Dear Khalid, What you say about Nizamddin Aulia is certainly true in that the saint lived and died in the 13th and 14th century. 1238-1325 to be precise. I have read a story about him and one of the Khilji rulers of the Delhi sultanate, so he certainly was not the one who fed kulchas to Mushid Qulich Khan Nizam ul Mulk. Still the anecdotal evidence linking kulchas and the royal house oif Hyderabad is very strong. I wonder whether Mewar's use of three rice grains on a laal tikka could be seen as a parallel as another royal house using a food item (not product) as a symbol. Though of course it does not match the ubiquity of Hyderabad's symbolic kulchas. Thank you Akshay for sharing and Khalid for adding colour. Arjun On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:09:10 +0530 wrote >Dear Mr.Akshay Though you have quoted the popular legend of Kulcha offered to Mir Qamar-ud-din Asaf Jah I but there are certain blunders that need your attention with subsequent correction. 1- Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia was not alive during Mir Qamar-ud-din?s period. Meer Qamar-ud-din was born in 1671 and died in 1748 as the first Asaf Jah or Nizam of Subah Dakkan. While you would know that Nizamuddin Aulia died in 1325 AD, some 400 years before Asaf Jah. Therefore this attribution to him is certainly wrong. 2-Regarding the legend, as I would relate it later, there are several versions · Once, during the Deccan campaign, Mir Qamar-ud-din had lost his way in the wilderness. As night was gathering, he saw a faint, flickering light in the distance. It turned out to be a fakir's hut. The holy man, who was about to sit down to his evening meal, asked the young general to join him. Qamar-ud-din, being hungry, did so, and during the course of the meal ate seven kulchas-- soft, flat discs of unleavened bread. The fakir urged him to eat some more. But Qamar-ud-din thanked him: he had eaten his fill, he said. Again the fakir urged him to eat some more. Again Qamar-ud-din declined politely. Then the fakir prophesied that he would soon become a king -- and as he had eaten seven kulchas, so would his dynasty rule for seven generations. · The next oft-related tale is that in 1724, while leaving Delhi for the Deccan, Asaf Jah sought the blessings of a holy man. The saint, about to start his meal, offered the food to Asaf Jah who took a few pieces of the bread. The holy man kept asking him to take more. After accepting seven kulchas, Asaf Jah said he could take no more. The saint then gave his blessings and told him that he would be the first of seven of his dynasty to rule the Deccan. And so it came to be, for Mir Osman Ali Khan was the seventh and last Nizam who ruled the dominions of Hyderabad. · Third version ??.In one of his journeys to the Deccan, Mir Qamar-ud-din is said to have lost his way in a jungle. Thirsty, hungry and woe-bygone, he approached a saint for succor. All that the saint could offer him was dry baked bread (called kulcha) and plain water. The exhausted noble had his fill and inspite of the saint's insistence, could eat no more than seven loaves. Thereupon the hermit remarked :"My son you have eaten seven kulchas. Your dynasty will rule for seven generations. God bless you." 3-Now come to my research ???I had read this tale / legend somewhere few years back which seemed to me quite correct not only historically but factually also. The fact is the Mir Qamar-ud-din Chin Qulich Khan Asaf Jah I was the disciple of Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Aurangabadi ,Qutub-e-Deccan , a saint who passed away in 1729 and whose tomb still exits at Nizamuddin Road, Shahganj in Aurangabad. When Mir Qamar-ud-din was sent as the Nizam ul Mulk of Deccan, he approached his mentor and asked for his blessings, the saint offered him cooked meat (with bones) along with Rotis or Qulchas which he took 7 qulcahs to his fill?? after that the saint foretold his rule over the dominion for 7 generations. It came true as all of us know. 4 -The legend that the Asaf Jahi flag carried the symbol of the Kulcha in memory of the incident of his having eaten seven Kulchas. However, the first Nizam did not accept this theory and in his diary as recorded by his chief secretary, Lala Mansa Ram, the Nizam stated that actually the flag carried a symbol of the moon which was derived from his own name - Qamar-ud-din (Qamar means moon). However the tradition still stood firm and when a new design of the flag submitted to Nizam VI ,itwas approved by him in 1899 with observation that the symbol was that of a kulcha. Such was the force of tradition that even a specific denial by the subject could not withstand it??and the kulcha became the centerpiece of the Hyderabad coat-of-arms. It would appear everywhere, from the golden-yellow state flag and the velvet ministerial insignias??. down to the rank markings on a policeman's epaulettes. 5-Another fact is that there were 10 Nizams in real but only seven are considered the accepted and recognized as the proper Asaf Jahs or Nizams.( 3 were not granted the titles of Asaf Jah by the then Mughal Emperors ) I hope my submissions would be accepted and granted the status of acceptance. With regards, Khalid Bin Umar akshay chavan Sent by: india-royalty-bounces@rootsweb.com 01/08/2010 11:39 PM My new blog article: Did you know that Nizams of Hyderabad were the only royal dynasty in the world to have a food product on their flag and the coat of arms! Kulcha, the north Indian delicacy, usually eaten with chole was their proud emblem. But why did the mighty Nizams of Hyderabad make the humble kulcha as their symbol insted of more exotic hyderabadi biryani? Check out the folklore behind it: http://akshay-chavan.blogspot.com/2010/01/kulcha-official-emblem-of-nizams-of.html Follow on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Theakshaychavan?ref=name#/pages/Indian-Royalty-Maharajas-and-more/128834262589 Regards Akshay Chavan ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. The firm is neither liable for the proper and complete transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for any delay in its receipt. