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The Red Rajputs And The Moryan Dynasty: The Warriors
Of The Solar Race.
Master Morya:
Morya
is the Chohan of the first ray Ashram.
Presumably, as He is a Chohan, and as Chohans have
achieved the sixth initiation, at which point they become monads in expression, His monadic ray is the first ray of Will and
Power. “Morya Remembrance Day” is designated as March 24th, thereby linking Him with the fiery sign, Aries. The
type of yoga which Master Morya has promoted is Agni Yoga, the “Yoga of Fire”.
No conventional chart is available for Master Morya,
though, presumably, in the archives of the Great Ones, such charts exist. One is tempted to associated the sign Leo with him
as well as Aries, as so often, He has been the great monarch—whether as King Solomon or as Akbar. There are similarities,
as well, to Charlemagne (though no hypothesis that they are the same entity is thereby suggested).
For His great love of beauty (evidenced in the lives
of both Solomon and Akbar), the fourth ray is suggested. MDRobbins esotericastrologer.org
The two Masters Who have attempted to awaken humanity
in the West to a realization of the Hierarchy are the Masters Morya and K.H., the two working in the closest relation and
expressing first and second ray energy. EA 623.
He whom you will some day know as your Master when
admitted in full consciousness into his group of disciples (the Master M.) is the head of all esoteric schools in the world
at this time. DINAI 226.
The Master Morya is at this time acting as the inspirer
of the great national executives throughout the world. E'en those whose ideals coincide not with yours are being welded into
the world plan, and much of their immediate work is organizing the individual nations and welding them into an homogeneous
whole, preparatory to their entrance into the great international thought-form. All who work with far vision and all who hold
before any seething and bewildered nation an ideal for the whole are under His wide inspiration. Internationalism is the aim
of His endeavor. EXT 505.
On the physical plane, the initiates and the disciples
working in the Ashram of the Master Morya are primarily occupied with the expression of synthesis in the world of politics
and of government, and with offsetting wrong approaches to synthesis, seeking to preserve freedom in unity. It is a subjective
synthesis for which they work - a synthesis which will express itself in an outer differentiation. This synthesis will define
the many aspects of the essential, basic unity which, working out under the stimulation of the energy of synthesis, will bring
about eventual peace and understanding on earth - a peace which will preserve individual and national cultures, but which
will subordinate them to the good of the whole of humanity. EXT 664.
The Master Morya, who is one of the best known of the
Eastern adepts, and who numbers amongst his pupils a large number of Europeans and Americans, is a Rajput Prince, and for
many decades held an authoritative position in Indian affairs. He works in close cooperation with the Manu, and will himself
eventually hold office as the Manu of the sixth root-race. He dwells, as does his Brother, the Master K. H., at Shigatse in
the Himalayas, and is a well-known figure to the inhabitants of that far-away village. He is a man of tall and commanding
presence, dark hair and beard and dark eyes, and might be considered stern were it not for the expression that lies in his
eyes. He and his Brother. the Master K. H., work almost as a unit, and have done so for many centuries and will, on into the
future, for the Master K. H. is in line for the office of World Teacher when the present holder of that office vacates it
for higher work, and the sixth root-race comes into being. The houses in which they both dwell are close together, and much
of their time is spent in the closest association. As the Master M. is upon the first Ray, that of Will or Power, his work
largely concerns itself with the carrying out of the plans of the present Manu. He acts as the Inspirer of the statesmen of
the world, he manipulates forces, through the Mahachohan, that will bring about the conditions desired for the furthering
of racial evolution. On the physical plane those great national executives who have far vision and the international ideal
are influenced by him, and with him cooperate certain of the great devas of the mental plane, and three great groups of angels
work with him on mental levels, in connection with the lesser devas who vitalize thought-forms, and thus keep alive the thought-forms
of the Guides of the race for the benefit of the whole of humanity. The Master M. has a large body of pupils
under his instruction, and works in connection with many organizations of an esoteric and occult kind, as well as through
the politicians and statesmen of the world. IHS 54/5. 1922.
The Master Morya, Who is the center, the magnetic attractive
center, of all esoteric groups, conferring on them, by His power, the capacity to destroy that which is undesirable in the
life of the disciples. EPII 80.
