PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
Predecessor state founded about 1450, the modern state of
Panna was founded in 1731, becoming the capital of
Maharaja Chhatar Sal. Champat Rai, a descendant of Raja
Rudra Pratap of Orchha, rebelled against the Mughals,
later his fourth son, Maharaja Chhatar Sal, became the
most prominent Bundela leader, as well as being a good
administrator and a brave warrior, who led a revolt in
1671 against the Mughal Empire and soon captured Naugaon
in present-day Chhatarpur District. In 1680 he conquered
Mahoba, and went on to control much of Bundelkhand, ruling
from Panna. He formed an alliance with the Maratha Peshwa
Baji Rao I, who was challenging the Mughals for control of
central India, and in 1729, Baji Rao sent a Maratha army
to aid Chhatar Sal against the Marathas. Upon his death in
1731, his kingdom was divided amongst his sons, with
one-third (including Mahoba, Banda, and Jhansi) going to
his ally, the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I. The portion
containing Panna went to Harde Sah, the eldest son of
Chhatar Sal, other descendants ruled the states of Panna,
Ajaigarh (founded 1765), Charkhari (founded 1765),
Chhatarpur (went to the Ponwar Rajputs in 1785), and Jaso.
In the early 19th century, Panna became a princely state
of British India, and gained control of the states of
Sohawal and Nagod. Raja Nirpat Singh assisted the British
in the Revolt of 1857, and the British rewarded him with
the title of Maharaja. Maharaja Mahendra Yadvendra Singh
acceded to the Government of India on 1st January 1950,
and the former Princely State became Panna District of the
new Indian state of Vindhya Pradesh. Vindhya Pradesh was
merged into Madhya Pradesh on 1st November 1950. Rulers
were...
- Raja HARDE SAH, 1st Raja of Panna 1731/1739,
eldest son of Maharaja Chhatarsal, received Panna from
his father, valued at 39 lakhs annually in 1731,
sacked the Rewah State in about 1731, causing Raja
Avadhoot Singh to flee to Pratapgarh in Oudh, married
and had issue. He died 1739.
- Raja Sabha Singh (qv)
- Rajkumar Prithvi Singh, claimed the succession
after his father's death, and with the help of the
Marathas managed to take control of the Shahgarh
area of Panna state, becoming its first Raja around
1744, married and had issue.
- Raja Mardan Singh, Raja of Garhakotah fl.1810,
married and had issue. He died about 1810.
- Raja Arjun Singh of Shahgarh, died 1842.
- Kumar (name
unknown), married and had issue.
- Raja Bakht Bali Singh, Raja of Shahgarh,
he joined the Mutiny in 1857, but later gave
himself up and was imprisoned. He died after
1869.
- Raja Salam Singh, Raja of Loogasi.
- Raja SABHA SINGH, 2nd Raja of Panna
1739/1752, married and had issue. He died 1752.
- Raja Aman Singh (qv)
- Raja Hindupat Singh (qv)
- Raja AMAN SINGH, 3rd Raja of Panna 1752/1758,
constructed a palace at Fort Kalinjer, donated Alipura
pargana to Rao Mukund Singh, a sardar of Panna, died
1758, murdered by his brother.
- Raja HINDUPAT SINGH, 4th Raja of Panna
1758/1778, constructed Jugal Kishore Temple at Panna,
he granted territory of Maihar to his Minister Beni
Hujoori [Hazuri] in 1778, married and had issue. He
died 1778.
- Raja Anirudh Singh (qv)
- Raja Dhokal Singh (qv)
- Thakur Sarnat Singh, married and had issue.
- Raja ANIRUDH SINGH , 5th Raja of Panna
1778/1779, succeeded his father after an older brother
was overlooked in the succession, being a minor, the
state was managed by Beni Hazuri and Khemraj Chaube, a
Brahmin, and Sonesah Ponwar, who as a result of their
jealousy and suspicions of each other, caused the
state to fall into civil war which was intensified by
the death of the Raja, and the rivalry of numerous
claimants. During this period the area of Panna State
was much reduced as these three carved out for
themselves Maihar, Paldeo and Chhatarpur respectively,
as free states. Ultimately Dhokal Singh, brother
of Raja Anirudh Singh was able to establish himself on
the gaddi.
