MAHARANA FATEH SINGH KEEPING THE HOPES OF HINDUSTANIS ALIVE - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

होता हिन्दू हतास,

नमतो जे राणा न्रपत।

सबल फता साबास,

आरज लज राखी अजां।।

करजन कुटिल किरात ,

सकस न्रपत गहिया सकल।

हुवो न तुंहिक हात,

सिंघ रूप फतमल सबल।।

𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.. 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵!⁣⁣

⁣

This photo is a symbol of Collective Shame for all Indians.

Patiala 

Nizams and Nawabs(all)

Jodhpur 

Baroda

Gwalior 

Jaipur

Nabha 

Satara...

All are bowing to the Gora Badshah irrespective of their Turbans or Topis

Be it 

Marathas of Satara, Indore Gwalior & Baroda in their prime.

Sikhs of Patiala & Nabha in their prime

Rajputs of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer in their low.

Except HINDUA SURYA, The very great Maharana Fateh Singh ji of Mewar who considered the British King emperor 'at best an equal' 

Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar, was the essence of Rajput kingship.

He was a ruler in the true sense. British residents or political agents would consider him to be a very difficult person to deal with as he would do whatever he considered righteous.

Lady Vere Birdwood called him the 

"Pope of the Hindus."

 

And Sir George Ogilvie, the Political Agent of Rajputana, the only Englishman who came close to the Maharana, called him a 

"demi-god."

Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar:

'The Only King' who never bowed down to British, Only King of India who did not attend any of the Delhi Durbar in 1903 or 1911.

He also didn't receive Edward VIII, the son of King George V when he visited Udaipur in 1921

A royal chair that remained vacant in Delhi Durbar of 1911 held in honour of King George V, because Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar defied the order to attend it. 

When British Monarch announced GCSI (it was the highest honour British government could bestow upon any Indian ruler) for Maharana Fateh Singh, he reluctantly accepted it on intervention of his son, Kunwar Bhupal Singh but then he tied it round the neck of his horse. 

Maharana Fateh Singh's response when he was asked to provide assistance by the British in the 1st World War 

1907 AD - Princely view of Udaipur City Palace

'Unbroken Spirit of Mewar'

Hindupat Mewar is iconic right from Bappa Rawal through MahaRana Hammeer through to MahaRana Kumbha, MahaRana Sanga, Maharana Pratap down to MahaRana Raj Singh.

In fact, Shivaji Raje challenged Aurangzeb to recover Jaziya from Hindupat MahaRana of Mewar (then MahaRana Raj Singh)!!!

Such was the place the MahaRana of Mewar occupied in the hearts of patriots!!! 

Shivaji Raje had total confidence that the Hindupat MahaRana of Mewar wouldnt pay a dime of Jaziya to Mughal somerat Aurangzeb!!!

So, this MahaRana of Mewar defying British is no surprise at all!!

Maharana received invitation to attend the Darbars both of the times, but proud Maharana, owing to the Great legacy of the House of Mewar, decided not to bow down to the King.

1911: George V of England held his Delhi durbar, mahArAnA fatEh singh mEvAd refused to attend to protect the honor of his kula n dharma.

Two British thoroughbred horses named ‘Expert’ and ‘Red Lad’ were gifted to Maharana Fateh Singh by the British Monarch King Edward VII in 1909

Although George V had gifted him 2 English horses in 1909 out of his respect for MahaRana. 

British tried punishing him but couldn't do it because of the respect House of Mewar had among hindus. 

Of all the rulers in India during the era of the British Raj, MahaRana Fateh Singh was for me one of the most fascinating and remarkable for his adherence to tradition and his independent stance, in keeping with the traditions of his illustrious predecessors. 

Maharana Fateh Singh Shooting a Leopard, Udaipur, Mewar, 1889 Artist - Shivalal

This was evident in his stance towards the Delhi Durbars, because he rightly believed that he was the most pre-eminent among the kings of the land. He went to Delhi in 1903 and 1911 as well, but didn't attend both of them. It's open for interpretation on why he did that 

chair which remained unoccupied in the durbar.

but he made sure his seat is left empty in Durbar.

But this left him in bad books of British and after some years his powers were transferred to his son.

But Maharana Fateh Singh was a proud Rajput who grew up listening to stories of his ancestors, and his reign was devoted towards gaining Swaraj.

He removed PM Rai Pannalal who had great support of British, and despite continuous threats from British officers, he never reinstated anyone to the Post.