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks for sharing this important research. The source of my tale is the book " Days of the Beloved" which has tales and legends of old Hyderabad. Different books state the different tale. I have only stated the popular folklore based on the sources which I found. Your contributions is thoroughly appreciated. Regards Akshay --- On Mon, 1/11/10, Khalid.Umar@in.ey.com <Khalid.Umar@in.ey.com> wrote: > From: Khalid.Umar@in.ey.com <Khalid.Umar@in.ey.com> > Subject: Re: [INDIA-ROYALTY] Kulcha: The Official Emblem of the Nizams of Hyderabad > To: india-royalty@rootsweb.com > Cc: india-royalty-l@rootsweb.com, india-royalty-bounces@rootsweb.com > Date: Monday, January 11, 2010, 12:12 PM > Dear Mr.Akshay > Though you have quoted the popular legend of Kulcha offered > to Mir > Qamar-ud-din Asaf Jah I but there are certain blunders that > need your > attention with subsequent correction. > 1- Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia was not alive during Mir > Qamar-ud-din?s period. > Meer Qamar-ud-din was born in 1671 and died in 1748 as the > first Asaf Jah > or Nizam of Subah Dakkan. While you would know that > Nizamuddin Aulia died > in 1325 AD, some 400 years before Asaf Jah. Therefore this > attribution to > him is certainly wrong. > 2-Regarding the legend, as I would relate it later, there > are several > versions > ·       Once, during the Deccan > campaign, Mir Qamar-ud-din had lost his > way in the wilderness. As night was gathering, he saw a > faint, flickering > light in the distance. It turned out to be a fakir's hut. > The holy man, > who was about to sit down to his evening meal, asked the > young general to > join him. Qamar-ud-din, being hungry, did so, and during > the course of the > meal ate seven kulchas-- soft, flat discs of unleavened > bread. The fakir > urged him to eat some more. But Qamar-ud-din thanked him: > he had eaten his > fill, he said. Again the fakir urged him to eat some more. > Again > Qamar-ud-din declined politely. Then the fakir prophesied > that he would > soon become a king -- and as he had eaten seven kulchas, so > would his > dynasty rule for seven generations. > ·       The next oft-related tale > is that in 1724, while leaving Delhi for > the Deccan, Asaf Jah sought the blessings of a holy man. > The saint, about > to start his meal, offered the food to Asaf Jah who took a > few pieces of > the bread. The holy man kept asking him to take more. After > accepting > seven kulchas, Asaf Jah said he could take no more. The > saint then gave > his blessings and told him that he would be the first of > seven of his > dynasty to rule the Deccan. And so it came to be, for Mir > Osman Ali Khan > was the seventh and last Nizam who ruled the dominions of > Hyderabad. > ·       Third version ??.In one > of his journeys to the Deccan, Mir > Qamar-ud-din is said to have lost his way in a jungle. > Thirsty, hungry and > woe-bygone, he approached a saint for succor. All that the > saint could > offer him was dry baked bread (called kulcha) and plain > water. The > exhausted noble had his fill and inspite of the saint's > insistence, could > eat no more than seven loaves. Thereupon the hermit > remarked : "My son you > have eaten seven kulchas. Your dynasty will rule for seven > generations. > God bless you." > 3-Now come to my research ???I had read this tale / legend > somewhere few > years back which seemed to me quite correct not only > historically but > factually also.  The fact is the Mir Qamar-ud-din Chin > Qulich Khan Asaf > Jah I was the disciple of Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Aurangabadi , > Qutub-e-Deccan > , a saint who passed away in 1729 and whose tomb still > exits at Nizamuddin > Road, Shahganj in Aurangabad. When Mir Qamar-ud-din was > sent as the Nizam > ul Mulk of Deccan, he approached his mentor and asked for > his blessings, > the saint offered him cooked meat (with bones) along with > Rotis or Qulchas > which he took 7 qulcahs to his fill?? after that  the > saint foretold his > rule over the dominion for 7 generations. It came true as > all of us know. > 4 -The legend that the Asaf Jahi flag carried the symbol of > the Kulcha in > memory of the incident of his having eaten seven Kulchas. > However, the > first Nizam did not accept this theory and in his diary as > recorded by his > chief secretary, Lala Mansa Ram, the Nizam stated that > actually the flag > carried a symbol of the moon which was derived from his own > name - > Qamar-ud-din (Qamar means moon). However the tradition > still stood firm > and when a new design of the flag submitted to Nizam VI > ,itwas approved by > him in 1899 with observation that the symbol was that of a > kulcha. Such > was the force of tradition that even a specific denial by > the subject > could not withstand it??and the kulcha became the > centerpiece of the > Hyderabad coat-of-arms. It would appear everywhere, from > the golden-yellow > state flag and the velvet ministerial insignias??. down to > the rank > markings on a policeman's epaulettes. > 5-Another fact is that there were 10 Nizams in real but > only seven are > considered the accepted and recognized as the proper Asaf > Jahs or Nizams.( > 3 were not granted the titles of Asaf Jah by the then > Mughal Emperors ) > I hope my submissions would be accepted and granted the > status of > acceptance. > With regards, > Khalid Bin Umar > > > > akshay chavan <akshaychavan@yahoo.com> > > Sent by: india-royalty-bounces@rootsweb.com > 01/08/2010 11:39 PM > > > > > My new blog article: > > Did you know that Nizams of Hyderabad were the only royal > dynasty in the > world to have a food product on their flag and the coat of > arms! Kulcha, > the north Indian delicacy, usually eaten with chole was > their proud > emblem. But why did the mighty Nizams of Hyderabad make the > humble kulcha > as their symbol insted of more exotic hyderabadi biryani? > Check out the > folklore behind it: > > http://akshay-chavan.blogspot.com/2010/01/kulcha-official-emblem-of-nizams-of.html > > > Follow on Facebook: > > http://www.facebook.com/Theakshaychavan?ref=name#/pages/Indian-Royalty-Maharajas-and-more/128834262589 > > > Regards > Akshay Chavan > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > The information contained in this communication is intended > solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is > addressed and others authorized to receive > it.   It may contain confidential or legally > privileged information.   If you are not the > intended recipient you are hereby notified that any > disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in > reliance on the contents of this information is strictly > prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this > communication in error, please notify us immediately by > responding to this email and then delete it from your > system. The firm is neither liable for the proper and > complete transmission of the information contained in this > communication nor for any delay in its receipt. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the > subject and the body of the message >

Absolutely wonderful article. Kulcha is my favourite too. I prefer it to Bhatura, which is generally considered equally popular accompaniment to Chole. PKS --- On Fri, 8/1/10, akshay chavan <akshaychavan@yahoo.com> wrote: > From: akshay chavan <akshaychavan@yahoo.com> > Subject: [INDIA-ROYALTY] Kulcha: The Official Emblem of the Nizams of Hyderabad > To: india-royalty-l@rootsweb.com > Date: Friday, 8 January, 2010, 23:39 > My new blog article: > > Did you know that Nizams of Hyderabad were the only royal > dynasty in the world to have a food product on their flag > and the coat of arms! Kulcha, the north Indian delicacy, > usually eaten with chole was their proud emblem. But why did > the mighty Nizams of Hyderabad make the humble kulcha as > their symbol insted of more exotic hyderabadi biryani? Check > out the folklore behind it: > > http://akshay-chavan.blogspot.com/2010/01/kulcha-official-emblem-of-nizams-of.html > > Follow on Facebook: > > http://www.facebook.com/Theakshaychavan?ref=name#/pages/Indian-Royalty-Maharajas-and-more/128834262589 > > Regards > Akshay Chavan > > > > > >       > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the > subject and the body of the message >

My new blog article: Did you know that Nizams of Hyderabad were the only royal dynasty in the world to have a food product on their flag and the coat of arms! Kulcha, the north Indian delicacy, usually eaten with chole was their proud emblem. But why did the mighty Nizams of Hyderabad make the humble kulcha as their symbol insted of more exotic hyderabadi biryani? Check out the folklore behind it: http://akshay-chavan.blogspot.com/2010/01/kulcha-official-emblem-of-nizams-of.html Follow on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Theakshaychavan?ref=name#/pages/Indian-Royalty-Maharajas-and-more/128834262589 Regards Akshay Chavan