The miracle-worker Chandragupta, the illustrious king
who rescued the Punjab from the Macedonians -- if they ever were at Punjab at all -- and received Megasthenes at his court
in Pataliputra. Dharm-Asoka was the greatest King of the Maurya dynasty. IU HP Blavatsky.202.
Maurya Dynasty : 300 BC -185 BC
Chandragupta and Chanakya(Kautilya), together destroyed
the Nanda rulers of Magadha and established the Mauryan empire. With Chanakya's advise, Chandragupta defeated Selucus Nicator
(Macedonian ruler of territories captured by Alexander the Great.) and seized Northwestern territory from him. Chandragupta
later married Nicator's daughter. After ruling for about 40 years, Chandragupta coronated his son Bindusar, and retired to
live as a Jain monk. Bindusar annexed Deccan to his empire. After him, his son Ashoka became the king of the vast Mauryan
Empire. www.
The same writer places Sandracottus (Chandragupta,
the grandfather of King Asoka, of the clan of Morya) in the direct line of the descendants of Baladeva. SDIII.
HPB. AB.
Moru the son of Sighru through the power of Yoga is
still living . . . . and will be the
restorer of the Kshattriya race of the Solar dynasty." (Vayu Purana, Vol. III, p.
197).SD.
Max Muller translates the name as Morya, of the Morya
dynasty, to which Chandragupta belonged (see Sanscrit Literature). In Matsya Purana, chapter cclxxii, the dynasty of ten Moryas
(or Maureyas) is spoken of. In the same chapter, cclxxii, it is stated that the Moryas will one day reign over India, after
restoring the Kshattriya race many thousand years hence. Only that reign will be purely Spiritual and "not of this world."
It will be the kingdom of the next Avatar. Colonel Tod believes the name Morya (or Maureyas) a corruption of Mori, a Rajpoot
tribe, and the commentary on Mahavansa thinks that some princes have taken their name Maurya from their town called Mori,
or, as Professor Max Muller gives it, Morya-Nagara, which is more correct, after the original Mahavansa. SDI 378. HP
Blavatsky.
The Vayu Purana declares that Moru will re-establish
the Kshattriya in the Nineteenth coming Yuga. (See "Five years of Theosophy," p. 483. "The Moryas and Koothoomi.") Ibid. HPB.
Maru: A king of the Iksvaku dynasty, the father of
Prasusruta and son of Sighra. He had become "ciranjivi" (immortal) by his yogic power. He will revive the ksatriya race of
Surya vamsa in the next Satya-yuga. In the meantime he lives in Kalapa-grama (SB 9.12.6). Srimad Bhagavatam.
And the name of the Manu who will be the King of the
next Race, is said in the Purana to be Moru; and the name of the ideal brahmana who will be the Teacher of the next Race is
said to be Devapi; and these two are King and Teacher for the sixth Race that is to be born. Avataris. A Besant. 1899.
Now in the womb of the fifth Race, the sixth Race is
a choosing, and the King and the Teacher of the sixth Race are already at Their mighty and beneficent work. They are choosing
one by one, trying and testing, those who shall form the nucleus of the sixth Race; They are taking soul by soul, subjecting
each to many a test, to many an ordeal, to see if there be the strength out of which a new Race can spring; and in fulness
of time when Their work is ready, then will come the Kalki Avatara, to sweep away the darkness, to send the Kali Yuga into
the past, to proclaim the birth of the new Satya Yuga, with a new and more spiritual Race, that is to live therein. Then will
He call out the chosen, the King Moru and the Brahmana Devapi, and give into Their hands the Race that now They are building,
the Race to inhabit a fairer world, to carry onwards the evolution of humanity. Avataris. A Besant. 1899.
I shall quote an interesting passage from The Secret
Doctrine taken from the Puranas...HR.
"'...Two persons, Devapi, of the race of Kuru and Maru [Moru], of the family of Ikshvaku,
continue alive throughout the four ages, residing at Kalapa [Shambhala]. They will return hither in the beginning of the Krita
age...Maru {Morya} the son of Sighra through the power of Yuga is still living...and will be the restorer of the Kshatriya
race of the Solar dynasty....'
"Whether right or wrong with regard to the
latter prophecy, the blessings of Kali-Yuga are well described, and fit in admirably even with that which one sees and
hears in Europe and other civilized and Christian lands in the full XIX-th and at the dawn of the XX-th century of our great
era of ENLIGHTENMENT." "...In Matsya-Purana, chapter cclxxii, the dynasty of ...
