Raja Lal Madho Singh

Raja Lal Madho Singh (29 November 1823 – 24 August 1891) was the ruler of Amethi estate (taluqdari) in the Oudh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India.

Early life and succession Raja Lal Madho Singh hailed from the Bandhalgoti clan of Rajputs. Maharaja Man Singh was prepared to make his power felt throughout his district, while the ambitious young chief was equally determined to resort to arms to prevent official interference; consequently, a grand battle was fought in the year 1845 between Raja Lal Madho Singh (the Ruler of Amethi) and Maharaja Man Singh (the nazim of Sultanpur). The hostilities concluded indecisively, resulting in a settlement where the lease of the pargana was granted to Madho Singh with the exception of a few directly managed estates. By early September, he was actively preparing to join the rebels, and by late October, it was documented by local accounts that he was present in Lucknow with a force of 2,500 men.

He was formally appointed as the chief of the Begum Hazrat Mahal's forces at the strategic Banni and Alambagh sectors, where he directed major operations against European troops stationed between Dilkusha and the Baillie Guard. He was noted as one of the chief talukdars who was personally fighting on the ground in Lucknow. During the campaigns in late 1857, he personally marched to Bani Banthara with 2,000 men and four artillery pieces to oppose an advancing British company from Kanpur, suffering 200 casualties and losing two guns in the fight. In November 1858, British Commander-in-Chief of India, Lord Clyde personally laid siege to the Fort of Amethi and demanded an unconditional surrender. Lord Clyde had arrived at the Sai from Partabgarh on the 4th of November, and by the 9th, the main army reached within three miles of the Fort of Amethi, while Sir Hope Grant and Brigadier Wetherall invested the north and south faces of the fort. Under intense pressure, Lal Madho Singh secretly entered the British camp on 10 November 1858

By choosing this location, the Raja—who claimed descent from the prestigious Kachhwaha Rajput dynasty—sought to emulate the traditional building practices of the Kachhwahas to establish his own status and legitimacy. Established on vacant land across the older villages of Katra-Lalganj and Madhopur, the settlement grew into a prominent railway trading hub and evolved into the modern town of Gauriganj, which now serves as the administrative headquarters of the Amethi district.

Raja Lal Madho Singh was also a patron of arts and literature. He was an active poet who composed verses under the pen name Kshitipal.