I am away from my desk, but I will try to reply as soon as possbile. I apologize for any delays in answering my emails.

Hello Deepti, Thanks for the kind words. It is very difficult to do justice to Billy's life and work in a few short paragraphs, you should read his books like Tara- a tale of a tigress. However Rohit Brijnath has written a charming emotive sketch of Billy and I can do no better than to quote him. Thanks to Khalid umar, we already know how billy came to settle in Lakhimpur Kheri. Read on. Billy's pugmarks In the forests of India there is mourning. Billy Arjan Singh, an old tiger, is dead. Fortunately, he has gone to his own paradise, an animal heaven where only some humans are allowed entry. And so there he is, reunited finally with his dog Elie, leopards Prince, Harriet and Juliet, tigress Tara, monkeys Elizabeth Taylor and Sister Guptara, his fishing cat Tiffany. With them, Billy will be home.
 The two-footed Billy, 92, spoke for the four-footed unheard. He argued on behalf of those who inhabited the jungles and asked only to live. To say he was India’s finest tiger conservationist (winner of the World Wildlife Fund gold medal), sounds silly because it is not a contest. It is a calling, an empathy for the natural world. There is a wonderful photo of him, wearing a cap, with a bird sitting on it. Was the bird tired, disoriented, who knows, but maybe it knew: this man I can trust. Billy was extraordinary, a writer of books who seemed to emerge from one written by Hemingway. We were distantly related and I went occasionally to Tiger Haven in Uttar Pradesh’s Dudhwa National Park where this fascinating character lived. A bow-legged, badly-dressed, wind-breaking, well-read hero. A committed man with a Charles Atlas handshake, courteous with women, brusque with the ignorant, owner of a humour dryer than London gin, cornering me about boxers and batsmen because he admired 
athletes. He was strong, in muscle and belief. As the morning mist clung to the trees, you could hear metal clinking. Billy was lifting barbells and this was fitting for he was an unbending man. He once locked poachers into a granary where his python, the harmless Monty, snoozed in the rafters. Animals surrounded him. In the evenings, Tom Dooley the peacock would come twitching by and the elephant, Bhagwan Piari, her eye fixed adoringly on him, would gulp chapatis thicker than dictionaries.

 The conservationist’s life is of disappointment. He is going to be defeated, he can only delay some extinctions. 