Moryas (or Maureyas)
is spoken of. In the same chapter, it is stated that the Moryas will one day reign over India, after restoring the Kshatriya
race many thousand years hence. Only that reign will be purely Spiritual and 'not of this world.' It will be the kingdom of
the next Avatara."
Thus, the initiated Hindus know much about their Mahatmas, who dwell in the Trans-Himalayas,
but from the curious they guard well this sacred knowledge. In her time, many of them opposed H. P. Blavatsky, for she gave
out to the world these sacred names. Letters Of Helena Roerich VolII. 1936.
The Red Rajputs
By William Q. Judge
Brother Charles
Johnston, F.T.S., formerly of the Dublin Lodge in Ireland, is a member of the Royal Academy of Science and retired from the
British Civil Service of India. His interest in Indian questions of religion, philosophy, and ethnology is very great, and
as his linguistic accomplishments are extensive, his studies in that field are of value. The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly
Review for October, 1893, has an article by him under the above title which Theosophists will do well to read if they can
procure it.
Starting with the assertion of de Quatrefages that
there are four principal color groups in the human family, of white, yellow, red, and black races, he adds this from the Mahabharata:
The color of the Brahmans is white; of the Kshatriyas
red, of the Vaisyas yellow, of the Sudras black. Tod has given much of what is called the history of the Rajputs, Johnston
shows that although we have been in contact with Rajputana for over a hundred years, there as yet exists no material for an
exact study of its ethnology; while the latter as an exact science is very young and was for a long time hampered by the old
Mosaic traditions about Shem, Ham, and Japhet. He holds that the Rajputs are red in color, and also makes good argument on
the point that in ancient times they as Kshatriyas or warriors were above the Brahmans so far as mystical and spiritual knowledge
went. Quoting the Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad thus, "This knowledge has never before dwelt in any Brahman," he goes to point
out that Krishna, the great King and Sage, was a Kshatriya, while next comes Buddha, admitted by the Hindus to be an Avatara,
who was also a Kshatriya, all being held by him to be Rajputs. Krishna traced his doctrine from the Kshatriya Manu through
a line of Rajarshis or Rajanya sages. This is in the Bhagavad-Gita, where the last personage named in the line is Ikshvaku,
of whose race was Buddha. Hence he ascribes the spirit of the Upanishads and of Buddhism to the mystical genius of the Rajanya
race. The well-known characteristics of the Brahmans of not having missionaries should be remembered at this point. The reformers
they have had have been mostly among themselves, as, for instance, the great Brahman Samkaracharya. If Johnston's argument
be right, then it is a very remarkable fact that the Gayatri, or that holy verse which is the "mother of the Vedas," repeated
every morning by thousands of Brahmans as they bathe in the Ganges, was composed by a Kshatriya and not by a Brahman. On this
we have in the Upanishads these words: "The Brahman sat at the foot of the Kshatriya." This upholds the spiritual dignity
of the Rajanyas, who are the Kshatriyas and the Red Rajputs. And, as he shows, to this time the Ranas of Mewar "unite spiritual
with royal authority and officiate as high priests in the temple of the guardian deity of their race." We should not forget,
either, that it is recorded respecting the proceedings after the death and cremation of the body of Buddha that the Moriyas
of Pipphalivana, saying that Buddha was of their soldier caste, took away the embers to erect a cairn over them.* And the
name to be applied to these is lohita, or red, which is also the name of the planet Mars, the fighter. The Red Rajputs William
Q. Judge.
MARS - The School for Warriors, or the open grades
for soldiers. Four of these planetary schools are responsible for the energy flowing through the foremost exponents of the
four castes and this not only in India but in all parts of the world. Its teachers are spoken of as the "Graduates of the
ruddy Fire," and are frequently portrayed as clothed in red robes, and carrying ebony wands. They work under the first Aspect
logoic and train those whose work is along the lines of the destroyer. TCF DK.
* See Maha-Parinibbana Sutta (The Book of the Great
Decease), American Oriental Department, Nos. 13 and 14, June and November, 1893.
Johnston's ethnological deduction is as
follows: "That the Kshatriyas of ancient India are identical in ethnic characteristics with the Rajputs of today." The Red
Rajputs are the descendants of the solar race, a race of kings, of mystical men who not only could learn of mystic occultism
but could also fight and rule, which is contrary to the regulation for the Brahman. The Red Rajputs William Q. Judge.
