ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>PRAT&#256P SI&#7748GH MAH&#256R&#256J&#256 (1919-1995)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="PRATP,SIDGH,MAHRJ,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279PRAT&#256P SI&#7748GH, MAH&#256R&#256J&#256 (1919-1995). Tall and handsome, His Highness Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sir Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh, M&#257lvendra Bah&#257dur, was the ruler of the princely state of N&#257bh&#257. The state ceased to be in 1948 when a new and larger political unit called Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Pu&#7749jab States Union, short PEPSU, came into existence. This new union comprised all of the Sikh states of the Punjab &#8212 Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, J&#299nd, Kap&#363rthal&#257, Far&#299dko&#7789 and Kals&#299&#257, and two others.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh was born on 21 September 1919, the son of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh. He began his education in Mussoorie, close to Dehr&#257 D&#363n, the summer home of the family. His father owned vast real estate in the vicinity. Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh joined there the famous Anglo-Indian school, Woodstock. He also received private tution from A.G. Dix of the Indian Education Service. In 1934, he entered college, in England, near Leatherhead, Mr Kelly, the late Principal of Aitchison College, Lahore, acting as his tutor.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For his strong independent political views, the father, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh, had clashed with the British authority and had been deprived of the throne of N&#257bh&#257. On the morning of 8 July 1923, Col Minchin, A.G.G. to the Viceroy and Mr C.M.G. Ogilive, ICS, who was to act as Administrator for two months, arrived at N&#257bh&#257 with Gur<u>kh</u>&#257 and &#7692ogr&#257 troops, 200 strong. H&#299r&#257 Mahal, the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's residence, was surrounded. It was suspected that Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 was keeping a number of Ak&#257l&#299s in hiding. Col Minchin proceeded straight to the sleeping apartment of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 and demanded to know, "Where is the Ak&#257l&#299?" His question meant where the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 was. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 was asleep and he was immediately placed under restraint. Next morning the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 along with his wife and the children, including the heir apparent, was taken to Dehr&#257 D&#363n, the family's favourite Dehr&#257 D&#363n. But on this occasion there was no food waiting for them. Nor any servants. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 had virtually come this time as a prisoner.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This was the beginning of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's exile and separation from the family which were formalized when he was taken further south, to Kodaikanal, with a solitary servant, for permanent detention. The arrest was made under Regulation III,1818, which provision had also been invoked in the case of the last Mu<u>gh</u>al King of India, Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 was deprived of his titles and he lived in a small cottage guarded by ten constables. The state of N&#257bh&#257 was placed under minority administration with the young son of Ripudaman Si&#7749gh, Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh, as the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh was the eldest of the three sons of the exiled Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh. &#8216Ripudaman Si&#7749gh&#8217 was a name which had become a legend for political radicalism and for the spirit of defiance it echoed. Even as a member of the Imperial Council to which he had been nominated in the early years of the century, when he was still heir apparent, he used to sit with the opposition and felt more at home in the company of Congress luminaries such as Mot&#299l&#257l Nehr&#363, Pt Madan Mohan M&#257lav&#299ya and Jinn&#257h. For his anti avant-garde leanings, he lost his throne. On attaining majority Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh was crowned the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 of N&#257bh&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the early hours of 22 September 1919, the N&#257bh&#257 guns had boomed announcing to the public the birth of the heir apparent from the second Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299, Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299 Saroja&#7751&#299 Dev&#299, who was then in Mussoorie along with her husband. The delivery case was attended by Dr Edith Brown of Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 Medical College. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh assumed full ruling powers in 1938. In 1943, he was married to Princes Urmil&#257 Dev&#299, daughter of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 of Dholpur. The wedding was a glittering occasion. It was attended among others by the Sikh savant Bh&#257&#299 S&#257hib Arj&#257n Si&#7749gh of B&#257ga&#7771&#299&#257&#7749 and other members of the lately constituted Punjabi Sabh&#257, such as Ajaib Chitrak&#257r, Professor S&#257dh&#363 Si&#7749gh Dard, S&#363f&#299 Fak&#299r Mohd, Professor Hardy&#257l Si&#7749gh and Dr Devinder Si&#7749gh Vidy&#257rth&#299.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh occupied the throne of N&#257bh&#257, there was much ado among his Sikh subjects in the state and outside and among Sikhs generally that he had deprived himself of his Sikh symbols, <i>ke&#347as</i> and beard. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 remained defiant and refused to succumb to any public pressure. The matter was eventually taken up by the British prime minister of N&#257bh&#257, Mr Wakefield. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's resistance melted when the prime minister said that he would support him as the matter came to be discussed with the Viceroy. Touched by this remark of the prime minister and assured of his sympathetic and understanding attitude, he decided to regrow his long hair. To this end, the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 and his prime minister Edward Wakefield proceeded on a tour to a remote corner of the state territory, B&#257wal. There the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 took the opportunity of redeeming his word and he returned to N&#257bh&#257 a full-grown Sikh. He could now mix with the people almost unnoticed in his new accoutrements. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 settled down to state business without any extensive notice being taken of his newly-grown beard.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the changed post-War situation and in view of the new challenges arising, N&#257bh&#257, along with other princely states, lapsed as an autonomous unit and merged into the larger political complex styled PEPSU, Pati&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257, born the son of a rebel, did raise a protest at the manner in which he had been divested of his state and of his ruling powers. He was prominent among the small group of protesting royalty, bearing the name Syndicate.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh was fond of manly sport and was given to chase. Another of his hobbies was car racing. There were many shiny and resplendent models in his garages.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In spite of the strong powers of determination he had inherited, he was a very soft and gentle person. He could never imagine himself disparaging a human being. He never spoke a harsh word to anyone. He did keep up the style and manner of royalty, but personally he was the least demanding of men. He paid special attention to matters sartorial.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; N&#257bh&#257 lost its entity as well as its authority on 5 May 1948. N&#257bh&#257 territory lapsed with some of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's personal privileges and titles remaining intact for the time being.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh died in Delhi on 24 July 1995. The cremation took place the following day at the Royal cemetery in N&#257bh&#257.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Menon, V.P., <i>The Story of the Integration of the Indian States</i>. Madr&#257s, 1961<BR> <li class="C1"> Syngal, Sardar Munnalal, <i>The Patriot Prince or The Life Story of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha who Died as a Martyr</i>. Ludhiana, 1961<BR> <li class="C1"> Wakefield, Sir Edward. <i>Past Imperative--- My Life in India, 1927-1947</i>. London, 1966<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>