 Populations are exploding, man has forgotten his place, he wants the animal’s domain too. Billy’s life was struggle. He sweated for the revival of the swamp deer, battled to turn Dudhwa into a sanctuary, experimented with rearing leopards and a tigress in an attempt to rehabilitate them into the wild. His hiccuping typewriter produced wildlife papers, he wrote books, drove to Delhi to pester officials. His persistence won Indira Gandhi’s admiration, and she wrote in 1973 to the UP chief minister: “It is easy to come by armchair conservationists, but rare indeed to find a man with the dedication and perseverance to act in support of a cause he loves.” He was crusty, cantankerous, unwilling to compromise. It was the only way and the wrong way: to save the tiger required obstinacy, but it hardly helped with officials. He talked of tigers, with deep affection and terrible sadness. He wore a devotion I have never seen. Once a hunter, he put down stakes in a jungle after World War II and never left. Just lived there among the coughing leopards. Studying, tracking, fighting, protecting. Every single, damn day for a lifetime. Sometimes, as he trudged into the forest, I wondered: what are the rewards for such men? Just one fresh tiger pugmark imprinted in the dust to reassure him not all were gone?

 Legacy is not easily defined. But we can say of Billy that he was a first and an original, a tiger explorer who built an entire life around a single cause. Like Salim Ali with his birds, he was unique. He saw the tiger as the apex of the food chain, wherein a healthy cat population meant a healthy jungle. To save this species was akin to saving it all. Billy taught us this, he taught us there was a little of William Blake in him, writing: “... the stentorian bugling of the swamp deer, the urgency in the rutting bray of the cheetal, the lilting crow of the jungle cock, and the clarion call of the peacock, all combine to make up the pulsating rhythm of the great forest”. He taught us this animal was worth fighting for, worth marching against governments for, worth giving to charities for, worth sitting still for an hour to see it for a second. He taught men that devoting a life to the tiger was worth it, helping to spawn a generation of conservationists. So I give quiet thanks for Billy. And for people like Ulhas Karanth, Fateh Singh Rathore, Valmik Thapar, Bittu Sahgal, Ashok Kumar, Belinda Wright, Raghu Chundawat. All those who fight for the tiger, and fail, and fight more. I last saw Billy three years ago, sunken into a chair, fading, his spirit tattered but not extinguished. Even to the end, I suspect, he feared not for himself, but for his forest companions. So many whom he saved, so many he could not. Rohit Brijnath is a Senior Correspondent with The Straits Times, Singapore

 The views expressed by the author are personal © Copyright 2009 Hindustan Times http://www.hindustantimes.com/Billy-s-pugmarks/H1-Article1-493756.aspx On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:20:33 +0530 wrote >Dear Arjun, Thank you for notifying us of the passing of Billy Arjan Singh. You mention you are not up to the task of writing an obituary for such a great man. For those of us who do not know of Billy Arjan Singh, hearing of his accomplishments will be a great help, even if it is a brief listing. It seems like he was a hero, someone who fought to do good things. It is always a good thing to read about the lives of good people. I hope that when you feel able you will share some of your thougths with us. In the meantime, keep well. Thank you, Deepti Kaparti > On 1/5/10, Arjun.A.R > wrote: > > > > Hello everybody, > > > > Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you > may have heard by now. > > Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar > Jasbir Singh, grandson of > > HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died > in Lakhimpur Kheri on > > the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. > > A bachelor > > > > He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur > conservationist who > > achieved great things by force of character and iron > will. I do not feel up > > to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might > add that he was one of > > my childhood heroes. > > > > RIP > > > > Arjun > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

CAN I HAVE PHOTOGRPHS OF ROYALTIES On 1/5/10, Arjun.A.R <arjunrammohan@rediffmail.com> wrote: > > Hello everybody, > > Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you may have heard by now. > Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar Jasbir Singh, grandson of > HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died in Lakhimpur Kheri on > the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. > A bachelor > > He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur conservationist who > achieved great things by force of character and iron will. I do not feel up > to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might add that he was one of > my childhood heroes. > > RIP > > Arjun > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Dilip M.Nanavati