If we turn now to The Secret Doctrine, Vol. I, p. 378,
there is most interesting and suggestive matter on this head, with names also, given doubtless with a purpose not divulged.
Quoting from the Vishnu-Purana (Bk. IV, ch. xxiv and
iv), she says:
. . . Two persons, Devapi, of the race of Kuru and
Maru, of the family of Ikshvaku . . . continue alive throughout the whole four ages, residing at the village of Kalapa. They
will return hither, in the beginning of the Krita age . . . Maru, the son of Sighra through the power of Yoga is still living
in the village called Kalapa, and, in a future age, will be the restorer of the Kshatriya race in the Solar dynasty.
Max
Muller, it is said, translates Moru as Morya, of the Morya dynasty, evidently of the same race or family as those who came
and took the embers from the cremation of Buddha. To take the embers, when read under the rules of Indian symbolism, is very
much like "taking the essence of spiritual culture after all the rest is burned or purged away." Another valuable article
to read in connection with this is the Moryas and Koothoomi in Five Years of Theosophy, p. 483. All students of these extremely
interesting points are indebted to Brother Johnston for his paper, all too short as it was. theosophy-nw.org
[From The
Path, May 1894, pp. 35-37] http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/books/wqj-all/j-rajputs.htm.
The red men, according to the Mah bh rata, were the
Kshatriyas--the warrior caste-who were afterward engaged in a fierce contest with the whites--the Brahmans--and were nearly
exterminated, although some of them survived, and from their stock Buddha was born. So that not only the Mohammedan and Christian
but the Buddhistic religion seem to be derived from branches of the Hamitic or red stock. The great Manu was also of the red
race. ATLANTIS THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD. IGNATIUS DONNELLY.
The Dynasty of Kusa, the Son of Lord Ramacandra.
This chapter describes the dynasty of Kusa, the son
of Lord Ramacandra. The members of this dynasty are descendants of Sasada, the son of Maharaja Iksvaku.
Following in the genealogical table of Lord Ramacandra's
dynasty, Kusa, the Lord's son, was followed consecutively by Atithi, Nisadha, Nabha, Pundarika, Ksemadhanva, Devanika, Aniha,
Pariyatra, Balasthala, Vajranabha, Sagana and Vidhrti. These personalities ruled the world. From Vidhrti came Hiranyanabha,
who later became the disciple of Jaimini and propounded the system of mystic yoga in which Yajnavalkya was initiated. Following
in this dynasty were Puspa, Dhruvasandhi, Sudarsana, Agnivarna, Sighra and Maru. Maru attained full perfection in the practice
of yoga, and he still lives in the village of Kalapa. At the end of this age of Kali, he will revive the dynasty of the sun-god.
www.bvml.org/index.htm.
MEWAR AND THE MUGHULS. Rao Ganga Singh of Jodhpur (reigned
1516-32) fought alongside the army of the great warrior king of Mewar, Rana Sanga, against the first Mughal emperor, Babur.
But over the next half century or so, the rulers of Jodhpur allied themselves with Babur's grandson, Akbar. Several rulers
of Jodhpur became trusted lieutenants of the Mughals, such as Raja Surender, who conquered Gujarat and much of the Deccan
for Akbar, and Raja Gaj Singh, who put down the rebellion of the Mughal prince, Khurram, against his father, Jahangir. With
the support of the Mughals, the court of Jodhpur flourished and the kingdom became a great center of the arts and culture.
