Banswara (Princely State)

Information

Dynasty	Sisodia
Clan	Ahra Guhilot
State	Rajasthan
Gun Salutes	15
Agency	Rajputana Agency
Accession	7^th September 1949
Revenue	₹ 3,50,000 (1903)
Villages	1,355
Area	4,160 km²
Population	165,350 (1901)
Privy Purse	₹ 126,000
Religion	Hinduism
Hindi Name	बाँसवाड़ा
Last Updated	29^th Nov, 2021

Present Head/Ruler

HH Maharawal JAGMAL SINGH II Bahadur, 24^th Maharawal of Banswara, since 5^th August 2002, born 10^th January 1985.

Short History

The name Banswara is explained in two ways, one being that it was after a Bhil Chieftain, Wasna, who had his village on the present site of the capital, and who was defeated and killed in 1530 by Jagmal, the first Chief of Banswara, and the other attributing the name to bans (bamboo) which abounds in the country.

His Highness the Maharawal of Banswara are Sisodia Rajputs of the Ahra Guhilot sept, of which His Highness the Maharawal of Dungarpur is the head. After the battle of Khanwa in 1527, Jagmal (the younger son of Rawal Udai Singh I of Dungarpur) seperated himself from his elder brother, Prithviraj Singh, and founded the state of Banswara.

His Highness the Maharawal of Banswara is entitled to a salute of fifteen guns.