Hi Arjan Singh was the son of Jasbir Singh, one of the nine children of Raja Sir Harnam Singh. Raja Harnam SIngh was the younger son of Raja Randhir Singh, the Maharaja of Kapurthala. The line goes like this. Raja Sir Randhir Singh, GCSI,Maharaja of Kapurthala Raja Sir Harnam Singh,KCSI (1851-1930) Jasbir Singh Arjan Singh " Billy" The story is that the rulers of Kapurthala had sided with Ranjit Singh during the Sikh Wars but during the uprising of 1857 , Maharaja Randhir Singh came with his forces into Awadh and helped british re-gain control over the territory and for this act of loyalty , Randhir Singh was granted huge lands in districts of Kheri and Bahraich and as a result he became one of the biggest Taluqdars of Oudh ( Awadh ). These land yielded him more revenuce than the whole state of Kapurthala. Randhir Singh had two sons, Kharak Singh & Harnam SIngh- the eldest Kharak Singh succeeded to the Kapurthala throne and died without any issue. Naturally Harnam Singh should have succeeded him as his younger brother but due to the dirty politics in connivance with the bribed british resident and a corrupt Civil Surgeon who declared the Maharani to be pregnant when his( Kharak Singh) husband was on the death bed , a unrelated child was smuggled into the palace and became heir to the Kapurthala throne with the name of JAGATJIT SINGH. Thus Harnam Singh was deprived of the throne but as a corrective measure the British Govt made Harnam Singh a hereditary Raja, awarded a Knighthood, KCSI, gave administration of his Awadh properties for his lifetime , an move which was objected by Jagatjit Singh but in vain. Harnam Singh looked after the Kapurthala estates in Oudh and was made to live in Oudh and Jallandhar mostly where he came under the influence of Reverend Golaknath who persuaded him to accept Christainity. More of the unjust deprivation of the Gaddi and the treatment meted out to him by the British , he was dissappointed and successful persuasion of Golaknath, Harnam Singh became a Christian and later on married a relative of Golaknath, Priscilla. Thus he closed the doors forever of acquiring the throne of Kapurthala. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur(1889-1964) was the daugther of Raja Sir Harnam Singh and thus an aunt of Arjan Singh 'Billy'. With regards Khalid "Arjun.A.R" <arjunrammohan@rediffmail.com> Correction, Billy was great grandson of HH Randhir Singh, not grand son. Billy was a bachelor. His brother Kunwar Balram Singh and family lived with him part of the time in 'Tiger Haven' close to Dudhwa national park, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. A On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:25:44 +0530 wrote >Hello everybody, > > Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you may have heard by now. Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar Jasbir Singh, grandson of HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died in Lakhimpur Kheri on the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. > A bachelor > > He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur conservationist who achieved great things by force of character and iron will. I do not feel up to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might add that he was one of my childhood heroes. > > RIP > > Arjun The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. The firm is neither liable for the proper and complete transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for any delay in its receipt.

Thanks Khalid for this biography. It at least explains how Billy came to settle in Kheri. And Henry's site mentions Oudh estates, again a point I puzzled over. best Arjun On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:02:03 +0530 wrote >Hi Arjan Singh was the son of Jasbir Singh, one of the nine children of Raja Sir Harnam Singh. Raja Harnam SIngh was the younger son of Raja Randhir Singh, the Maharaja of Kapurthala. The line goes like this. Raja Sir Randhir Singh, GCSI,Maharaja of Kapurthala Raja Sir Harnam Singh,KCSI (1851-1930) Jasbir Singh Arjan Singh " Billy" The story is that the rulers of Kapurthala had sided with Ranjit Singh during the Sikh Wars but during the uprising of 1857 ,Maharaja Randhir Singh came with his forces into Awadh and helped british re-gain control over the territory and for this act of loyalty ,Randhir Singh was granted huge lands in districts of Kheri and Bahraich and as a result he became one of the biggest Taluqdars of Oudh ( Awadh ). These land yielded him more revenuce than the whole state of Kapurthala. Randhir Singh had two sons, Kharak Singh & Harnam SIngh- the eldest Kharak Singh succeeded to the Kapurthala throne and died without any issue. Naturally Harnam Singh should have succeeded him as his younger brother but due to the dirty politics in connivance with the bribed british resident and a corrupt Civil Surgeon who declared the Maharani to be pregnant when his( Kharak Singh) husband was on the death bed ,a unrelated child was smuggled into the palace and became heir to the Kapurthala throne with the name of JAGATJIT SINGH. Thus Harnam Singh was deprived of the throne but as a corrective measure the British Govt made Harnam Singh a hereditary Raja, awarded a Knighthood, KCSI, gave administration of his Awadh properties for his lifetime ,an move which was objected by Jagatjit Singh but in vain. Harnam Singh looked after the Kapurthala estates in Oudh and was made to live in Oudh and Jallandhar mostly where he came under the influence of Reverend Golaknath who persuaded him to accept Christainity. More of the unjust deprivation of the Gaddi and the treatment meted out to him by the British ,he was dissappointed and successful persuasion of Golaknath, Harnam Singh became a Christian and later on married a relative of Golaknath, Priscilla. Thus he closed the doors forever of acquiring the throne of Kapurthala. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur(1889-1964) was the daugther of Raja Sir Harnam Singh and thus an aunt of Arjan Singh 'Billy'. With regards Khalid "Arjun.A.R" Correction, Billy was great grandson of HH Randhir Singh, not grand son. Billy was a bachelor. His brother Kunwar Balram Singh and family lived with him part of the time in 'Tiger Haven' close to Dudhwa national park, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. A On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:25:44 +0530 wrote >Hello everybody, > > Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you may have heard by now. Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar Jasbir Singh, grandson of HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died in Lakhimpur Kheri on the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. > A bachelor > > He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur conservationist who achieved great things by force of character and iron will. I do not feel up to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might add that he was one of my childhood heroes. > > RIP > > Arjun The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. The firm is neither liable for the proper and complete transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for any delay in its receipt. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I am away from my desk, but I will try to reply as soon as possbile. I apologize for any delays in answering my emails.