In the 17th century Jodhpur became a flourishing center of trade for the camel caravans moving from Central Asia to the parts
of Gujarat and vice versa. In 1657, however, Maharaja Jaswant Singh (reigned 1638-78) backed the wrong prince in the great
war of succession to the Mughal throne. He was in power for almost twenty-five years with Aurangzeb before he was sent out
to the frontier as viceroy in Afghanistan. Aurangzeb then tried to seize his infant son, but loyal retainers smuggled the
little prince out of his clutches, hidden, they say, in a basket of sweets. http://personal.vsnl.com/janmejay/hphstry.html
One such republic was that of the Mauryas of Pippalivana
which has been identified with Rajdhani and Updhauli villages (in the Gorakhpur tahsil ) about 14 miles (22.5 km.) south-east
of Gorakhpur city. The Moriya state extended to the territories of the Koliyas on the west and the north-west, and to those
of the Mallas of Kushinagar and Pava in the east, and north-east. The place still abounds in peepal trees. It is dieted with
archaeological remains over an area of about four miles (6.4 km.) in length and two miles (3.2 km.) in breadth. A large mound
called Updhauli Dih lies on the eastern bank of river Gaura. To the north-west of village Rajdhani are found, ruins of an
ancient brick enclosure called Sahankot, presumably the site of a large monastery, and several brick-strewn mounds. Mithabel,
five miles (8.0 km.) south-east of Rajdhani, perched on a large mount of bricks in ruins, is believed to be the remains of
the ancient Nyagrodha forest. These antique pieces of evidence indicate the rich heritage of these places as sites of
prosperous cities of the Moriyas. Another republic was that of the Koliyas with its capitals as Ramagrama which marked
the site of the Gorakhpur city. The state was bounded on the north by the Himalayas and with the river Rapti as
its southern limit. The Moriyas were its south-eastern neighbours and to the west the river Rohini formed the boundary line
between it and the Sakyas.
The western and the north- western boundaries of the
mallas touched those of the Koliyas, and in the south and south-west direction existed the Moriya republic. The Nandas
were however, overthrown subsequently, by Chandragupta Maurya, son of the chief of the Moriya republic, under the able
guidance of Chanakya, a Takshilian Brahmin. Chandragupta Maurya ascended the throne of Magadha in 321 B.C. and made the Moriya
republic a part of his vast empire. His grandson Ashoka, a devotee of Buddha, while undertaking pilgrimages to Buddhist shrines,
visited this district. His attempt to remove the relics of Buddha from the Ramagrama stupa and to enshrine them in the the
new stupas built by him in this district and outside, was resisted by the Koliyas.
After the Mauryas the Sungas became rulers of this
part along with other territories, and Pushyamitra Sunga (184-148 B.C.), who was the reviver of Brahmin religions, brought
to an end the remaining Buddhist republics of this district. http://upgov.up.nic.in/gorakhpur/chap2.htm
The question may be asked why Devanampiya Tissa should
have sought confirmation of his sovereignty from Asoka. He may have done so on account of the commanding position of Asoka
in India, though his imperial authority did not extend to the southernmost kingdoms of the peninsula. Or, again, it may have
been due to family connections. Asoka was the head of the Maurya clan, and later on in Lanka we find the Moriyas as a branch
of the th royal family. The Mahavamsa relates that the Sakya Pandu, the father-in-law of Panduvasa, owing to war left his
home and retired beyond the Ganges. Later works state that the new city then founded was called Moriya, and that from its
ruling family, the Sakyas, known throughout India as Moriyas, sprang Chandragupta; that Asoka himself married a Sakya princess
and that her eight brothers accompanied the Bo-tree to Lanka. Of these eight, the two elder, Bodhigupta. and Sumitta, received
the offices of Lak Maha Le (Chief Scribe of Lanka) and Jaya Maha Le (Chief Scribe of the victorious Bo-tree), and from them
descended the Mehenavara and Ganavesi branches of the Sinhala royal family; another, who Was given the Moriya district in
the Island, is stated to have belonged to the Sakya race called Moriya.' As Pandukabhaya was the son of a Sakya prince, a
nephew of Panduvasa's queen, it follows that Devanampiya Tissa, his grandson, also was a Sakya. If there is any truth in this
account Devampiya Tissa was related to Asoka. The identification of Panduvasa's brothers-in-law and of the Moriyas with the
Sakyas doubtless was due to the desire to connect the royal family of Lanka and the Buddhist Constantine with the race of
Buddha himself. www.
But over the next half century, the rulers of Jodhpur
allied themselves with Babur's grandson, Akbar. Several rulers of Jodhpur became trusted lieutenants of the Mughals, such
as Raja Surender, who conquered Gujarat and much of the Deccan for Akbar, and Raja Gaj Singh, who put down the rebellion of
the Mughal prince, Khurram, against his father, Jahangir. With the support of the Mughals, the court of Jodhpur flourished
and the kingdom became a great centre of the arts and culture. In the 17th century Jodhpur became a flourishing centre of
trade for the camel caravans moving from Central Asia to the parts of Gujarat and vice versa. In 1657, however, Maharaja Jaswant
Singh (reigned 1638-78) backed the wrong prince in the great war of succession to the Mughal throne. He was in power for almost
twenty-five years with Aurangzeb before he was sent out to the frontier as viceroy in Afghanistan. Aurangzeb then tried to
seize his infant son, but loyal retainers smuggled the little prince out of his clutches, hidden, they say, in a basket of
sweets.