Predecessors

Rawal UDAI SINGH I, 17^th Rawal of Dungarpur 1497/1527, married and had issue. He died in 1527, having had issue.
- Rawal Prithviraj Singh, 18^th Rawal of Dungarpur
  - Rawal Askaran Singh, 19^th Rawal of Dungarpur
- Rawal Jagmal Das, 1^st Rawal of Banswara (qv)
Rawal JAGMAL DAS, 1^st Rawal of Banswara 1527/1540, died about 1540.
- Khanadeoji, who d.v.p., leaving a son.
  - Kalyan Singh, who left issue, a son.
    - Rawal Agar Singh (qv)
- Rawal Jai Singh (qv)
Rawal JAI SINGH, 2^nd Rawal of Banswara, had issue, a son.
- Rawal Pratap Singh (qv)
Rawal PRATAP SINGH, 3^rd Rawal of Banswara
Rawal KHANA DEV, 4^th Rawal of Banswara
Rawal KALYAN SINGH, 5^th Rawal of Banswara
Rawal AGAR SINGH, 6^th Rawal of Banswara, had issue.
- Rawal Udai Singh I (qv)
Rawal UDAI SINGH I, 7^th Rawal of Banswara, had issue.
- Rawal Samar Singh (qv)
Rawal SAMAR SINGH, 8^th Rawal of Banswara, had issue.
- Rawal Kushal Singh (qv)
Rawal KUSHAL SINGH, 9^th Rawal of Banswara, founder of Kushalgarh and Kushalpura, had issue.
- Rawal Ajab Singh (qv)
Rawal AJAB SINGH, 10^th Rawal of Banswara 1688/1702, had issue. He died 1702.
- Rawal Bhim Singh (qv)
Rawal BHIM SINGH, 11^th Rawal of Banswara 1702/1713, had issue. He died 1713.
- Rawal Bishan Singh (qv)
Rawal BISHAN SINGH, 12^th Rawal of Banswara 1713/1737, married and had issue. He died 1737.
- Rawal Udai Singh II (qv)
- Maharawal Prithvi Singh (qv)
Rawal UDAI SINGH II, 13^th Rawal of Banswara 1737/1747, died 1747.
Maharawal PRITHVI SINGH, 14^th Maharawal of Banswara 1747/1786, married the daughter of Rana Bakht Singh of Sunth. He died 1786, leaving five sous.
- Maharawal Bijai Singh (qv)
- Maharajkumar Takht Singh
- Thakur Bakhtawar Singh, Bhai of Khandu, married and had issue.
  - Thakur Sardar Singh, Bhai of Khandu, married and had issue (see Khandu).
  - Maharawal Bahadur Singh (qv)
  - Rani Ahari Ji, married to Raja of Chadawad.
- Thakur Shri Ranjit Singh of Tejpur
- Thakur Khushal Singh of Surpur, married and had issue.
  - Thakur Hamir Singh of Surpur, married and had issue.
    - Thakur Madho Singh of Surpur, had adoptive issue. He died sp.
      - (A) Thakur Surya Singh of Surpur
  - Thakur Bakhtawar Singh, married and had issue.
    - HH Maharawal Lakshman Singh (qv)
Maharawal BIJAI SINGH, 15^th Maharawal of Banswara 1786/1816, married 1^stly, daughter of the Raja of Sailana, married 2^ndly, daughter of the Thakur of Cherawul, and had issue. He died 1816.
- Maharawal Umaid Singh (qv)
Maharawal UMAID SINGH, 16^th Maharawal of Banswara 1816/1819, married, and had issue. He died 1819.
- Maharawal Bhawani Singh (qv)
- Maharajkumar Chandan Singh
- Maharajkumar Deep Singh
- Maharajkumari Gulab Kanwar
- Maharajkumari Hem Kanwar
- Maharajkumari Lal Kanwar
- Maharajkumari Fateh Kanwar
