By Soumitra Bose/Mukesh Kumar Sinha
“Give Our Palaces Back” is the united vigorous, intense, fierce appeal/s from the “United-for-the-first-time” Maharajas and Rajas of all shades, status, silhouettes-on-walls, to the Narendra Modi Government from Maharajas, Rajas, Nawabs et all. Expectedly, Modi has more immediate issues to address, bring social-n-economic equanimity among the still-desperate countrymen of all hues, increase industrial productions, check fiscal deficit, make Make in India a relity at the soonest, silence his growing critics who say, his Government has already fallen behind in progresses, productions, pacts, pace.
“We are with the country. We are with the country’s all round progress/es. We fully support Modi’s Make In India et al. But we also support ourselves. We’re sure that we’re not wrong in that. What’s wrong in our wanting our palaces/princely houses back to us. We made those houses in India Gate, and its around, and, within its precincts at the behest of the Britishers in the British-India. Today, 67 years of the country’s Independece, we want our palaces back to their respective makers/givers. Since we are like all citizens in this country, we can’t continue to pay our obeisance to our Government unlike what we did in the British Rule in the Un-Free India,” opines Maharaja Vishwender Singh of Bharatpur.
“Give our Palaces/Princely Houses back to us. We are free Indians like all other countrymen in this country. Why should we continue to show our obeisance to the Britishers as in the Colonial Era ? As free Indians, we are like all other Indians in this country. Our rights are same as that of all other Indians,” says Maharaja Amarinder Singh of Patiala. “Why should we leave our houses to present Government in this free country? Let Government in this free , independent country make houses and transfer all their offices presently stationed in our houses. …During British Rule, we used to stay in those houses when in New Delhi. Since decades, we’re not in touch with our houses. Why this ill-treatment to us?”
Says Kutch Maharaja Digvijaya Sinh : “Why does Government make us feel, we are citizens of non-independent country? Instead, the Government should integrate us into the mainstream of this country’s ongoing progresses by returning us our palaces and let us feel that we are obliged to play our respective parts at the fullest in the progresses of the country. At present, we do not feel that we are aligned with the progresses in any way. We are never involved in the Make In India process/es.”
Similar views/opinions/comments/“philosophy”/‘id-ealism’ are rapidly elicited by the Kings and Queens, their Kith and Kin, Their Secretaries/Staff/Servers/Usherers/ Pals-In-Arms.
Predictably, Government remains silent on the issue. It has sort of turned Nelson’s Eye towards it. Government (?) is fully aware that its power, strength, reach is Sky High compared to those of the Royal Lineage. Government thus is biding its time.
Can you give the list of 19 houses. As per rough figure by my guess, there appear to be more than 35. Was there a Sangli state where presently Maharashtra Sadan is under construction and was called Sangli Apartments? Who was the owner of Andhra Land opp. Lady Irwin School. Was Dholpur House where UPSC is presently located, enjoyed higher gun salute than Jamnagar,who house is next ( the Naval mess of today) and away from India Gate?
There are 19 Royal residences of the Ruling Princes and Chiefs in New Delhi, as per my count. But it is not yet final, as some more may be added. The British government had requested the Princely States to construct theirresidences/guest houses mainly around the Princes Park area (now India Gate hexagon). The reason was simple: they wanted the friendly States and allies to stay closer. And the Princely States also wanted some royal accommodation during their visits for the Chamber of Princes sessions.Accordingly, each of them was offered around 8 acres of land in the adjoining areas, the preference being given to the higher gun salute States. The cost of land was roughly Rs.10,800 (I’ll check it out again fr my sources) which some of the States failed to pay. There are interesting correspondeces between the Princely States and the British government regarding allotment, choice of location, visit of the Maharajas to the sites and payment criteria etc.
The Raisina Hills and the Rashtrapati Bhawan land belonged to the Maharaja of Jodhpur (Source: Aman Nath). And the India Gate, Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar area belonged to the Maharaja of Jaipur. The Maharaja of Jaipur was not willing to part with lands in Jaisinghpura, Madhoganj, Bas Hanuman in Delhi for the new Imperial capital, but eventually gave them away in lieu of land in New Delhi.Thanks to all of you who have mentioned other Royal Houses in the Old Delhi area. (Incidentally, older maps refer Shahjahanabad as Delhi and the present New Delhi and south of it as Old Delhi!!) Many of these are now being used byrespective State or Central govt. and are not beingmaintained properly. There may be some confusion owing to the State Govt. Houses bearing the same names. An important source of information would be the INTACH book (2 volumes)titled “Delhi: the Built Heritage: a Listing.Though the original plan was that all these buildings be built by Lutyens himself but for some reasons, Lutyens became the architect for only 2 of these: Baroda House and Hyderabad House. Hyderabad House, after completion, was summarily rejected by the Nizam’s sons as they thought it was too Western for their taste. I could not gather information about the architects of other such buildings : Hyderabad, Baroda,Kashmir,Patiala, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Jaipur, Bikaner, Dholpur, Kota, Jaisalmer,Travancore,Cochin, Bahawalpur.
In 1948 The Hindu Rajput Maharana of Udaipur was raised to first place in the Order of Precedence, displacing the Muslim Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar due to his stubborn stance of not acceding to the union .[1] The system of gun salutes continued in the Republic of India until 1971.
Although salutes with many more guns have been used for Western Monarchs (and dynastic and other associated occasions), the 21-gun salute has in modern times become customary for Sovereign Monarchs (hence also known as ‘royal salute’) and republic.
Some of the rulers not listed above were granted increased gun salutes after the independence, e.g. the Maharana ofMewar (at Udaipur, Maharajpramukh in Rajasthan) was raised to first place in the Order of Precedence, displacing the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, and all 9-gun states were permitted the use of the style of Highness. However, it has not been possible to obtain complete details for all the rulers.
This system continued till 1971, when privileges and Privy Purses of ex-rulers were abolished by the Government of India.
BOTTOM LINE : Sooner or later, Government will have to return the Princely Houses or pay equivalent amount (on the basis of which year will then be decided) to their respective owners and retain those gigantic palaces with them. Royal Families have become restless. They do not want to pay obeisance to the Country’s Government any more unlike what they were forced to do to the Britishers.