Political Strife: The kingdom of Jodhpur then formed
a triple alliance with Udaipur and Jaipur, which together threw off the Mughal yoke. As a result,the maharajas of Jodhpur
finally regained the privilege of marrying Udaipur princesses something they had forfeited when they had allied themselves
with the Mughals. A condition of these marriages, however, was that the sons born of the Udaipur princesses would be first
in line to the Jodhpur throne. This soon led to considerable.jealousy. Nearly a century of turmoil followed. The state of
affairs was such that a young Rathore prince, when asked ,where Jodhpur was, simply pointed to the sheath of his 'dagger and
said, "Inside here".
Some Rajput Princes to study:
Maharana Pratap: Over the next half-century, most other
Rajput rulers allowed them to be wooed by the Mughals; Mewar alone held out. In 1567 Emperor Akbar decided to teach it a lesson:
he attacked Chittorgarh razed it to the ground. Five years later Maharana Pratap (1572-97) came to rule Mewar - a king without
a capital. He continued to defy Akbar, and in 1576, confronted the imperial armies at Haldighati. The battle ended in a stalemate
and Maharana Pratap and his followers withdrew to the craggy hills of Mewar, from where they continued to harass the Mughals
through guerilla warfare for the next twenty years. Maharana Pratap made his descendants vow that they would not sleep on
beds, nor live in palaces, nor eat off metal utensils, until Chittorgarh had been regained. In fact, right into the 20th century
the maharanas of Mewar continued to place a leaf platter under their regular utensils and a reed mat under their beds in symbolic
continuance of this vow.
When news of Maharana Pratap's death reached Emperor
Akbar in 1597, it is said that the Emperor's eyes filled with tears, and he ordered his court poet to compose a poem in honor
of his gallant foe.
In the 1870's, a remarkable man came to the fore in
Jodhpur: Sir Pratap Singh a son of Maharaja of Jodhpur[Marwar], he himself ruled a neighboring kingdom called Idar, though
abdicated to become Regent of Jodhpur, which he ruled, in effect, for nearly fifty years. Sir Pratap Singh was a great warrior
and the epitome of Rajput chivalry. He became an intimate friend of three British sovereigns. At Queen Victoria's durbar he
is said to have presented her not with mere jewels, like everyone else, but with his own sword, his most valuable possession
as a Rajput warrior. Sir Pratap Singh laid the foundation of a modern state in Jodhpur, which Maharaja Umaid Singh (reigned
1918-47) built upon. The kingdom of Jodhpur was not merely the largest of the Rajput states, but also one of the most progressive.
The Master Morya[Marwar]... is a Rajput Prince, and
for many decades held an authoritative position in Indian affairs. IHS 54/5. 1922.
He is a man of tall and commanding presence, dark hair
and beard and dark eyes, and might be considered stern were it not for the expression that lies in his eyes. IHS 54/5. 1922.
Sir Pratap Singh, that imperial epitome of the martial
Indian Prince. www.
A born soldier, straight talking, efficient, with immense administrative ability, he was seen as the
ideal embodiment of the Rajput prince. www.
Lt.Gen. HH Maharajah Bahadur Sir PRATAP SINGH, Maharaja
of Idar.
The failure of direct male heirs in 1901, without any
designated successor, resulted in the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, selecting the famous Regent of Jodhpur as Maharaja. The third
son of Maharaja Takht Singhji of Jodhpur and Ahmednagar, Maharaja Sir Pratap Singhji was the best known and most popular Indian
of his day. A born soldier, straight talking, efficient, with immense administrative ability, he was seen as the ideal embodiment
of the Rajput prince. Ever since meeting Queen Victoria at Osborne, he had made lasting friendships with many members of her
family. Not least of these was George V, who on his several trips to India always ensured that his aged friend was close at
hand. He was probably the only man from whom the King would meekly take instructions, often with a wry smile as Sir Pratap
ordered him to bed or wound up an engagement, shooing away mighty and distinguished folk from his presence. Loyal all
the way down to his socks, the old man gave up his throne in 1911 to return to Jodhpur as Regent to his young grand nephews.
