Yadavindra Singh (), also spelt as Yadvinder Singh,
Early life
Born in
Patiala,
Patiala State, within the
British Raj (now in Punjab,
India) in 1914 into a
Jat Sikhs family of the
Sidhu clan,
Yadavindra Singh attended Aitchison College in
Lahore. He served in the Patiala State Police, became its Inspector General and served in
Malaysia, Italy and
Myanmar during the World War II. In 1935, he married his first wife, Hem Prabha Devi of
Saraikela State (1913–2014).
Singh succeeded his father, Bhupinder Singh, as the Maharaja of Patiala on 23 March 1938 and subsequently married his second wife, Mehtab Kaur (1922–2017), in 1938. Although the stated reason for his second marriage was his first wife being issueless, it was speculated that the actual reason was the influences of Akali leaders who wanted the future Maharaja of Patiala to marry a woman from a Jat Sikh family in order to beget genuine Sikh heirs.
Reign
Following his accession to the throne of Patiala, Singh pursued a political and diplomatic career, serving as chancellor of the Chamber of Princes from 1943 to 1944. In 1947, when India gained independence, he was the pro-chancellor of the Chamber of Princes. At a special session he said "After centuries time has come when India has gained independence from foreign rule and it's the time when we all (princely states) should unite for our motherland" and persuaded many other rulers to join India.
Singh also served as president of the Indian Olympic Association from 1938 to 1960.
Partition of India (1947)
During the partition of India in 1947, numerous pogroms occurred in and around the princely state of Patiala.
In several cases, organized bands of Sikhs were responsible for atrocities. The late Harkishan Singh Surjeet, of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), witnessed the events and claimed in an interview: 'The communal attacks on the minorities were definitely planned. I know more about the persons involved in the eastern wing because I was there. I saw those dreadful acts with my own eyes. In that conspiracy, the Maharaja of Patiala was involved. The idea was that if the Muslims were driven out.' The attacks on Sikhs and Hindus in March 1947 in
Rawalpindi are regarded as one of the major crimes that triggered off others. Nehru believed the Maharaja had sought to ethnically cleanse the territory of Muslims as part of this effort. Maharajas of Patiala and Faridkot, and Yadavindra Singh is quoted as having said "We won't leave a Muslim here" at a party with British officers.
The Foreign Minister of Patiala, Sardar Bari Ram Sharma issued a denial stating "I definitely assert that no Patiala soldier has associated himself with or has been involved in any killings in any part of the East Punjab."
Singh agreed to the incorporation of the Patiala State into India.
Donations
In 1956, Singh donated the Anand Bhawan, a 150
bigha palace, to the Government of Punjab (before the creation of
Himachal Pradesh).
Singh also donated Moti Bagh Palace to the Government of India, which became the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports.
He later founded Yadavindra Public School. Lal Bagh Palace, the building in which Yadavindra Public School is housed was donated by Singh. The Yadavindra Public School, Mohali is also named after him and was established by the members of his family.
Family
After succeeding his father, Bhupinder Singh, as the Maharaja of Patiala, Singh supported his siblings financially and arranged many of their marriages.
One of his sisters, Naginder Kumari Khanna married
Vipin Khanna.
Singh's uncle from the Patiala family, Mahesh Inder Singh, served as his Military Secretary during Singh's tenure as Rajpramukh.
Mahesh Inder Singh was also a Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Sunam as an independent politician and a
Freemasonry who served as the Worshipful Master of the
Masonic lodge in Patiala.
Later career and death
Later in his career, Singh served as the Indian delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1956 to 1957 and to
UNESCO in 1958.
He also headed the Indian delegation to the Food and Agriculture Organization at various times from 1959 to 1969. Singh served as the Indian Ambassador to Italy from 1965 to 1966 and as the Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1971 until 17 June 1974, when he died suddenly in office at
The Hague from
heart failure, age 60.
On specific instructions of
Indira Gandhi, he was cremated with full state honours.
Personal life
Singh’s wife, Mehtab Kaur, was a politician and served as a Member of Parliament in both the
Rajya Sabha and the
Lok Sabha.
His son,
Amarinder Singh, served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007 and from 2017 to 2021, and also served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. His daughter, Heminder Kaur, was married to
Natwar Singh, former Minister of External Affairs of India.
Titles
-
1913–1935: Sri Yuvaraja Yadavindra Singh Sahib-ji
-
1935–1938: Lieutenant Sri Yuvaraja Yadavindra Singh Sahib-ji
-
1938–1939: Lieutenant His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, Mahendra Khan Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala State
-
1939–1942: Captain His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala
-
1942–1944: Major His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Yadavindra Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala, GBE
-
1944–1945: Lieutenant-Colonel His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Yadavindra Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala, GBE
-
1945–1946: Major-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Yadavindra Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala, GBE
-
1946–1971: Lieutenant-General His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Yadavindra Singh, Mahendra Bahadur, Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan, Maharaja of Patiala, GCIE, GBE
-
1971–1974: Lieutenant-General Sir Yadavindra Singh, GCIE, GBE
Honours
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King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935
-
King George VI Coronation Medal-1937
-
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)-1942
-
1939-1945 Star-1945
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Burma Star-1945
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Africa Star-1945
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Italy Star-1945
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British War Medal-1945
-
India Service Medal-1945
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Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1946
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Indian Independence Medal-1947
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Grand Cross of the Romanian order
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Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy-1966
Gallery
External links
