Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh
Encyclopedia
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Lakshmeshwar Singh of Darbhanga (Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
:महाराजा लक्ष्मेश्वर सिंह्) (September 25, 1858 to December 17, 1898) was the King of Darbhanga
Darbhanga
Darbhangā is a twin city and a municipal corporation and the capital city of the Darbhanga district and Darbhanga Division in the state of Bihar, India. It is one of the most important districts of North Bihar situated in the very heart of Mithilanchal. According to the latest 2011 census, the...
in State of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, 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...
. He was best known as one of the most munificent of living philanthropists of his time. His philanthropic works, administrative abilities and management of his estate (Raj Darbhanga
Raj Darbhanga
Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Royal Family of Darbhanga, were a family of Zamindars and rulers of territories that are now part of Mithila and Darbhanga district, Bihar, India. Their seat was at the city of Darbhanga...
) were models followed by others in India. His contribution to upliftment and modernizing Indian Society is, sadly, unrecognized by the Indian Government.
Biography
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh was the eldest son of Maharaja Maheshwar Singh of Darbhanga. Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh was only 2 years old when his father died in 1860. The British Government placed the estate of Darbhanga under Court of Wards since the heirs to the estate were minors. He was placed under the tutorship of Mr. Chester MacnaghtenRajkumar College
Rajkumar College may refer to :-Rajkumar College, RajkotRajkumar College, Raipur...
who later served as the founding Principal of the oldest Public school in India, the Rajkumar College, Rajkot
Rajkumar College, Rajkot
The Rajkumar College in Rajkot is one of the oldest K-12 institutions in India. RKC has a 26 acre campus located in the heart of Rajkot city.-History:...
from 1870 to 1896.
For the next 19 years, till he attained majority, he was caught in political one-upmanship between his mother, who was supported by family priests, and the Tutors appointed by the British Government, who wanted him to be free from Zenana influence. He along with his younger brother Rameshwar Singh (who became Maharaja of Darbhanga after Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh's death) received a western education from Government appointed tutors as well as a traditional Indian education from a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Pandit, one of his uncles, a Maulvi
Maulvi
Mawlawi is an honorific Islamic religious title given to Sunni Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names, similar to the titles Maulana, Mullah, or Shaykh. Mawlawi generally means highly-qualified Islamic scholar...
and a Bengali gentleman. During the period when Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh was under the guardianship of the Court of Wards, he received a monthly allowance of Rs.
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
5 a month even though the annual income of his estate was equivalent to a six digit figure in pounds sterling.
On attaining his majority, Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh devoted himself entirely to public duties of his position as Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
. He was appointed and served as a Member of the Legislative Council of the Viceroy, and took a leading part in the debates of that body. During the lengthened discussions on the important Bengal Tenancy Bill, he acted (in conjunction at first with the lamented patriot, Kristodas Pal, and subsequently with the Raja Piari Mohan Mukharji, (C.S.I.) as the representative of the landowners of Bengal and Behar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and received warm recognition of the ability and moderation he brought to bear on this and other questions from successive Viceroys.
He was also a member of the Royal Commission on Opium
Royal Commission on Opium
The Royal Opium Commission of 1895 was a commission of the British Government set up to investigate the Anglo-Asian opium trade.-History:Throughout the 19th century opium sent to China was one of British India's most valuable exports...
of 1895, formed by British Government along with Haridas Viharidas Desai
Haridas Viharidas Desai
Haridas Viharidas Desai thumb|right|200px|Nawab Bahadur Khanji III of [[Junagadh]] with Diwan Haridas Viharidas Desai and other State officials...
who was the Diwan of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
. Royal Opium Commission consisted of 9 member team of which 7 were British and 2 were Indians and its Chairman was Earl Brassey
Earl Brassey
Earl Brassey was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1911 for the Liberal politician and former Governor of Victoria, Thomas Brassey, 1st Baron Brassey...
.
