Vir Singh Deo

{{Short description|17th century Mughal Empire noble, Ruler of Orchha}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}

{{Refimprove|date = January 2015}}

{{Infobox Royalty

| name = Raja Vir Singh Ju Deo

| title = Raja of Orchha

| image = Brooklyn Museum - Portrait of Rao Vir Singh.jpg

| reign = 1605-1626/7

| predecessor = Ram Shah

| successor = Jhujhar Singh

| spouse = Parmarji Amrit Kunwari of Shahbad

Parmarji Guman Kunwari of Khairuwar

Parmarji Pancham Kunwari of Shahbad

| issue = Jhujhar Singh

Pahad Singh

Narhar Das

Tulsi Das

Beni Das

Hardev (Hardaul)

Bhagwan Rao

Chandra Bhan

Kishan Singh

Bagh Raj

Madho Singh

Parmanand

Kunj Kunwari

| house = Bundela Rajput

| father = Madhukar Shah

| mother = Parmarji Ganesh Kunwariji

| religion = Hinduism

}}

Raja Vir Singh Ju Deo, also known as Bir Singh Dev, was a Bundela Rajput chief and the ruler of the kingdom of Orchha in the historic Bundelkhand region of modern Madhya Pradesh. He was a vassal of the imperial Mughal Empire.{{cite book |title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813 |first=Jaswant Lal |last=Mehta |publisher=Sterling Publishers |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-93270-554-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC |page=105}} and ruled between the year 1605 and either 1626{{cite book |title=Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900 |first=Thomas |last=Michael |editor-first=George S. |editor-last=Cuhaj |edition=6th |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-44022-801-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ur2magic_dAC&pg=PA728 |page=728}} or 1627.{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/f/019pho0000002s4u00056000.html |title=Fort and Palace at Orchha |publisher=British Library |access-date=26 March 2015}}

Vir Singh Deo assassinated the Mughal chronicler and court historian Abul Fazl who was returning from Deccan in a plot contrived by the Mughal Prince Salim later Jahangir.{{cite book |title=Orchha Paintings |author=Aruna | publisher=Sharada Pub. House |year=2002 |isbn=978-8-18561-669-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5QjqAAAAMAAJ |page=6}} He is also credited to have built the Jhansi Fort.File:Vir Singh Deo ki Chhatri, Orchha 01.jpg]]

File:The Royal Chhatris of Orchha 01.jpg

Deo was among the Rajput rulers of his era who sponsored temples in the Brajmandal area that comprised Vrindavan and Mathura.{{cite book |title=Poetry of Kings: The Classical Hindi Literature of Mughal India |first=Allison |last=Busch |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-19976-592-8 |page=7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dl0sbzehWvAC&pg=PA7}} In addition, the Phool Bagh gardens, and the Lakshmi temple were all built by Deo.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} His mausoleum is located in Orchha, and features both Hindu and Mughal architecture.{{cn|date=September 2019}}

Vir Singh Deo was succeeded by Jhujhar Singh, the first-born son of the senior of his three queens.{{cite book |title=Between History and Legend: Status and Power in Bundelkhand |first=Ravindra K. |last=Jain |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2002 |isbn=978-8-12502-194-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fghQhiowlycC&pg=PA84 |page=84}}

Deo was patron to the poet Keshavdas, who wrote the 1607 hagiographic work Virsimdevcarit (Deeds of Vir Singh Deo).{{cite book |title=Poetry of Kings: The Classical Hindi Literature of Mughal India |first=Allison |last=Busch |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-19976-592-8 |pages=45–46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dl0sbzehWvAC&pg=PA46}}