He died 1779.
INTERREGNUM 1779/1785
- Raja DHOKAL SINGH, 6th Raja of Panna
1785/1798, married and had issue.
- Raja KISHOR SINGH, 7th Raja of Panna
1798/1834 (1840), confirmed in his possessions by sanads
granted in 1807 and 1811, constructed Jaggananth ji
temple at Panna, was awarded control of Sohawal state
and Nagod state by the British authorities, married
and had issue.
- Raja Harbans Singh Ju Deo Bahadur [Harbans Rai]
(qv)
- Maharaja Mahendra Nirpat Singh Ju Deo Bahadur (qv)
- Raja HARBANS SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur, 8th Raja
of Panna 1834/1849.
- Maharaja Mahendra NIRPAT SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur,
9th Maharaja of Panna 1849/1870, assisted the British
during the mutiny, by holding the forst of Kalinjar
and clearing Damoh District of rebels, for which he
was rewarded with a khilat worth 20,000Rs, and
the Samaria pargana, and in 1869 was granted
the title of Maharaja as a personal distinction. In
1862 a sanad of adoption was granted him, and
in 1863 he ceded the land required for the East Indian
Railway, constructed Lokpal Sagar (Tank) near Panna,
developed the commercial area in Panna known as
Bada Bajar, constructed the Ram Janki temple at Panna,
married and had issue.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Sir Rudra Pratap Singh Ju Deo
Bahadur (qv)
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Lokpal Singh Ju Deo Bahadur
(qv)
- Kunwar Lakshman Singh Ju Deo, adopted by Rao
Bhopal Singh of Jigni and succeeded there as Rao
Lakshman Singh II Bahadur of Jigni.
- Rao Raja Khuman Singh Ju Deo, married and had
issue. He was murdered in June 1901 (1902?).
- Capt. HH Maharaja Mahendra Sir Yadvendra Singh
Ju Deo Bahadur (qv)
- HH Maharani Padmini Kunverba Sahiba, married
18th June 1917, Lt.-Col. HH Maharana Shri Sir
Vijaysinhji Chhatrasinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Rajpipla, and had
issue.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Sir RUDRA PRATAP SINGH Ju
Deo Bahadur, 10th Maharaja of Panna 1870/1893,
born 10th July 1848, succeeded 9th June 1870 (#1), K.C.S.I. [cr.1876],
granted the title of Maharaja, which was made
hereditary, and received an addition of 2 guns to his
salute as a personal honour in 1877, one of the best
rulers of Panna, he constructed Baldeoji Temple and
Govindji Temple, constructed many roads and cavelets
and a bridge over the river in Panna, also constructed
the Ajaigarh ghat. He died sp.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra LOKPAL SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur,
11th Maharaja of Panna 1893/1898, married (amongst
others), HH Maharani Sujan Kanwar, and had issue. He
died 1898.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Madho Singh Ju Deo Bahadur
(qv)
- HH Maharaja Mahendra MADHO SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur,
12th Maharaja of Panna 1898/1902, constructed the
Mahendra Bhavan Palace in Panna, deposed for
complicity in the murder of his uncle, Rao Raja Khuman
Singh. He died after 1925 (#2).
