Bijai Singh

Singh was born on 17 July 1887 to Khuman Singh.{{Cite book |last=Bayley |first=C. S. |url=https://archive.org/details/chiefsleadingfam00csba |title=Chiefs and leading families in Rajputana |date=2004 |publisher=New Delhi : Asian Educational Services |others=Public Resource |isbn=978-81-206-1066-8 |pages=37}}{{Cite book |last=Department |first=India Foreign and Political |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7If217KeokC |title=A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads, Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries |date=1909 |publisher=Superintendent Government Printing, India |pages=22–23 |language=en}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rp92JkMbiaIC |title=Memoranda on Native States in India, Together with a List of Independent Ruling Chiefs, Chiefs of Frontier States, and Other Notables with Their Proper Forms of Address |date=1911 |publisher=Superintendent Government Print., India |pages=119 |language=en}} While he was five years old, he lost his father, Khuman Singh, and became the heir to the throne of his grandfather, Udai Singh.{{Cite book |last=Xxxxxxxx |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.52340/ |title=Short History Of The Dungarpur State |date=1911 |pages=131–132}} Shortly afterward, he also lost his mother.

He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, where he received the college diploma in 1906. He then entered the Imperial Cadet Corps for a brief period of time and later returned to Mayo College to join the post-diploma course. He left the college in 1907.

He succeeded his grandfather, Udai Singh II, as Maharawal of Dungarpur in February 1898. As he was a minor at the time of his succession, the state was placed under direct management, and its administration was carried out by a political agent, assisted by a chief executive officer and a council of two consultative members.{{Cite book |last=Vadivelu |first=A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LfoxAQAAMAAJ |title=The Ruling Chiefs, Nobles and Zamindars of India |date=1915 |publisher=G.C. Loganadham |pages=201 |language=en}} He was formally invested with full ruling powers by Colonel F. H. Pinhey, the Agent in Rajputana to the Governor-General of India, on 27 February 1909. He had demarcated the Dungarpur's 450 miles of reserved jungles and instituted a regular forest law.{{Cite book |last=Hughes |first=Julie E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XyHkMlWnaicC |title=Animal Kingdoms |date=2013-03-01 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-07478-1 |pages=254 |language=en}} He established regular courts of law and constituted the Legislative and Executive Councils in his state. He reorganized the police, customs, and forest departments, modernized the excise department, and introduced the Madras system in his state.{{Cite book |last=Not Available |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.36597 |title=Report On The Administration Of The Dungarpur State Rajputana |date=1946 |pages=4}} During his reign, World War I broke out, and he contributed men and money to the British Government for the war effort. He offered a contingent of 100 men for garrison duty in India and personally accompanied the first installment on 6 May 1918 to Nowgong and returned to Dungarpur on 11 May 1918.{{Cite book |last=Not Available |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.35789/ |title=Report On The Administration Of The Dungarpur State, Rajputana |date=1919 |pages=3}}

He attended the Delhi Durbar in 1903 and 1911.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.02623/ |title=The historical record of the imperial visit to India, 1911 |date=1914 |publisher=John murray, London |pages=79,124,132,302}}

He married Devendra Kanwar, the daughter of the Raja of Sailana, on 19 January 1907.{{Cite book |last=Ahuja |first=M. L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XSUXjSejIVwC |title=Great Administrators of India |date=2009 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7835-729-4 |pages=57–60 |language=en}} They had four sons: Laxman Singh, Virbhadra Singh, Nagendra Singh, and Pradyuman Singh, as well as one daughter, Rama Kumari.{{Cite book |last=K.K. Sehgal |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.3359 |title=Rajasthan District Gazetteers: Dungarpur |date=1974 |publisher=Jaipur, Government Central Press |pages=36}}{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Charles |url=https://archive.org/details/livesofindianpri0000alle/ |title=Lives of the Indian princes |date=1984 |publisher=London : Century Pub. in association with the Taj Hotel Group |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7126-0910-4 |pages=120, 337}}

He contracted influenza during the 1918–1920 flu pandemic, which later developed into double pneumonia, leading to his death.{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Charles |url=https://archive.org/details/livesofindianpri0000alle |title=Lives of the Indian princes |date=1984 |publisher=London : Century Pub. in association with the Taj Hotel Group |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7126-0910-4 |pages=301}} He died on 15 November 1918 and was succeeded by his son, Laxman Singh, as Maharawal of Dungarpur.{{Cite book |last=Not Available |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.35787 |title=Report On The Administration Of The Dungarpur State, Rajputana For 1918-19 |date=1920 |pages=2}} He had written a will at the time of his death, stating that the administration of the Dungarpur would be carried out under the guidance of the political agent and a council. During Laxman Singh's minority, which lasted for a decade, Bijai's wife, Devendra Kanwar, played a key role in serving the state's interests, and the political agents frequently sought her advice.

He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire by George V in the 1912 Birthday Honours list.

Category:1887 births

Category:1918 deaths

Category:Hindu monarchs

Category:Rajput monarchs

Category:Indian Hindus

Category:People from British India

Category:People from Rajasthan

Category:Maharajas of Rajasthan

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire