Indian Royals for the XXI century

During the independence process, the rulers could merge their states with India or Pakistan or remain independent. The Nizam of Hyderabad chose the latter option, resulting in the annexation of his army by India and the loss of some 40,000 lives. In the constitution of the new India, the rulers who chose to stay were promised not only their historic privileges but also an annual allowance based on the size and revenue of their states. Fearful of the political power still wielded by some members of the royal families in the 1960s and early 1970s, Indira Gandhi’s government reneged on the promises made by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of the independent republic (1950-1964), and in 1971 unceremoniously stripped the former rulers of their titles and incomes by passing the infamous Princes’ De-recognition Act, as it came to be known. 

The conclusion of an era marked by lavishness and grandeur did not signify the end of the royal families’ involvement in the nation. While some monarchs were bereft of wealth or resources, many adeptly reinvented themselves as entrepreneurs, conservationists, diplomats, athletes, or politicians. They repurposed their palaces into hotels and museums, playing a pivotal role in the economic and cultural resurgence of the republic. And where funds permit, the modern descendants of India’s kings and queens continue to lead lifestyles befitting their social status. Weddings and birthdays provide the perfect opportunity to recall ancient privilege but also to herald the wealth and promise of a new generation. The monarchy no longer exists in India, but whether the political class likes it or not, it still exists and will remain an integral part of its extraordinary history. 

The new generation of royals, some of whom are already heads of their dynasties, have a great responsibility as custodians of their inherited historical and cultural legacy. We have invited H.H. Maharaja Yaduveer Chamaraj Wadiyar of Mysore, H.H. Maharaja Chaitanya Raj Singh of Jaisalmer, H.H. Rajkumar Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur, H.H. Yuvraj Visvat Pal of Karauli and H.H. Maharaja Kesrisinh of Wankaner to share with us, in their own words, their vision for the future as they assume their responsibilities as leaders and custodians of a millennia-old historical and cultural legacy. It is a fact that without the rich legacy left by the ruling families of India, India would not be the great nation that it is now.

JAISALMER

Jaisalmer State was a Bhati Rajput kingdom in the far-western part of present-day Rajasthan, India, from the mid-12th century CE until 1947.

 The royal dynasty of Jaisalmer claims to be descended from the deified hero Krishna. The state of Jaisalmer had its foundations in what remains of the Empire ruled by the Bhati dynasty. Early Bhati rulers ruled over a large empire stretching from Ghazni in modern-day Afghanistan to Sialkot, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in modern-day Pakistan to Bhatinda and Hanumangarh in modern-day India. Bhati dominions continued to be shifted towards the South as they ruled Multan, then finally got pushed into Cholistan and Jaisalmer, where Rawal Devaraj built Dera Rawal / Derawar. Jaisalmer was the new capital founded in 1156 by Maharawal Jaisal Dev, and the state took its name from the capital. On 11 December 1818, Jaisalmer became a British protectorate in the Rajputana Agency.

I was crowned the 44th Maharawal of Jaisalmer after the death of my dear father, Maharwal Brajraj Singh. Our family descends from Rawal Jaisal, who founded the kingdom of Jaisalmer in 1156 AD. That day, the Raj Tilak ceremony took place, and besides being essential to the Yaduvansh Bhati clan, it holds great cultural and religious significance for the people of Jaisalmer. I, as the newly anointed Maharawal, uphold and continue the ancient customs and traditions of this land. In this ceremony, the auspicious vermilion Tilak was applied on my forehead. This ceremony has been taking place since time immemorial. Still, as the representative of the Royal House of Jaisalmer, I am responsible for preserving and promoting the welfare of the people.

Jaisalmer, being part of the ancient silk trade, has always been a hub for cultural patronage from diverse classes and communities. In the modern era, it’s one of the oldest living forts of our time. Over generations, the royal family has been the focal point of this patronage. Over the years, the family’s harmonious presence has supported culture through ceremonies and rituals. The city is known for its folk musicians and the grandiose Jaisalmer stone. Also, an element of this region has been its textiles, which represent people from different beliefs, life in the desert, and by being a land trade port, the amalgamation of people brought diverse thoughts.

I completed my formal education at Sanskriti School, New Delhi, and studied Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. During my time there, I became aware of the global challenges we face today and concluded that we, the youth, can shape our own future.

I am a staunch environmentalist and passionate about understanding the legal and social contexts in which sustainable businesses develop. My investigative and research skills have helped me navigate the challenges faced in 21st-century India and given me a fundamental base to work passionately towards my goals and be of service.