Maharana Fateh Singh ji also removed Corrupt British officials (Col. Smith) , Jagirdars (Seth Zorawarmal Bapna)  with their puppet secretary (Mehta Pannalal) from posts in Mewar and replaced them with revolutionaries.(Shyamji Krishnaverma). 

on both the occasions he came to Delhi but did not attend the Darbar. It is there in several books and even mentioned in the official record of 1911 Delhi Darbar! He met George V at then Salimgarh station in Delhi!

There were plenty of Rajput Kings in Rajputana itself, but Kesari Singh wrote only to Maharana. There were 2 Durbars during MahaRana Fateh Singh's reign and he gave a miss to both. Kesari Singh wrote letter for 1903 Durbar, Maharana didn't attend 1911 one as well. 

Imagine thinking the Maharana of Mewar made the decision to snub the Darbar because of Barhat. By this logic the real ruler of Mewar would be Barhat and not Maharana Fateh Singh. Charan compositions are known to use such literary devices one have to be really slow to not get that.

128 years old photo of Maharana Fateh Singh (1884-1930 AD) of Udaipur State in Rajasthan riding an elephant was taken in 1890 AD.

The poet proposed & that’s what he could do...

But, it was Maharana Fateh Singh who refused to bow before the Gora Badshah & didn’t go to Delhi when everyone from Nizam to Patiala to Baroda to Jaipur to Gwalior were there bending in Half. 

They never gave a thought about why Kesari Singh or any other poet didn’t persuade any other Indian King?

Though this warning incident is untrue! As Maharana had already decided. It was investigated, and the warning was found to be wrong! Read these above pages for information about the topic!

E.O. Hoppe preparing to photograph the Maharana of Udaipur in 1929. 

Know more about the gem of mewar, Maharana Fateh Singh 

Maharana Fateh Singh (r. 1884-1930 CE). He was born on Paush Shukla Dwitiya Vikram Samvat 1906. The 73rd custodian of the house of Mewar; Maharana Fateh Singh ascended the throne of Mewar on 23 December 1884.

The Suryavanshi king of Mewar symbolised two things – pride for the legacy of their forefathers and duty towards their kingdom. Every Suryavanshi fought for sovereignty and dedicated their resources in developing their land, uplifting the social and living conditions of the people of Mewar.

128 years old photo of Maharana Fateh Singh (1884-1930 AD) of Udaipur State in Rajasthan riding an elephant was taken in 1890 AD.

Like a true Suryavanshi and following ancestral footsteps, Maharana Fateh Singh ascended the throne with a visionary approach towards Mewar. Born to the Shivrati branch, the descendants of the fourth son of Maharana Sangram Singh; Maharana Fateh was first adopted by Gaj Singh and later by Maharana Sajjan Singh, the ruler of Udaipur, both of whom had no heir.

He is dressed in traditional wear; simple yet elegant, with minimal fineries. The G.C.S.I. badge adorning chest must not be missed.

After ascending the throne, he revolutionised the living standards of general people by modernising administration and educational institution. Land revenue settlements, roads, irrigation works and medical facilities improved under his rule and became better.

A pioneer visionary is always work for Humanity

Maharana Fateh believed in the amalgamation of modernity & forward thinking approach.

So at one point, he banned the British reforms in Hindu Social structure, on the other hand built many lakes and schools for boys and girls.

In his rule the no. of schools rose to 42 from 16.

The rule of MahaRana Fateh Singh ji was unmatched, food grains seized from profiteers reached the common people in famine.

Fateh Sagar Lake

One of the most beautiful spots in Udaipur, this lake was names after  Maharana Fateh Singh. It was 1890. On August 13th, a delegation led by Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was visiting Udaipur. Prince Arthur, the third son of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, was the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army.

By Artist Raj Kumar jangid

To commemorate his visit, Maharana Fateh Singh, the reigning ruler of the State of Udaipur, requested the royal dignitary to lay the foundation stone of a dam at Devali near Udaipur.

The Maharana, in honour of Prince Arthur, named it the ‘Connaught Dam’. Prince Arthur complimented a British engineer, Campbell Thompson, working on the project.

A feeder canal called ‘Chikalwas feeder’ was constructed to divert the surplus rainwater of Ahar river towards the Devali Talab now being renovated.
The 200-year-old Devali Talab had seen disuse and destruction. Prince Arthur, in turn, requested the Maharana to rename the lake as ‘Fateh Sagar’ to cement their friendly ties. Today, 121 years after the historic event, the entire project is referred to as the world’s first river-linking project.

