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India: Maharaja Fateh Singh Bahadur, Udaipur, Rajasthan (r. 1884-1930)

India: Maharaja Fateh Singh Bahadur, Udaipur, Rajasthan (r. 1884-1930)

Maharana Fateh Singh (1849–1930) ruled Mewar for 46 years from 1884 to 1930, with Udaipur as capital, and resided in the City Palace, Udaipur.

He was born on 16 December 1849 at Shivrati, son of Maharaj Dal Singh of the Shivrati branch of Mewar dynasty, a descendant of the fourth son, Arjun Singh, of the Rana Sangram Singh II (1710-1734). First he was adopted by his elder brother, Gaj Singh who had no heir, subsequently Maharana Sajjan Singh of Udaipur, who too had no heir, adopted him, he eventually became the Maharaja of Udaipur in 1884.

He was the only Maharaja to not attend the Delhi Durbar, both of 1903 and 1911. Then in 1921, when the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, son of Queen Mary, visited Udaipur, he refused to receive him citing illness and instead sent his son. This act brought him into conflict with the British Raj, and thereafter, under the garb of ignoring a social unrest in Mewar, on 28 July 1921, his powers were curtailed and he was formally deposed, he was however allowed to retain his title, though effective power was handed to his son and heir, Bhupal Singh.

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