I have been busy with some projects that are close to my heart. One of them has been setting up the Gyaan centre in Jaisalmer, a girl’s school and women’s economic centre to uplift women and promote skill development. It was featured on the cover of Architectural Digest India and has won many design awards nationally and globally. I have also promoted and created awareness about Industrial Hemp as a product from a policy and consumer perspective in India.

I am involved in various sustainable development projects, ranging from agriculture to education, heritage conservation and restoration, and water conservation. My aim is that we learn from the past and make the present as sustainable as possible so that Jaisalmer can become a model of ecological and cultural conservation. I would like to envision a similar model for the rest of the Indian subcontinent, with Jaisalmer being at the very epicentre of it.

I founded Polstrat, which provides a political advisory system led by data and technology to make politics accessible, remove barriers, and empower you to take control. It tackles inequality in the political landscape by striving to democratise the playing field. Drawing from a vast experience in political strategy, policy, economics, sociology, data analysis and media, it offers the following services: political campaign consulting to help our clients develop well-rounded campaigns and data, research, and tech-driven solutions to promote more effective and more accessible governance I have learnt my values and sustainable nature from my beloved hometown, Jaisalmer. The city located at the heart of the Thar Desert has always been a source of inspiration for me.

In my spare time, I help digitize a long, illustrious tradition of folk music from Jaisalmer and have collaborated extensively with an NGO called Anahad Foundation to record songs from the Manganiyar (tribal) musicians from the palace and surrounding villages.

As our generation takes over as representative of the different ancient royal families, I realise my great responsibility as leader and custodian of our ancient heritage. I will dedicate my life to this mission of service to Jaisalmer and its people as my forefathers did before me.

KARAULI

Karauli resonates and reverberates with the legacy of my ancestors’ contributions, sacrifices and, from the earliest foundations of the city in 1348 to the roads, bridges, dharamshalas, schools and hospitals of the early 20^th century. It is the evidence of this magnificence in the soil, structures and terrain that drive me daily-to ensure that city ingrained in my blood, retains its glory and prosperity. My parents and I have always maintained our duties to the place, indefatigably working to bring water, medical aid and education to villages around Karauli through our schools, hospitals and the irrigation projects in partnership with a Dutch foundation called Stichting Karauli.

As an artist, I always felt a thrill upon seeing the magnificent forts and temples in Karauli, a sense of pride that my family had provided the environment for such timeless art and architecture to flourish, from the Karauli city palace which is the oldest city palace in Rajasthan to the intricate carvings of even more ancient forts such as Timangarh and Devgir. However, I was disturbed to see a lacuna had developed in recent times as the local youth did not have the necessary tools to recognize the significance of the buildings around them, and the artisans and craftsmen, including the hereditary court artists or chateras, had begun to feel that there was nothing left in their art and no way to make a living. I felt the first thing I could do was to collect a small team to begin a restoration of the City Palace. This was a tremendous challenge as it not only required training in techniques of aaraish but also a constant reminder that the old paintings were beautiful in themselves and did not require re-painting in gleaming colours to be ‘restored’. Eight years later, I feel we have come a long way as we now have a dedicated team working at the palace. After our establishment of the Karauli chapter of INTACH, there is also a group of the local youth who conduct cleaning and repair-work sessions at our old forts and are sensitized to collecting information about the rich history we all share.

It is with this unique culture in mind-a culture brought about by the geographical location of Karauli at the confluence of Rajputana, Madhya Pradesh and Brajbhoomi, that my aim is to bring it to the notice of more people in the country. Presently we have students coming from universities in the US to explore our social activities and study the restoration and conservation at the City Palace, administrative groups coming from Europe to study my father’s philanthropic projects, however, the same kind of interest is not visible in India. I want to make people in our own country recognize the relevance of places like this, I think the lessons that art and history that we have been fortunate to learn from Karauli should be accessible to more of our countrymen.

MEWAR

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” — Maya Angelou.

In the span of the last 4000 years of civilisation, Mewar has its significant share of over 1500 years. These 1500 years have determined the fate of a nation. The value system that has evolved during the reigns of the Maharanas of Mewar is still relevant in the present day. The turbulent history of Mewar is marked with sacrifice. We celebrate freedom with values of self-respect and self-reliance. Neither the Mughal invaders nor the oppressive British could crush the spirit of valiant people of Mewar and when the dream of a free unified India was being realised, Mewar was the first to amalgamate into the Republic of India.

It’s not a responsibility, but a blessing to be born a Mewar; I Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar have always been aware of the fact that I serve as a vital link between the past and the future. Adversity has been most loyal companion of my ancestors. Conscious of this, we have never complained about what could have been or how my family has been wronged. Greater good in greater numbers is what I believe in.  