Maharawal BHAWANI SINGH, 17^th Maharawal of Banswara 1819/1838, born 1803, married (amongst others) Maharani Raj Kanwar, daughter of Thakur Bakhtawar Singh of Auwa, and his first wife, Thakurani Udai Kanwar. He died 6^th November 1838.
Maharawal BAHADUR SINGH, 18^th Maharawal of Banswara 1838/1844, born 1788. He died 2^nd February 1844.
HH Maharawal LAKSHMAN SINGH, 19^th Maharawal of Banswara 1844/1905, born 1839; whose natural father was Bakhtawar Singh, second son of Thakur Khushal Singh of Surpur; married 1^stly, daughter of the Raja of Pal in Idar; married 2^ndly, 1860, HH Maharani Manika Kunwar, fourth daughter of Maharaja Shri Sheo Singhji of Sirohi; married 3^rdly, HH Maharani Tej Kunwar, daughter of Thakur Takhat Singhji of Namli in Ratlam; married 4^thly, daughter of Thakur Jiwan Singh of Bordera in Gujarat; married 5^thly, daughter of Thakur Zorawar Singh of Sarwan in Ratlam; married 6^thly, daughter of Thakur Parbat Singh of Poshina in Idar; married 7^thly, daughter of Thakur Kodarji of Pithapur; married 8^thly, daughter of Thakur Sher Singh of Bordera in Gujarat; married 9^thly, daughter of Thakur Kodar Singh of Pithapur; married 10^thly, daughter of Thakur Sardar Singh of Molan in Banswara; married 11^thly, another daughter of Thakur Sardar Singh of Molan in Banswara and married 12^thly, daughter of Thakur Gulab Singh of Bordera in Gujarat; and had issue, four sons. He died 29^th April 1905.
- Maharawal Shambhu Singh (by a Bordera Maharani) (qv)
- Maharajkumar Surya Singh (by another Bordera Maharani), Thakur Saheb of Surpur, born 1874, he was adopted by Thakur Madho Singh of Surpur, and succeeded there (see above).
- Maharajkumar Shri Sawai Singhji (by the third Bordera Maharani), Thakur Saheb of Sagrod, born 1888, married and had issue, one son.
  - Maharaj Digvijay Singhji, Thakur Saheb of Sagrod, born 24^th September 1924 at Banswara Palace, retired as Commissioner Devasthan (RAS), married at Kotah Palace, Kotah, Rani Phul Kunwar, daughter of Maharaj Shri Mehtab Singh II, 9^th Thakur Sahib of Bambolia in Kotah, and has issue, one son and three daughters. He died July 2003.
    - Maharaj Shri Devendra Singhji, Thakur Saheb of Sagrod, born 10^th July 1954 at Indergarh, Kota; educated at Mayo College, Ajmer and then at Vidhya Bhavan, B. Comm., LLB from Jodhpur University, married 24^th January 1977 at Udaipur, Rani Sahib Devendra Kumari of Metwala, and has issue.
      - Rajkumar Pareekshit Singhji, born 4^th December 1977 in Udaipur, Rajasthan; educated at Maharana Mewar Public School and University of Sydney (Australia), attaining a B. Comm. in Finance; married 15^th February 2006, Rajkumari Roopali Kumari, daughter of Maharaj Jaideep Singhji of Raoti, and his wife, Rani Susheel Kumari, and has issue, one son.
        