“It’s a unique example of water conservation and management anywhere in the world,”

Approximately 1.5 miles north of Udaipur was a small pond called Dewali ka Talab, built by Maharana Jai Singhji. It derived its name from village Dewali where it was initially constructed by Maharana Jai Singhji in the year 1680. The dam on this pond was not very high. During the reign of Maharana Bhim Singhji the earthen dam got washed away in floods; later in 1889 Maharana Fateh Singhji, r. 1884 – 1930, got it restored and renovated to form a lake. Its Foundation was laid by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Commander of The Bombay British Army, and the third son of Queen Victoria, hence it was originally named ⁣

Connaught dam. ⁣

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Later, the Duke suggested that the enlarged and restored water reservoir be called Fateh Sagar hence the lake was renamed Fateh Sagar. Prior to the construction of Jana Sagar (Badi Lake) water from river Morwani would flow into Fateh Sagar; because of Jana Sagar the lake was and continues to be fed by river Hathi Dhara and Chikalwas canal that overflows to Jana Sagar enters Fateh Sagar. Apart from this, the overflow of Lake Pichola is diverted into Rang Sagar and Swarup Sagar and the overflow of these two lakes is further directed through a controlled inlet canal that leads to Lake Fateh Sagar. The same Dewali Talab is now popularly known as Lake Fateh Sagar.⁣

Shiv Niwas palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Shiv Niwas Palace is a former residence of the Maharana of Udaipur, Rajasthan, located on the banks of Lake Pichola.

Located to the south side of and part of the City Palace complex, work on this building was begun by Maharana Sajjan Shambhu Singh (1874 to 1884) and finished by his successor Maharana Fateh Singh at the beginning of the 20th century as a royal guesthouse.

During its time as a guesthouse it hosted a number of royal gatherings and VIP visits From all over the world, including George V of the United Kingdom in 1905, and Edward the Prince of Wales.

Later it was converted into a luxury hotel. He also extended the Dewali Lake by building Connaught Dam; the enlarged lake becoming the Lake Fateh Sagar of today.

Overlooking Lake Fateh Sagar, The LaLiT Laxmi Vilas Palace has the mighty Aravalli hills as its background. Constructed in 1911 by Maharana Fateh Singh, this palace has now been turned into a luxury heritage hotel that exudes royal grandeur and is an impressive architecture.

The Taj Fateh Prakash Palace is majestically located along the shores of Pichola Lake in Udaipur. The palace gets its name after one of the greatest rulers of Mewar dynasty, Maharana Fateh Singh. The palace was renovated and converted into a heritage hotel.

The City Palace Complex, Fateh Prakash Palace originally the site where Maharana Fateh Singh of Merwar used to organize his royal gatherings and functions for his special guests. A well-known luxury Heritage hotel of Udaipur, is placed on the eastern banks of Lake Pichola.

Sajjan Niwas Garden

Situated - Udaipur, Rajasthan

Area - 100 Acres

Established - 1887

It was built by Maharana fateh Singh. Its the Largest Garden in Rajasthan. Gulab Bagh has Innumerable Varieties of Roses.

Fateh Prakash Palace is the youngest palace of Chittorgarh fort built just about 100 years ago. Build by Maharana Fateh Singh this huge palace is of morden style. This palace, now a museum, has a rich collection of sculptures from temples and buildings in the Fort. 

Vedi Temple, close to Hanuman Pol of the Kumbhalgarh Fort & this Jain temple was constructed by Rana Kumbha to honor the sacrifice of pilgrims. The temple was later renovated by Maharana Fateh Singh & considered to be only remnant amongst all sacrificial places in the country.

On the other hand, replicating the true Suryavanshi, he became the only maharaja who did not attend the Delhi darbar twice. He believed that he was not the ruler by the grace of any Queen and this attitude placed him at odds with the British Queen. He was advised to abdicate all his powers in the favour of Maharana Bhopal Singh, his nominated heir; but he declined the proposal. He remained the nominal power of Mewar for another nine years but his powers were curtailed by the British Empire.

Maharana Fateh Singh issued Silver and Copper coins which were of Chitrakut- Udaipur, Chittor-Udaipur style, Chandori and Dosti London Style of coins. Later in V.S. 1985 (1928 CE) , he got the coins made in a new form ‘Chandori’ (crescent-shaped like the moon). However, these coins were never used and remained as mere samples

 Maharana Bhopal Singh ascended the throne after Maharana Fateh Singh died, ruling Mewar for almost half a century. The revolutionary ruler of modern Mewar died in Udaipur at an age of eighty, playing his character and finishing up his duties towards society as the Suryavanshi king of Mewar.

Maharana Fateh Singh was the last great major ruler of India who struggled for Swaraj.

His reign was a turbulent task for British.

He kept the hopes of Hindus alive, that even when whole of India bowed down, Hindua Surya stood strong safeguarding the self respect of Indians.