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh was outstanding champion of freedom of speech, personal and political rights. In 1898, Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh, along with W.C. Banerjee, was the only prominent Indian to publicly criticize and fight against the proposed widening of scope of section 124-A and 153-A of Indian Penal Code that was meant to suppress freedom of press in reporting news that could be deemed seditious in nature or against Government policy and insertion of section 108 in Indian Penal Code that gave right to postal authorities to seize any material that was suspected of containing matter obnoxious to section 124-A and 153-A of Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code is the main criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code, intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. It was drafted in 1860 and came into force in colonial India during the British Raj in 1862...
.
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh expired on December 17, 1898. He did not have any children and thus his younger brother Maharaja Rameshwar Singh became the Maharaja of Darbhanga.
Public charity
Bihar famine of 1873–74
The Bihar famine of 1873–1874 was a famine in British India that followed a drought in the province of Bihar and the neighboring provinces of Bengal and the North-Western Provinces and Oudh; it affected an area of and a population of 21.5 million...
. He constructed hundreds of miles of roads in various parts of the Raj, planting them with tens of thousands of trees for the comfort of travelers, as part of generating employment for people effected by famine. He constructed iron bridges over all the navigable rivers of the Raj
Raj Darbhanga
Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Royal Family of Darbhanga, were a family of Zamindars and rulers of territories that are now part of Mithila and Darbhanga district, Bihar, India. Their seat was at the city of Darbhanga...
, and completed an elaborate system of irrigation works, for prevention of famine. The lakes, ponds, dams, and other water bodies created during his rule still exist today and form important part in irrigation in northern Bihar. In addition to the £300,000 expended in charitable relief during the Bihar famine of 1873-74, in every time of scarcity the late Maharaja's arrangements for meeting it were on a splendid scale, and were in many cases the models for the Government measures. He built, and entirely supported, a first-class Dispensary at Darbhanga, which cost £3400; a similar one at Kharakpur, which cost £3500 ; and largely contributed to many others.
He built an Anglo-vernacular school at a cost of £1490, which he maintained, as well as nearly thirty vernacular schools of different grades; and subsidized a much larger number of educational institutions.
Most of the late Maharaja's munificence was devoted to objects of charity pure and simple, such as famine relief, medical aid, and the like. But he also contributed very largely to objects of general public utility — as, for instance, in the gift of Rs.50,000 to the funds of the Imperial Institute. It was computed that during his possession of the Raj an aggregate sum of something like two millions sterling was expended on charities, works of public utility, and charitable remissions of rent.
The late Maharaja devoted special attention to all agricultural improvements, and especially to improvements in the breeds of horses and cattle in Bihar. He was a liberal patron of the turf, and was the owner of the largest and most valuable racing stud in India. He was also a keen sportsman.
The Maharaja was also one of the founders of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
as well as one of the main financial contributor thereto
Other information
He got Anand Bagh PalaceAnand Bagh Palace
Anand Bagh Palace is situated in town of Darbhanga in State of Bihar, India. Anand Bagh Palace was constructed during the reign of Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh in the 1880s...
( also called Lakshmivilas Palace, after him ) built at Darbhanga, with its immense stables, its botanical and zoological gardens, and its many beautiful surroundings, also became well known in England by the sketches that appeared in the London illustrated papers. This Palace was donated by his nephew Maharaja Kameshwar Singh to the Government for establishment of a University to promote the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
language. This palace is now the head office of Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University, but however, the botanical and zoological garden surrounding it have vanished due to official apathy.
On the occasion of the Jubilee of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty the late Maharaja Bahadur was created a Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire; and in 1897, He was created a Knight Grand Commander of the same Most Eminent Order.
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh expired at a young age. As a mark of honour to him, British Governor commissioned Edward Onslow Ford
Edward Onslow Ford
Edward Onslow Ford , English sculptor, was born in London. He received some education as a painter in Antwerp and as a sculptor in Munich under Professor Wagmuller, but was mainly self-taught....
to make a statue of Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh. This statue is installed at Dalhousie Square in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.