        Bhanwar Rudrapratap Singh, born 16^th February 2009.
      - Rajkumar Krishnapal Singhji, born 3^rd December 1982 in Udaipur, Rajasthan; educated at the Maharana Mewar Public School and later at Sydnehams College of Commerce in Mumbai.
    - Baijilal Rajkumari Pramod Kumari
    - Baijilal Rajkumari Madhu Kumari
    - Baijilal Rajkumari Kailash Kumari
HH Maharawal SHAMBHU SINGH, 20^th Maharawal of Banswara 1905/1914, born 14^th October 1868, married (amongst others), HH Maharani Krishna Kunwar, daughter of Thakur Fateh Singh of Mandar (Badi Patni) in Sirohi, and had issue. He died 8^th January 1914.
- HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal Sir Prithvi Singh Bahadur (qv)
- Maharaj Lal Singh, married and had issue.
  - Maharaj Pashupati Vikram Singh, married and had issue. He died 2013.
    - Maharaj Nareshwar Pashupati Singh, married had an issue.
      - Rajkumari Bhargavi Kanwar
  - Maharaj Jai Vikram Singh, married and had issue. He died 1996.
    - Maharaj Dineshwar Jaivikram Singh, married and had issue.
      - Rajkumar Vishwajeet Singh
      - Rajkumari Tejaswini Kanwar
    - Rajkumari Chhaya Kanwar
  - Maharaj Jai Tilak Singh, married and had issue.
    - Rajkumar Hemant Singh
    - Rajkumari Deveshwari Kanwar
  - Rajkumari Kusum Kumari, married Thakur Narendra Singh, eldest son of elder son of Thakur Gopal Singh of Bagsuri.
- Maharaj Chhatra Singh (by the Nathawat Maharani), fifth son, jagirdar of Godi Tejpur in Banswara, married Rani Ishwar Kanwar, and had issue.
  - Maharaj Lokendra Singh, born 5^th May 1932, married 1956, Rani Nawal Kanwar of Tana-Mewar, born 26^th January 1935, and had issue. He died January 1995.
    - Rajkumari Jayshree Kumari, born 30^th January 1958.
    - Maharaj Dashrath Singh, born 5^th Janaury 1960.
    - Rajkumari Kirti Kumari, born 10^th September 1963.
    - Maharaj Hershvijay Sisodia, born 10^th July 1972, married Rani Bhanushree Devi, daughter of Lt.-Col. Kunwar Ruby Jaswal of Singhnai, and his wife, Kunwarani Maheshlata Kumari (see Balsan).
  - Rajkumari Jayendra Kumari, born O ctober 1934.
  - Maharaj Surendra Singh, born August 1936, unmarried.
  - Maharaj Jagat Singh Sisodia, married to Prabhibha Kumari of Kila Amargharh and has issue.
    - Rajkumari Ruchi Sisodia
    - Rajkumar Ajay Raj Sisodia.
- Maharaj Kishore Singhji, married a daughter of Maharajkumar Fatehsinghji Jashwantsinghji of Danta.
HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal Sir PRITHVI SINGH Bahadur, 21^st Maharawal of Banswara 1914/1944, born 15^th July 1888, invested with full powers of a ruling chief in March 1914, married 1^stly, a daughter of H.H. Maharao Shri Sir Keshri Singhji of Sirohi, married 2^ndly, a daughter of Maharana Sri Jashwantsinhji Harisinhji of Danta, married 3^rdly, a daughter of Thakore Shri Raisinhji Modji of Malia, married 4^thly, HH Maharani Daulat Kanwar of Jodhpur, and had issue. He died 28^th July 1944.
- Maharawal Chandraveer Singh Bahadur (qv)
- Maharaj Narpat Singh (by the 4^th wife), born 15^th May 1921, married 20^th January 1940, Rani Shukla Kumari, born 3^rd June 1924 in Nahan, younger daughter of Kanwar Ranzore Singh Sahib of Sirmur, and had issue, one son and two daughters.
  - Maharaj Ganga Singh, married 1962 (div. 1980), Rani Shailesh Kumari of Jodhpur. He had issue, one son and one daughter:
    - Baijilal Rajkumari Manisha Kumari [Rani Manisha Singh of Jobat], born 1965, married 21^st May 1991 in Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, Maharaj Bhawani Singh of Jobat, and has issue, one daughter.
      - Rajkumari Maanvi Kumari, born 28^th May 1993 in New Delhi; educated at Progressive Education, Indore and at The Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago, graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor in Art and Major in Fashion Marketing and Management.
    - Maharaj Maheshwar Singh, born 1968, educated at the Mayo College, Ajmer; married Rani Navneeta Kumari from Bijna, and has issue.
      - Rajkumar Vedant Singh, born 28^th January 2000.
  - Rani Usha Kumari, married 1971 at Lucknow, Raja Arya Shah of Khairigarh-Singhai, died October 2000, and had issue. She died 1995.
- Maharani Suraj Kanwar, married 4^th February 1937, HH Maharaja Manabendra Shah of Tehri-Garhwal.
- Rani Komal Kumari, married 21^st February 1930, Maj. Rawal Raghubir Singhji of Bissau, and had issue.
- HH Maharani Amba Kunwari Sahiba (by the 2^nd wife), married to HH Maharaja Arimardan Singhji of Charkhari.
- Rani Mohan Kunwar, married 1949, Raja Chain Singh of Jaswan, and had issue.
- Rani Sri Kumari, married Raja Jitendra Singh Jhala of Labhowa, son of Kumar Shri Arjunsinhji Jorawarsinhji Jhala [Raja Arjun Singh Jhala of Labhowa] (third son of Thakur Shri Jorawarsinhji Madhavsinhji of Chuda), and adopted son of the Raja Saheb of Labhowa, and has issue.
  - Yuvaraj Pratap Singh Jhala of Thikana Labhowa, married Yuvrani Reena Kumari, daughter of Maj. General Dewan Misri Chand, and his wife, Rani Indra Mohini of Sahaspur.
HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal CHANDRAVEER SINGH Bahadur, 22^nd Maharawal of Banswara 1944/1985, born 26^th November 1909, succeeded to the Banswar gaddi on 28^th July 1944; married 3 wives, amongst whom, (a), HH Maharani Sajjan Kunwarba Sahiba, daughter of Major HH Maharana Shri Maharaja Shri Raj Sir Ghanshyamsinhji Ajitsinhji Sahib Bahadur of Dhrangadhra, and his second wife, HH Maharani Vijay Kunwarba Sahiba, and had issue, 18 children, including issue by secondary wives. He died 6^th April 1985.
- Maharajkumari Balwant Pratap Kumari, born 1930, married 1965, Maharaj Ramendra Singh of Amleta in Ratlam.
- HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal Suryaveer Singh Bahadur (qv)
- Maharajkumari Janaknandini Kumari, born 7^th October 1935, died 17^th December 1974.
- Maharaj Hanumant Singh, born 29^th March 1939 in Banswara, an excellent cricketer in career spanning more than 20 years which was highlighted by a century on Test debut (against England); later as team captain, he led Central Zone to their first Duleep Trophy triumph in 1971-72 and ended up with more than 12,000 runs in first-class cricket; after retirement, he continued with the game as a coach, administrator, selection committee chairman and ICC match referee; he married, 1974, and had issue, one son and one daughter. He died 29^th November 2006 died at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai of renal and lung failure.
  - Maharaj Sangram Singh
- Maharajkumari (name unknown) Kumari [Princess Tinu], born 1940.
- Maharajkumari Ganesh Pratap Kumari (a.k.a Princess Khilu), born 5^th November 1943, married to Thakur Narendra Singh Ji of Tala (Rewa, Madhya Pradesh).
- Maharaj Mahesh Pratap Singhji (by Rani Lalita Kanwar), born 24^th September 1946 in Banswara Palace, Rajasthan, educated at The Daly College, Indore 1952/1963, and at the SGSITS, Indore (B.Civil E. 1968), presently holds the position of Chief of Irrigation Works, ? Rajasthan State Department, since August 1969; he is instrumental in the restoration of lakes and healthy water levels in all the lakes of Udaipur region; a fine artist and cricketer who represented Madhya Pradesh Scools and Indore University at the national level; a keen philanthropist who has worked tirelessly for the welfare of society in general and the Rajput community in particular; greatly admired and respected for maintaining the values, ethics and living standards set by his father the late HH Maharawal Chandraveer Singhji, ruler of Banswara; he holds various honourary positions and chairmanships; married 7^th April 1967 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Rani Meenadevi, and has issue. (Kushalbagh, Banswara, Rajasthan, India)
  - Rajkumar Prabal Pratap Singhji, born 14^th July 1968,educated at the Daly College, Indore and graduated from Bombay University; married 3^rd July 1998, Rajkumari Mridula Kumari, daughter of Maharaj Balbhadra Singh of Kapren–Bundi, and his wife Rani Rohini Kumari, and has issue, one son.
    - Kunwar Keshvasya Pratap Singh
  - Rajkumar Jaideep Singhji, born 1970, educated at the Daly College, Indore and graduated from Bombay University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Management Science; an extremely talented cricketer who represented Madhya Pradesh State, Bombay University and Bombay U-19’s at the National Level, and has issue, one son and one daughter.
    - Kunwar Yash Vardan Singh
    - Kumari Tejaswini Singh
- Maharaj Nahar Singhji, born 6^th May 1947, married Kumari Sangeeta Kumari, born 13^th January 1954, daughter of Kanwar Jagat Bahadur Singh of Sirmur, and has issue, one daughter.
- Maharajkumari (name unknown) Kumari, married Rajwar Tikendra Bahadur Pal of Askote, and has issue.
HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal SURYAVEER SINGH Bahadur, 23^rd Maharawal of Banswara 1985/2002, born 23^rd December 1934 in Banswara, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot; former Ranji Trophy cricket captain, vice-president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association; married 1975, the only daughter of Maharaj Sahib Rameshwar Pratap Singh of Kachhi-Baroda, and his wife, Rani Rukmani Kumari, and had issue. He died 6^th August 2002 at Prantiki in Himmatnagar district of Gujarat in a car accident.
- HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal Jagmal Singh II (qv)
- Maharajkumari (name unknown) Kumari, died 6^th August 2002 at Prantiki in Himmatnagar district of Gujarat in a car accident.
HH Sri Raj-i-Rajan Maharawal JAGMAL SINGH II Bahadur, 24^th Maharawal of Banswara (see above)

Other Members

Maharaj Sahib Udaiveer Singhji of Banswara, married and has issue.
- Rajkumari Bindu Kumari, married 21^st April 2006, Bhanwar Virender Singh of Baghsuri.
Rani Haeth Kumari, married Apji Raghuraj Singh of Koela in Kotah, and had issue.
Kunwar Dharamvir Singh, married Kumari Mahima Kumari, born 9^th April 1968, daughter of Kanwar Lokendra Singh of Keonthal, and his wife, Kumari Chandra Prabha.