rani (name
unknown), had issue, one daughter,
married 2ndly, Rani (Narayani
Devi?) from Garabdesar in Bikaner, had issue, one son, married 3rdly,
Rani Krishna Kumari, daughter of Thakur Nathu Singh of the Jagmoda
Derola branch of the Isarda family, and had issue, five sons and four
daughters. He
died 1951.
- Apji Ajit Singh (by 2nd marriage) (qv)
- Lt.-Col. Apji Dalel Singh, educated at Benaras Hindu
University and in London; Member of the
Constituent Assembly of India 1946/1950 and a signatory
of the Constitution of India; he served as Secretary in various
ministries in Jaipur State where his cousin, HH Maharaja Sawai
Man Singh II was the ruler; he also served HH Maharao Bhim Singh II
of Kotah from 1940 onwards and was asked by the Maharao to represent
Kotah State at New Delhi in Parliament, married 1stly, Rani Jitendra
Kumari, daughter of Thakur Devi Singhji of Chittora, and had issue, one
daughter, married 2ndly, Rani Sajan Kumari, daughter of Col. Thakur
Ranjit Singh M.B.E. of Khatipura in Jaipur, had issue two sons and
three daughters.
- Baisa Kamla Kumari, married Lt.-Gen. (ret'd.) Thakur
Surendra Singh, son of Thakur Sajjan Singhji of Khajuri, Mandsaur, and
had issue, two sons and one daughter.
- Kunwar Ravi Raj Singh, educated at the Doon
School, Dehradun and at St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, presently
(2010), running a shipping business in the U.S.A.
- Baisa Shruti Kumari, educated at Modern
School, New Delhi and at Delhi University, married. (U.S.A.)
- Kunwar Ritu Raj Singh, educated at Modern
School, New Delhi and at Delhi University, presently (2010) a
professional actor in TV and Theatre in Mumbai.
- Apji Daleep Singh, educated at Doon School, Dehra
Dun and St. Stephens College, New Delhi; retired after a long corporate
career in the UK, he now divides his time between the U.K. and India,
fishing and
playing golf; married Angela Jane Garthwaite-Smith, and has issue, one
son and two daughters. (Kotah,
Rajasthan, India
and U.K.)
- Baisa Meera Kumari, born 1975, educated at Windsor
Girls School, Windsor,
UK, at the University of Leeds, U.K. and at Central Saint
Martins College of Art & Design, London.
- Kunwar Jai Singh, born 1979, educated at Windsor
Boys School, Windsor,
UK.; Career Executive in IT Recruitment in UK., married and has issue.
- Bhanwar Roshan Singh born 2006 in UK
- Bhanwar Enzo Singh born 2008 in UK
- Baisa Anjali Singh, born 1979, educated at Windsor
Girls School, Windsor, UK,
and at the University of Southampton, UK., presently (2010), working in
Event Management in
London, UK.
- Apji Ashok Singh, educated at Doon School, Dehra Dun
and at the University of Baroda; married and had issue, two sons. He
died 1992.
- Apji Vikramaditya Singh, born 1973, wildlife
artist, married Rani Jainandini Kumari, daughter of Rao Raja Hukum
Singh of Jodhpur, and his wife, Rani
Rajeshwari
Kumari.
- Apji Gautam Singh
- Baisa Indu Kumari, educated at Sophia College, Ajmer
and Rajasthan University, married Maharaj Amar Singhji, son of Maharaj
Guman Singhji of Jodhpur, and had issue, one son and two daughters.
- Maharaj Ajai Singh
- Rajkumari Nalini Kumari
- Rajkumari Menal Kumari
- Baisa Shashi Kumari, educated at Maharani Gayatri Devi
Girl's School, Jaipur and Delhi and Rajasthan University; married
Kunwar Sahib Ajai
Sinhji of Sitamau, and has issue, two
sons.
- Ratan Singh Rathore
- Anshuman Singh Rathore
- Baisa Piyush Kumari, educated at Maharani Gayatri Devi
Girl's School, Jaipur, married Kunwar Manohar Singh, son of Thakur
Kahn Singhji of Roda in Bikaner.
- Lt.-General (retd.) Apji Bahadur Singh, M.B.E.,
born 5th August 1910, one of India’s celebrated Military officers, Apji
Bahadur
Singh was a
graduate of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK where he gained
entry as the top student from India. He was commissioned into the then
British Indian Army, Hyderabad Regiment in 1931. He fought in the
Second World War in the Malaya - Singapore theatre and was a POW for
more than 12 months in a Japanese Camp. He returned back to India in
very poor health and despite these setbacks went on to become the
Colonel of the Kumaon Regiment and General Officer Commanding in Chief
of the Central Command of the Indian Army from 1962-1966; he served as
Lt.
Governor of the Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh [16.5.1967] -
[24.1.1971]; married Rani Rajendra Kumari of Barwani, and had issue,
one son and four daughters. He died 8th May 2007 at Kota in Rajasthan.