Today, at age 37, I have tried to improve the lives of my people through philanthropic activities. As the President of Maharana Pratap Smarak Samiti, Udaipur, a landmark organisation established by my grandfather Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar to uphold the ancient morals. It is important for me to lead by example and inspire the young Indians to understand and respect India’s rich heritage.

As Trustee of the Vidyadan Trust managing the Maharana Mewar Public School in Udaipur, I have tried to create a stress-free educational environment wherein arts, crafts, music and sports are offered to young students. Children and their family members, teachers and staff members of Maharana Mewar Public School have benefitted from the creative, innovative environment. Since 2006 manging this school was my primary responsibility; I feel that it has been an achievement to ensure that over 10,000 students are confident, calm and happy when they are in school and when they venture out into the real world, they are aware that they are the ambassadors of our value system. It is my personal responsibility that they emerge as responsible global citizens.

To encourage other philanthropists, I have created six Guinness World Records. Twice in 2019 for the Vastra Daan campaign, a state and nation-wide campaign for collection of clothes for recycling and donation. Vastra Daan campaign began as a localised initiative collecting old clothes for the underprivileged. It became a donation drive across India and several countries, with a tally of over 329250 clothes on March 9th, 2019. The campaign reached out to over 120 schools, 15 colleges and around 30 NGOs during the campaign period. Donations came in from 12 countries including Australia, USA, Oman, Sri Lanka and UAE.

Then I initiated and organised the largest donation of School Supplies in 24 hours to earn the second Guinness World record. The award-winning educational campaign was “Shiksha Protsahan Abhiyan” inspired to make a material difference in the lives of thousands of school children deprived of educational supplies of all kinds. Two tonnes of material were collected in just 24 hours, Guinness World Records acknowledged my initiative the as a social service campaign worthy of their global award.

The third record was set in 2020 when ‘Go Green’ initiative called “Vriksh Hi Jeevan Abhiyaan” was launched. It witnessed the greatest number of people potting plants simultaneously at Udaipur. 4035 saplings were potted in less than 1 minute, setting a new world record.

The 4th Guinness World Record was set when the greatest number of personal hygiene products were donated in one hour on 25th January 2021.

The 5th Guinness World Record for the largest donation of Sweaters in one hour and 06th Guinness World Record for distribution of longest line of hunger relief package on 28th Jan 2022.

In July 2019 I was awarded the 7th Bharat Gaurav Award at UK House of Commons at Parliament in London for being a source of inspiration to the youth of the Nation.

WAKANER

The sprawling Ranjit Villas Palace is perched atop the Gadhio hills offers a splendid view. It was built by Maharana Raj Shri Amar Singhji who was the last ruler of the Wankaner Royal family. The place is built in Indo-sarsenic or Indo-Gothic style of architecture. Its interiors with Italian marble, stain glass, Burma teak antique furniture, marble fountains, Murano chandeliers and hand-woven carpets make it stand out as one of the most beautiful palaces of India.

Wankaner was the first princely state in Gujarat to open their summer palace Royal Oasis to tourists. The Ranjit Vilas Palace and our 3 storeyed private step well are both being restored presently using local and heritage conservation methods employment to local artists and workers, and we want to promote than as much as possible.

Being from the Royal family we are very conscious of the fact that we have a responsibility towards preserving our legacy but also towards the people of Wankaner. The family runs many trusts and Charitable foundations to promote education, sports, care for the elderly animal shelters etc.

Wankaner was always known as the home of the Kathiawadi breed of horses and the bloodline is still very coveted today. I intend to keep that family tradition and breed them.

From a very young age my interest in environment was always encouraged by my father the late Maharana Raj Saheb Digvijaysinhji who formed India’s Environment ministry and became its first minister in 1982.

Today in Wankaner, I have taken up projects of rainwater harvesting and reforestation of the palace lands using the Japanese Miyawaki technique of planting and introducing indigenous species of trees back to the land. We also do extensive organic farming of lemons and guavas at the farms have planted over 20,000 trees and we are planning to do much more this coming year.

In memory of my late father with the help of the local administration and people of Wankaner we have already planted 73,000 trees in the last 2 years.

MYSORE

The Wadiyars have long been the custodians of the rich traditions and culture of the Deccan, a legacy inherited from their predecessors, the Vijayanagara Empire. Over their 600-year reign, the Wadiyar Dynasty witnessed the rise and fall of India’s greatest empires, overcame the tyranny of usurpation, and weathered numerous shifts in the political landscape. Despite these upheavals, the dynasty brought about some of the most prosperous periods the Deccan has ever seen. Throughout these centuries, the Wadiyars of Mysore have consistently worked to preserve, nurture, and further cultivate the region’s rich cultural heritage, which was passed down from their predecessors. The narratives of the Deccan and the Wadiyars are deeply intertwined, with the dynasty’s age-old traditions providing a platform for the efflorescence of Deccan culture.

