Nihal Singh

Nihal Singh CB (4 May 1863 – 20 July 1901) was the Maharaj-Rana of Dholpur princely state from 1873 until his death in 1901.

Early life Nihal Singh was born on 4 May 1863, to Kulendra Singh, the heir-apparent of Dholpur, who was born in 1863 and died in 1870, and his wife, Basant Kaur, the daughter of Narendra Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, who died in 1888.

Investiture He was invested with full ruling powers by Sir Edward Bradford, the-then Agent to the Governor-General of India for Rajputana, on 19 February 1883.

Feud between Dholpur and Gwalior Royal Houses of Gwalior and Dholpur never had friendly relations, and the feud between them was always exploited by the British. However this feud between them was abandoned at a public durbar in 1875.

State Bank of Dholpur State Bank of Dholpur was inaugurated on 16 August 1894. Its initial capital was provided by the Maharaj-Rana. It was established to assist impoverished individuals as well as tenants and zamindars who required financial assistance at a low interest rate.

Wildlife sanctuary The establishment of the Wildlife Sanctuary in Dholpur traces its origins to the tenure of Thomas Dennehy as the Political Agent in Dholpur during the minority of the Maharaj-Rana. During this period, a place within the Van Vihar Forest was inhabited by seven sadhus for fifty years. After his death, most of these possessions had to be sold to settle his personal liabilities.

Honours 1898: Companion of the Order of the Bath 1897-8: Frontier Medal in the Tirah campaign