- Apji Jaivir Singh Palaitha, educated at Doon
School, Dehra Dun; he is a Travel and environmental / wildlife expert;
married and has issue, two sons.
- Lt. Col. Kunwar Jagat Singh, educated at Rajkumar
College, Rajkot; Commissioned into the Fourth
Kumaon, same regiment as his Grandfather; he took an active part in
anti
insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley and the North East of
India.
- Kunwar Bharat Singh, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer;
a Business executive, he is presently based between Gurgaon and Kotah.
- Baisa Jyotsna Kunwar, educated at Maharani Gayatri Devi
Girl's School, Jaipur.
- Baisa Jaya Kunwar, educated at Maharani Gayatri Devi
Girl's School, Jaipur; married Colonel Thakur Satyendra Singh of Baghsuri.
- Baisa Padmini Kunwar, educated at Maharani Gayatri Devi
Girl's School, Jaipur.
- Baisa Durga Kunwar, educated at Maharani Gayatri Devi
Girl's School, Jaipur.
- Lt. Col. Apji Raj Singh, educated at Benaras Hindu
University; he served with the Jaipur
State Forces of his cousin, HH
Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, the Sawai Man Guards and fought
during the Second
World War in Eritrea and Ethiopia in North Africa, married and had
issue, one daughter and one son.
- Baisa Usha Kumari
- Apji Hanuwant Singh, educated at Lawrence School,
Sanawar; married and had issue, two sons.
- Apji Hamir Singh, an agriculturist, he is involved
with farming in Kotah.
- Prof. Apji Dhir Singh, Professor of Biology in Kotah.
- Lt. Col. Apji Ranjit Singh, he was Commissioned in
1941 into the Kotah State Forces, Umed Infantry and later the Indian
Army, Brigade of the Guards; he took an active part in the First
Indo-Pak war of 1947 in the Kashmir sector; married Rani Umed Kumari,
daughter of Col. Thakur Ranjit Singh M.B.E. of Khatipura in Jaipur, and
had issue, two
sons.
- Apji Shivraj Singh, IAS Retd., educated at the Doon
School, Dehra Dun and St Stephen’s College, New Delhi; he served in the
Indian Administrative service for 37 years with distinction 1965/2002;
granted Superannuation in a Rank of Chief Secretary, West Bengal Cadre;
he also served extensively in the Central Government at New Delhi in
various ministries in several designations; he is currently retired and
is based between Kotah, Palaitha and Gurgaon; married Rani Roma
Rajyashree Singh, daughter of late Maj.Gen. Subarna Shumshere Jung
Bahadur Rana of Nepal, founder of the Nepali Congress Party which
currently rules Nepal and former Finance Minister, Deputy Prime
Minister and Prime Minister of Nepal, and has issue, one son.
- Kunwar Rishiraj Singh, educated at the Doon School,
Dehra Dun and at
Mangalore University; he is a Director and Business Leader for Asia
Pacific and China for Business and General Aviation with Honeywell
Aerospace, a Fortune 50 Company with a $35 Billion turnover; based at
Shanghai and headquartered out of Phoenix, USA; married Kunwarani
Satchida Rajya Laxmi Singh, recently completed her Master’s as a World
Bank scholar at the University of Sussex in the UK after a decade long
service with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent, where she has served in the secretariat also in Geneva of the
IFRC for three years, daughter of late Gen. H.E. Satchit Shumshere Jung
Bahadur Rana of Nepal, Former Chief of Staff of the Royal Nepalese
Army, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the Union of Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos
and Cambodia and Executive Working Member of His Majesty’s Governments
Privy Council of Nepal - Raj Parishad; and his wife, Rani Asha Rajya
Laxmi Rana, and has issue, two daughters and one son.
- Bhanwar Baisa Shivranjani Kumari Singh, currently
(2010) studying at Mayo College Girls School, Student of Merit and MCGS
Exchange Student to NASA, USA.
- Bhanwar Baisa Rishinandini Kumari Singh, currently
(2010) studying at Mayo College Girls School.
- Bhanwar Ranvijay Singh, currently (2010) studying
in British International School- Nord Anglia, Shanghai, China.
- Apji Bharat Singh, educated at the Doon School, Dehra
Dun and at St Stephen’s College; he is a CEO and Business Executive in
a Corporate career spanning 40 years; married Rani Mrinalini Raje
Singh, daughter of late Sardar Ranjit Singh Phalke of Gwalior, and has
issue, two daughters. (New Delhi, Jaipur and Kotah)
- Baisa Gitanjali Kumari Singh, educated at the Welham
Girls School, Dehra Dun and Lady Shriram College, New Delhi; she works
as a National Program Officer with the United Nations – UNIFEM at New
Delhi and has been in UN service since 1998.
- Baisa Divya Kumari Singh, educated at the Welham
Girls School, Dehra Dun; she is involved in the Travel Business.