At the outbreak of war, the old warrior volunteered at once. He put on his spurs at the age of 70, took his own regiment to
Europe and commanded them in France and later in the Middle East. The regiment saw distinguished service at the taking
of Haifa and the fall of Aleppo.
Although Maharaja Sir Pratap Singhji had married several
times, and though he sired a stable of sons by lesser wives, made up a distinguished polo team, he failed to produce a Royal
heir. He consequently adopted a nephew, Daulat Singhji, also from the Jodhpur Royal House. Very similar to his uncle in many
ways, Maharaja Daulatsinhji had also earned his spurs in the Jodhpur Lancers, serving under him in the Tirah expedition, the
Boxer rebellion in China and the Great War. He left no shortage of heirs, leaving the succession secure.
HH Maharaja PRATAP SINGH 1902/1911, born October 1845
, K.C.S.I. [cr.1886] , G.C.S.I. [cr.1897] , G.C.V.O. [cr.1911] , K.C.B. [Hon.Mil. cr.1901] , Hon. LL.D., ADC, Prime Minister
of Jodhpur[Marwar] 1878/1881, Musahib Ala (First Minister) of Jodhpur 1882/1895 and 1897/1900 , Regent of Jodhpur [Marwar]1895/1897
and 1911/1914 and 1918/1922. www.4dw.net/royalark/India/idar.htm
NOTES:
9th Maharajah of Idar 1902/1911
K.C.S.I.
[cr.1886] , G.C.S.I. [cr.1897] , G.C.V.O. [cr.1911] , K.C.B. [Hon.Mil. cr.1901] , Hon. LL.D., ADC
Prime Minister of Jodhpur
1878/1881
Musahib Ala (First Minister) of Jodhpur[Marwar] 1882/1895 and 1897/1900
Regent of Jodhpur[Marwar]1895/1897
and 1911/1914 and 1918/1922
Lt.Gen. HH Maharaja Bahadur Sir PRATAP SINGH
BORN : 21 OCT 1845
DIED : 9 SEP 1922
FATHER
: HH Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shri TAKHAT SINGH [1813 - MAR 1873]
Pre-Independence >> British Rule in India (1776-1947
A.D)
In the beginnning of 17th century, Europeans, particularly British, started trading in the subcontinent. Merchants
of the East India Company never imagined that British presence in the subcontinent could mean anything more than peaceful
trading. French arrived in the middle of the 17th century, signalling the beginning of militarization. Within 100 years the
French were a spent force and the British possessed the most efficient military machine in the subcontinent.
British Influence: As Mughal power declined, British
influence increased. Indian rulers proved very undisciplined when it came to facing British army and therefore, there was
no problem in defeating Indian cavalry.
In 1775, the Company was found to be corrupt and a
regulatory act gave the government control over Company officials. In 1784 the Indian Act left the Company solely incharge
of commerce. Motivated by Imperialism, the British began to annex states, offering troop protection against aggressive neighbors
in return of loyalty and sizeable subsidies. By 1818, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and a tract of land north of the Ganges running
up to Delhi were firmly in British hands.
Sikh vs. British: British could not take over Punjab
because Sikhs held a dominant force under the ruler Ranjit Singh. Punjab had been the home of the Sikhs since the late 15th
century. In 1799, Lahore was taken over by Sikh emperor Ranjit Singh and under his rule, Punjab was virtually harmless from
British invasion. After Rangit Singh's death in 1839, British finally moved in and Sikh empire began to collapse.
Kashmir Conspiracy: The consequences of the first Sikh
war (1846) had major repercussions for another state, Kashmir. Before being taken by Ranjit Singh, it had been ruled alternatively
by Mughals and Afghans. Kashmir was then 90% Muslim, but after the siege of Multan in 1819 Ranjit Singh wanted to reward one
of his leaders, Gulab Singh, a Hindu. He was duly granted the estate of Jammu.
In 1841 Gulab Singh allowed British troops to march
through his territory on their way to do battle in Afghanistan. During the Sikh wars, he had refused to help the Sikhs, and
was once again rewarded, this
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