Umaid Singh

Lieutenant-General HH Shri Raj Rajeshwar Saramad-e-Raja-e-Hindustan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Sir Umaid Singh Bahadur, Assoc KStJ (8 July 1903 – 9 June 1947), also spelled Umed Singh, was the Maharaja of Jodhpur State of the historic Rathore dynasty of Marwar from the year 1918 to 1947 until his death.

The second son of HH Maharaja Sir Sardar Singh of Jodhpur, he succeeded his elder brother Maharaja Sir Sumer Singh upon his untimely death to a disease in 1918; in 1922 he served as the aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII). Ruling under the regency of his granduncle HH Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh of Idar State until 1923, he was then formally invested as Maharaja by Governor General Sir Lord Reading. During his reign, Sir Umaid Singh reformed and reorganised the Jodhpur State Forces and the judicial department, introduced a scheme for extending primary education, revised the land revenue settlement and established state pensions and a Provident Fund for state employees. Enjoying a distinguished military career, he died at his estate the Lake House on Mount Abu on 9 June 1947 after a progressive reign of 29 years, aged but 43. He died from an acute attack of appendicitis while on a tiger hunt.

Honours Delhi Durbar silver medal-1911 Prince of Wales Visit Medal-1922 Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)-1922 Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1930 King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935 Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1936 (KCSI-1925) King George VI Coronation Medal-1937 Grand Cross of the Order of the Dragon of Annam-1940 1939-1945 Star-1945 Africa Star-1945 War Medal 1939-1945-1945 India Service Medal-1945 Knight of the Order of St John (KStJ)-1946 Halvad-Dhrangadhra State Rajyabhisek Medal, 1st class-1948 (post-humous)

See also Rulers of Marwar

References