- Maj. Apji Abhay Singh, he was Commissioned into
the 17 Poona Horse and saw extensive active action in the Second World
War in various theatres of battle. He fought in North Africa and served
with the Armoured regiment of the Indian division. He was a part of the
allied forces which invaded and occupied Italy; married Rani Chand
Kumari, daughter of Col. Thakur Ranjit Singh M.B.E. of Khatipura in
Jaipur, and had issue, three daughters.
- Baisa Indira Kumari, married Maharaj Lokendra Singh,
son of HH Maharaja Mahendra Narendra Singh Ju Deo Bahadur of Panna, and has issue, two daughters.
- Baisa Pramila Kumari
- Baisa Shiv Kumari
- Baisa (name unknown) (by 1st wife), married 1911,
Thakur
Nahar Singh of Kuchaman, and had
issue, one son.
- Baisa Mohan Kanwar, married Thakur Surendra
Singh of Khachariawas, and had
issue, three sons.
- Baisa Tej Kanwar, married Maharaj Virbhadra Singh of Dungarpur, and had issue, one son and
two daughters.
- Baisa Suraj Kanwar, born 1917, married Thakur Himmat
Singhji of Khudala, and had issue, three sons and four daughters. She
died 1999.
- Rani Lakshmi Kumari, born 28th March 1952,
married Raja Chandrakant Singh of Kotla, and has issue.
- Rajkumarani
Bhuvaneshwari Singh, born 11th September 1970, married 14th April 1993,
Rajkumar Devendra Singh of Rampura,
and has issue, one son and one daughter.
- Baisa Jaswant Kumari, married 1940, Thakur
Heer Singhji of Sankhu in Bikaner, and had issue, one son and two
daughters.
- Apji AJIT SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha 1951/1969, educated at Benaras Hindu
University, married Rani Navnidhi Kumari, daughter of Thakur Devi
Singhji of Chomu, and had issue, two
sons and two daughters.
- Apji Vijay Singh (qv)
- Apji Jaswant Singh, educated at Scindia
School, Gwalior; married Thakurani Jaswant
Kumari, daughter
of
Thakur Laxman Singhji of Ghanerao,
and
his wife, Thakurani Prem Kumari, and has issue, two daughters.
- Smt Vinay Kumari, educated at Welham Girls School,
Dehra Dun.
- Baisa Lalit
Kumari, educated at Welham Girls School, Dehra Dun.
- Baisa Sushila Kumari, married Lt.-Col. Ajit Singh, and
had issue one son and one daughter.
- Rani Sahiba Asha Kumari, married Raja Rajendra Dev Singh
of Poonch, and has issue, two sons.
- Apji VIJAY SINGH,
Apji Sahib of Palaitha (see above)
during the
Second
Anglo Maratha war, he was assigned to lead the Kotah
contingent to support Col. William
Monson, against Jaswant Rao Holkar at Garot in 1804. In part this was a
conspiracy on
the part of Zalim Singh Jhala to weaken the house of Palaitha since he
wanted to unsurp power in Kotah and Palaitha being the premier Jagirdar
of the Maharao of Kotah was a natural enemy of Zalim Singh’s plans. 6th
July 1804 at Garot, Col Monson decided to retreat to a more defensive
position on the Mukundara pass having remembered he had only two days
of ration left. He moved his 5 battalions out of the battle zone and
pushed up northwards leaving behind Apji Amar Singh of Palaitha with
his 1000 Kotah troops, 500 musketeers on foot and 500 Rajput horse and
Capt James Lucan with his 2000 irregular cavalry and 2 artillery units.
Holkar on hearing this attacked immediately with 20,000 horse, led by
his commanders Khan Bangash and Harnath Dada, he himself behind them.
He had 175 artillery guns with him and in total 19 battalions of foot
in addition to the cavalry at Garot. It was probably the largest army
in India at that time. And a modern European force capable of cutting
across India fled the battle field. This event is considered as one of
the greatest and most disgraceful setbacks to British Military history
in India. At Peeplia village, near Garot Apji Amar Singh and the small
contingent of Kotah and Capt Lucan’s irregular horse fought the might
of the Holkar forces with astounding bravery and heroism. They fought
man to man and close quarter musket fire till nearly the last man! Even
when it was not necessary for Apji Amar Singh to fight till the last he
did in the same illustrious traditions as his ancestors and in keeping
with his national history. Despite musket shots in his body and even
his head he fought till the very last moment of his life and commanded
his troops by taking support against a tree so that he could keep
standing till the very end. Capt Lucan fought side by side in a similar
heroic fashion till he was also killed in action. At Garot, Apji Amar
Singh and Capt James Lucan immortalized themselves fighting someone
else’s battle as their own! Holkar Durbar saluted such a valiant foe
and granted the land where the action took place to Palaitha. A rarest
of rare appreciation. The British East India Company granted Kotah
state several hundred acres of land in lieu of the services given by
Apji Amar Singh at Garot as a mark of respect and acknowledgement of
the same. Cenotaphs mark the spot where Apji Amar Singh fell at Garot
and also in the Charbagh in Palaitha. He is revered in the family as
Babaisa Maharaj, and family members offer their prayers to him.
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