The Wadiyar Dynasty was founded in 1399 C.E. by Yaduraya, initially serving as vassals and later as Viceroys under the Vijayanagara Empire, which controlled much of peninsular India. With the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Wadiyars, under the leadership of Raja Wadiyar I, seized control of Srirangapatna and continued expanding their territory under subsequent rulers. In 1610 A.D., Raja Wadiyar formalized the Dasara tradition, inherited from the Vijayanagara emperors, and carried it forward. The dynasty’s influence peaked under rulers such as Kanteerva Narasihmaraja Wadiyar I and Chikka-Devaraja Wadiyar during the 1600s and early 1700s. Chikka-Devaraja Wadiyar, in particular, brought about significant administrative reforms with the establishment of the Attara-Kutcheri system, which organized the administration into 16 departments. He also expanded the kingdom’s territories, famously purchasing Bangalore from Aurangzeb and annexing vast regions in the south.

However, in the mid to late 1700s, the dynasty faced a major challenge when Hyder Ali, the commander-in-chief of Mysore, usurped power, and later, his son Tipu Sultan declared himself the ruler, seeking to overthrow the Wadiyars completely. Their efforts were ultimately thwarted, thanks largely to Maharani Lakshmammani Avaru, wife of Krishnaraja Wadiyar II, whose determination led to Tipu Sultan’s defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.

Maharani Lakshmammani Avaru successfully reinstated the Wadiyars’ rule, placing her grandson, Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (Krishnaraja Wadiyar III), on the throne. This marked the beginning of the Princely Era of Mysore, which saw a golden age of prosperity under visionary leaders such as H.H. Chamaraja Wadiyar X, H.H. (Nalvadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, and H.H. Dr. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur. Under Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, Mysore’s cultural heritage was revitalized after years of subjugation under Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali. Temples were rebuilt and expanded, receiving substantial funding to support their operations. The arts, including Mysore painting and Carnatic music, flourished under royal patronage.

H.H. Chamaraja Wadiyar X took significant steps toward modern governance, establishing India’s first democratic body, the Representative Assembly of Mysore. Tragically, his reign was cut short when he succumbed to diphtheria at the age of 33. His son, H.H. (Nalvadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, assumed the throne at just 10 years old, with his mother, Maharani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, serving as regent. During her regency, with the support of Diwan Sheshadri Iyer, foundational projects such as the Indian Institute of Science and the Shivanasamudra Hydroelectric Project were launched, making Bangalore the first city in South Asia to be electrified. These developments laid the groundwork for the golden age that flourished under H.H. (Nalvadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV’s formal rule. During his reign, Mysore became a model state, with major strides in education, irrigation, and women’s empowerment. The University of Mysore and numerous other educational institutions were established, and the Leslie Miller Report introduced groundbreaking reservations for backward classes in administration and government jobs.

Mysore’s brand grew under his reign, with a variety of goods, from Mysore sandal soap to Mysore silk, becoming household names across the country. As Diwan Mirza Ismail famously remarked, “People of Mysore would wake up and wash themselves with Mysore Sandal Soap, wipe themselves with Mysore towels, perform Mysore’s own Ashtanga Yoga, do puja with Mysore jasmine and Mysore agarbathi… and furnish their homes with Mysore inlay art and Mysore paintings, all powered by electricity generated in Mysore.” Indeed, this was the golden era of the Kingdom of Mysore.

H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, nephew of H.H. (Nalvadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, assumed leadership after his uncle’s passing, overseeing a smooth transition as India gained independence. H.H. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was not only a statesman but also a noted philosopher, musicologist, political thinker, and philanthropist.

Today, the royal house of Mysore continues to uphold its rich traditions with commitment and fervor, honoring the legacy of the great maharajas who brought such prosperity to the state. The palace rituals and traditions are seen as part of India’s living heritage, and efforts to preserve them continue. In line with this cultural preservation, the Wadiyars also champion modern causes, with a focus on sustainable development. They understand that today’s resources are borrowed from future generations and prioritize philanthropy aimed at restoring and fostering sustainable growth.

In addition to cultural preservation, the Wadiyars are also leading efforts to boost Mysore’s economic prospects. A key initiative is the goal to establish Mysore as a cybersecurity hub. The recently founded Cyberverse Foundation aims to become a central institution for cybersecurity activities in India, focusing on training talent, shaping policy to protect the digital economy, and developing unique solutions to secure the digital universe.

Courtesy The Sublime India Issue by Visionnaire