1835 - 1889 H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh
Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Benares, GCSI (1.1.1877, CSI
15.11.1872). b. at Benares, 1822, elder son of Raj
Kumar Sri Prasidh Narayan Singh, educ. privately.
Adopted by his childless uncle Raja Sri Udit Narayan
Singh as his son and heir, and formally invested with the
title of Raj Kumar Sri Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh.
Succeeded on his death, 4th April 1835.
Granted a sanad confirming him in his possessions
and formally invested with the title of Maharaja,
at Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 29th July 1835.
Reigned under the guardianship of the Court of Wards,
until he came of age and was formally invested with
limited administrative powers, 1841. He remained
staunchly loyal to the British during the Indian Mutiny
of 1857-1858, assisted the government in many useful
ways, and was rewarded for his services with a grant of
the personal title of Maharaja Bahadur 11th
August 1859. Received a sanad of adoption, 11th
March 1862. Granted a personal salute of 13-guns 26th
June 1867, and the personal style of His Highness
8th February 1889. Councillor of the Empire
1877-1889, Mbr Governor-General's Legislative Cncl. He
secured an amendment to the administrative regulations in
1881, restoring many of the powers lost by his
predecessor in 1828. Rcvd: Prince of Wales' (1876)
and KIH (1877) gold medals. He d.s.p.
at Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 13th June 1889 (succ.
by his nephew and adopted son):
1) H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Prabhu Narayan Singh
Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Benares - see below.
1889 - 1931
Lieutenant-Colonel H.H. Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Prabhu
Narayan Singh Sahib Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of
Benares, GCSI (1.1.1921), GCIE (1.1.1898, KCIE 1.1.1891).b. at Benares, 26th November 1855, educ.
privately. Succeeded on the death of his uncle and
adopted father, 13th June 1889. Ascended the gadi,
at Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 14th June 1889.
Granted a personal salute of 13-guns, the personal title
of Maharaja Bahadur and the style of His
Highness, 23rd September 1889 (confirmed
as hereditary 1st January 1918). Attended the
Coronation Durbar at Delhi 1903. Recognised as a ruling
Prince of the new State of Benares, comprising the parganasof Bhadohi and Keramnagar, Chakia and Ramnagar, 9th
November 1910. Installed with full ruling powers, at
Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 1st April 1911.
Granted a personal salute of 15-guns, 1st
January 1918. Hon. Lieut-Col. IA 1/11/1919. Hon. Col. 1st
Benares (Prabhu Narain's Own) Battalion, Benares State
Forces. Presdt. Benares Hindu Univ. Cttee. 1904. Rcvd:
Delhi Durbar gold medals (1903 and 1911), and GC of the
Order of Leopold II of Belgium (12.2.1926). Hon. LL.D.
(Benares Hindu Univ.). m. (first) at Benares,
1873, Sri Sri Sri Sri Sri Kancha Maharani Vishnu Dibyashwori Rajya Lakshmi [Kancha Maiya Maharani Sahiba], fifth daughter of
Commanding-General H.H. Svasti Sri Madati Prachandra
Bhujadandyetyadi Sri Sri Sri Maharaja Sir Jang Bahadur
Kunwar Ranaji, T'ung-ling-ping-ma-Kuo-Kang-wang,
Maharaja of Lambjang and Kaski, GCB, GCSI, sometime Prime
Minister and C-in-C of Nepal. m. (second) a
sister of Babu Jagdep Narayan Singh. He d. at
Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 4th August 1931,
having had issue, one son:
1) H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Aditya Narayan Singh
Sahib Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares
- see below.
1931 - 1939
Captain H.H. Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Aditya Narayan Singh
Sahib Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares, KCSI
(3.6.1933). b. at Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 17th
November 1874, only son of Lieutenant-Colonel H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Prabhu Narayan Singh Sahib
Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares, GCSI, GCIE, educ.
privately. Succeeded on the death of his father, 4th
August 1931. MLC Agra and Oudh. Hon. Capt. IA, 27/8/1932.
Hon. Col. 1st Benares (Prabhu Narain's Own)
Battalion, Benares State Forces. Rcvd: Silver
Jubilee (1935), and Coron. (1937) medals. m. the
sister of Sri Raja Sadeshri Prasad Narayan Singh, Rai
Bahadur, Raja , of Salemgarh, CBE, in the Gorakhpur
district of UP, the younger daughter of Babu Ambika
Prasad Narayan Singh. He d.s.p. at
Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 5th April 1939, having
adopted a son of Babu Jharkhandi Prasad Narayan Singh
(son or grandson of Babu Jagdep Narayan Singh, brother of
a wife of Maharaja Sir Prabhu Narayan Singh) as his son
and successor:
1) H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Vibhuti Narayan Singh Sahib
Bahadur, Maharaja of Benares - see below.
1939 - [2000] H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Vibhuti Narayan Singh Sahib Bahadur,
Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares. b. 5th
November 1927, as Kumar Chandra Bhal Singh, son of Babu
Jharkhandi Prasad Narayan Singh, educ. Mayo Coll.,
Ajmer, and Benares Hindu Univ. (MA 1947, Hon D Lit).
Adopted by Maharajadhiraja Sri Sir Aditya Narayan Singh,
and invested with the style and title of Maharaj Kumar
Sri Vibhuti Narayan Singh, 24th June 1934.
Succeeded on the death of his adopted father, 5th
April 1939. Reigned under a Council of Administration
until he came of age and was invested with full ruling
powers, at Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 11th July
1947. Signed the instrument of accession to the Dominion
of India, 15th August 1947. Merged his state
into the United Provinces, 15th October 1949
(when he ceased to enjoy sovereign powers). Entertained
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II at during her State Visit to
India, 1961. The GOI amended the Indian Constitution to
remove his position as a "ruler" and his right
to receive privy-purse payments, 28th December
1971. Hon. Col. 1st Benares (Prabhu Narain's Own)
Battalion, Benares State Forces. A distinguished scholar
of Sanskrit, Purana and Veda and a patron of the arts.
Chancellor Benares Hindu Univ. 1992-2000, Pro-Chancellor
Sampoornanand Sanskrit Univ. Chair. All-India Kashi Raj
Trust 1957-2000, Benares Hotels Ltd. (BHL) 1971-2000,
Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust Exec. Cttee. 1983-2000,
etc. Rcvd: Silver Jubilee (1935), Coron. (1937),
and Indian Independence (1948) medals. m. at
Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 1947, H.H. Maharani … Devi
Sahiba. He d. at Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 25th
December 2000 (cremated at Manikarnika ghat), having had
issue, one son and three daughters:
1) H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Ananant Narayan Singh Sahib
Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares - see
below.
[2000] H.H.
Maharajadhiraja Sri Ananant [Anant] Narayan Singh Sahib
Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares. b. at
Ramnagar Fort, Benares, 1963, youngest child and only son
of H.H. Maharajadhiraja Sri Vibhuti Narayan Singh Sahib
Bahadur, Kashi Naresh, Maharaja of Benares, educ.
Mayo Coll., Ajmer, and Benares Hindu Univ. Succeeded on
the death of his father as Head of the Royal House of
Benares, and installed on the gadi, at Ramnagar
Fort, Benares, 25th December 2000.
Pro-Chancellor Sampoornanand Sanskrit Univ. since
2000,Patron Project Mala, Mbr. Sri Kashi Vishwanath
Mandir Varanasi (Nyas Parishad). Chair. Taj Ganges Hotel,
and Benares Hotels Ltd. (BHL), Dir Indian Resort Hotels
Ltd, etc. m. H.H. Maharani Anamika Devi Sahiba. He
has issue, one son.
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