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Jashwant Singh II
Sir Jashwant Singh II (or Jaswant Singh II) KCIE (1864–1919) was the Raja of Sailana from 1895 until his death in 1919. Early lifeHe was born on 3 September 1864 to Bhawani Singh, the Jagirdar of Semlia.[1][2] In 1884, he was adopted by Duleh Singh, the Raja of Sailana.[3] In the same year, the Government of India approved his adoption.[4] EducationHe received his early education in the vernacular and Sanskrit from Bhawani Singh.[5] Later, he was sent to Daly College in Indore for his further studies.[5][6] He was proficient in Persian.[5] SuccessionFollowing the death of Duleh Singh in October 1895, he became the Raja of Sailana.[4] He was installed on the throne by David Barr on 24 December 1895 and was simultaneously granted full administrative powers.[1] On the occasion, the Raja of Ratlam presented claims regarding the ceremony of Talwar Bandhai, but they were rejected.[4] ReignOne of the first challenges he faced upon his succession was that his predecessor had left the state with a heavy debt and the affairs of state were in disarray.[3] He made considerable efforts to improve the financial condition of the State and nearly paid off its debt.[3][7] However, the Indian famine of 1899–1900 caused a setback, and the State had to take another loan of 100,000 Rs.[1] He paid off the entire state debt.[8] He reorganized each department to align with modern requirements.[8] He organized the state police and established permanent Courts of Justice.[5] He constructed Jaswant Niwas at a cost of 200,000 rupees and oversaw the reconstruction of the fort and the stepwell known as Govind Kund.[5] Delhi DurbarsDurbar of 1903He was invited to attend the Delhi Durbar on 1 January 1903 but did not attend due to state obligations.[9] Durbar of 1911When the Delhi Durbar of 1911 was scheduled, the Governor-General of India sent him a Kharita invitation.[1] He attended it along with his sons.[10] On the occasion, his sons, Mandhata Singh and Ramchandra Singh, served as pages to the Queen-Empress Mary.[11] Both received diamond badges from Mary.[1] Personal lifeMarriagesHe married four times.[12] He first married Bhatianiji, the daughter of the jagirdar of Barodia under Ratlam, in 1882.[12] She died in 1898.[12] In 1888, he married Kachhawaiji, the daughter of the Raja of Machhand under Gwalior.[6][12] In the same year, he married Ranawatiji, the daughter of the Rao of Dhariawad.[6][12] He married Sisodniji, the daughter of the Rana of Barwani, in 1895.[6][12] ChildrenHe had six sons and five daughters of whom one son and two daughters died in infancy.[1] His sons were Dileep Singh, Bharat Singh, Mandhata Singh, Ramchandra Singh, and Ajatshatru Singh.[3] Dileep was his heir and successor.[12][13] Bharat was adopted in Multhan and succeeded there in 1901.[1][12] Mandhata was granted an estate of Adwaria which consisted of three villages.[12] He was later granted the jagir of Raoti.[1] Ramchandra was given the jagir of Kaneri.[1] Ajatshatru received Advani, Govindpura, and other villages as his appanage.[1] He had houses built for each of his sons.[1] Both Mandhata and Ajatshatru left Sailana in 1919 due to a conflict with their elder brother and moved to Bikaner.[14][15] His daughters were Devendra Kanwar, Shiva Kanwar, and Lakshmi Kanwar.[3] Devendra Kanwar was married to Bijai Singh, the Maharawal of Dungarpur.[8] Shiva Kanwar was married to Arjun Singh, Raja of Narsinghgarh, and Lakhsmi Kanwar was married to Durjan Sal, Rao of Khilchipur.[3][8] DeathHe passed away on 13 July 1919 and was succeeded by Dileep Singh as the Raja of Sailana.[13] HonoursHe received the Kaisar-i-Hind gold medal in 1901.[2] In June 1904, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire and was formally invested with the honor by George V, then Prince of Wales, in November 1905 at Indore.[2][4] In 1904, he was awarded the title of Bahadur.[5]. In 1904, George Curzon arranged a conference to discuss the reorganization of Mayo College in Ajmer of which he was selected a representative.[5] He was later appointed a permanent member of the General Council of Mayo College.[1] He was appointed a permanent member of the Daly College Council.[1][5] References
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