-
 Col. HH Maharaja Mahendra Sir
YADVENDRA SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur K.C.I.E., 13th
Maharaja of Panna 1902/1963, born 31st January 1893,
K.C.I.E. [cr.1.1.1922], K.C.S.I. [cr.1.1.1932], son of
Rao Raja Khuman Singh, educated at Mayo College,
Ajmer; invested with full ruling powers on 4th
February 1915, appointed UpRaj Pramukh of Vindhya
Pradesh after the merger of his state into the
Indian Republic; married 1stly, 1912, HH Maharani Shri
Manhar Kunverba, died 1927, daughter of HH Maharaja
Raol Shri Bhavsinhji II Takhatsinhji of Bhavnagar, and his
first wife, HH Maharani Dev Kunverba Sahiba, married
2ndly, 1928, HH Maharani Shri Gopal Kumari, daughter
of Thakur Saheb Sawai Singhji, Raja Saheb of Isarda, and his wife,
Thakurani Sugan Kunwar, and had issue. He died 4th
August 1963.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Narendra Singh Ju Deo Bahadur
(qv)
- HH Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi (eldest daughter),
married 28th May 1931, Capt. HH Bisam-Samar-Bijayi
Mahamahodya Pancha-Srijukta Maharaja Manikya Sir Bir
Bikram Kishore Dev Varman Bahadur of Tripura.
- Maharaj Pushpendra Singh, born 1916, educated at
Mayo College, Ajmer (Class-Captain 1935/36).
- Maharajkumari Indira Kumari, born 1918, died
unmarried 16th June 2006 at Rajmandir Palace, Panna.
- Maharajkumari Pushpa Kumari Devi, born 1920,
married 11th February 1940, Maharaj Kumar Nagendra
Singh of Dungarpur.
She died 11th August 1996.
- Maharajkumari Sarla Kumari
- Maharajkumari Nirmala Devi, born 1931, married
30th November 1951, Rana Ramchandra Pal Singh of Bhajji, and had issue.
She died 2002.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra NARENDRA SINGH Ju Deo
Bahadur, 14th Maharaja of Panna 1963/-, born
29th May 1915, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer; Member
of the Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh in 1957,
1962 and 1967; Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in
1971 from Satna; Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in
1977, from Damoh; Social worker and founder of many
educational institutions in Panna; married 24th
February 1937 at Kathmandu in Nepal, HH Maharani Durga
Rajya Laxmi Devi, daughter of Lt.-Gen. Maharajkumar
Shingha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Lambjang and
Kaski in Nepal,
and had issue.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra Manvendra Singh Ju Deo
Bahadur (qv)
- Maharaj Lokendra Singh, Member of the Legislative
Assembly (Madhya Pradesh) in 1977 and 1993, Member
of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in 1989, married Rani
Nishi Kumari [née Baisa Indira Kumari],
daughter of Major Apji Abhay Singh of Palaitha, and his wife,
Rani Chand Kumari, and has issue.
- Rajkumari Kamaksha Kumari Devi, married Rajkumar
Preetendra Singh of Nagod.
- Rajkumari Sulakshana Kumari [Yuvrani Sahib
Sulakshana Kumari of Bhinga], married (as his
first wife), 22nd January 1995, Yuvaraj Rudramani
Kant Singh of Bhinga.
She died sp 29th July 1998.
- Maharajkumari Kumkum Kumari, married Yuvaraj
Balwant Singh of Chhatarpur,
died 1990, and has issue, one son.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra MANVENDRA SINGH Ju Deo
Bahadur, 15th Maharaja of Panna -/2009, born
26th June 1939 in Mussoorie, educated at Mayo College,
Ajmer; married HH Maharani Dilhar Kumari, fourth
daughter of HH Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavsinhji
of Bhavnagar, and
his wife, HH Maharani Vijayba Sahiba, and had issue.
He died 8th October 2009.
- Yuvaraj Ragvendra Singh (succeeded as HH Maharaja
Mahendra Ragvendra Singh Ju Deo Bahadur) (qv)
- Maharajkumari Krishna Kumari, born 1972, married
4th February 1995 (div. May 2004), Kunwar Purujit
Singh, born 10th July 1970, son of Rajkumar Tara
Singh of Koti.
- HH Maharaja Mahendra RAGVENDRA SINGH Ju Deo
Bahadur (see above)
OTHER MEMBERS:
- Rajkumar Hira Singh, Honourary Lieutenant 1914/-
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