Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai, KCSI

Order of the Star of India

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...

, KBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

, CIE

Order of the Indian Empire

The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...

 (1891–1954) was an eminent India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n civil servant, diplomat and Governor. He entered the ICS in 1915, and was appointed a CBE in 1922. In 1926, he was appointed a CIE and was knight

Knight

A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....

ed in 1935 with the KBE.

By 1940, Sir Girija Bajpai was one of the six members of the Viceroy's Executive Council

Viceroy's Executive Council

The Viceroy's Executive Council was the cabinet of the government of British India headed by the Viceroy of India. It was transformed from an advisory council into a cabinet run by the portfolio system by the Indian Councils Act 1861.-Indians in the Council:...

, which was the colonial version of a Cabinet. By 1943, he was the Agent-General (roughly equivalent to an ambassadorial post) to the USA for India. He was made a KCSI in that year. He was known for his ethics, oratory, strong will and far-reaching vision. It is said he warned Prime Minister Nehru about the potential for a Chinese invasion more than a decade before it happened. He represented India in numerous international forums in the 1930s and 1940s, including the UN during the Kashmir debate.

Following the independence of India from the British Raj in 1947, Prime Minister Nehru retained Sir Girija Bajpai as his principal foreign affairs adviser, appointing him the first Minister of External Affairs. Afterwards, Bajpai served as the Governor of Bombay Presidency from 1952 until his death in 1954.

Personal life

Sir Girija Bajpai was known for his wealth and lifestyle. He always dressed impeccably and was considered an authority on clothes, fine wines and carpets. His ethics and strong sense of family responsibility led him to pay off his brother's debts, some of which were run up in his name, several times in an effort to preserve the family's reputation. He had four daughters and three sons, two of whom went on to become diplomats.

He was an early notable in Scouting and Guiding in India

Scouting and Guiding in India

The Scout and Guide movement in India is served by* The Bharat Scouts and Guides, member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Organization of the Scout Movement* the Global Movement of Green Scouts in New Delhi...

, and worked to unify their scattered organizations during the pre-independence era.

Titles

• 1891–1922: Girija Shankar Bajpai
• 1922–1926: Girija Shankar Bajpai, CBE
• 1926–1935: Girija Shankar Bajpai, CIE, CBE
• 1935–1943: Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai, KBE, CIE
• 1943–1954: Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai, KCSI, KBE, CIE