Correction, Billy was great grandson of HH Randhir Singh, not grand son. Billy was a bachelor. His brother Kunwar Balram Singh and family lived with him part of the time in 'Tiger Haven' close to Dudhwa national park, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. A On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:25:44 +0530 wrote >Hello everybody, > > Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you may have heard by now. Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar Jasbir Singh, grandson of HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died in Lakhimpur Kheri on the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. > A bachelor > > He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur conservationist who achieved great things by force of character and iron will. I do not feel up to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might add that he was one of my childhood heroes. > > RIP > > Arjun >

Hello everybody, Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you may have heard by now. Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar Jasbir Singh, grandson of HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died in Lakhimpur Kheri on the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. A bachelor He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur conservationist who achieved great things by force of character and iron will. I do not feel up to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might add that he was one of my childhood heroes. RIP Arjun

Dear Arjun, Thank you for notifying us of the passing of Billy Arjan Singh. You mention you are not up to the task of writing an obituary for such a great man. For those of us who do not know of Billy Arjan Singh, hearing of his accomplishments will be a great help, even if it is a brief listing. It seems like he was a hero, someone who fought to do good things. It is always a good thing to read about the lives of good people. I hope that when you feel able you will share some of your thougths with us. In the meantime, keep well. Thank you, Deepti Kaparti > On 1/5/10, Arjun.A.R <arjunrammohan@rediffmail.com> > wrote: > > > > Hello everybody, > > > > Once again a bearer of sad news, though some of you > may have heard by now. > > Kunwar Lt Col 'Billy' Arjan Singh, son of Rajkumar > Jasbir Singh, grandson of > > HH Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Sir RANDHIR SINGH Bahadur, died > in Lakhimpur Kheri on > > the 1st of Jan 2010. He was 94. > > A bachelor > > > > He was one of the last of a vanished breed of amateur > conservationist who > > achieved great things by force of character and iron > will. I do not feel up > > to writing an obituary to this great man, but I might > add that he was one of > > my childhood heroes. > > > > RIP > > > > Arjun > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

Dear All, New year is a time to unfold new horizons and dreams, rediscover strength, rejoice in pleasures and face new challanges. Wish you all a truely fulfilling Happy prosperous new year,2009. SANTANU PANIGRAHI, SAMBALPUR, ODISHA. Get an email ID as yourname@ymail.com or yourname@rocketmail.com. Click here http://in.promos.yahoo.com/address

Thank you for your email. I am currently working from our Mumbai office and will be periodically checking my emails. (please note that this is at a different time zone). For urgent issues, please contact Rochelle James (rochelle.james@azularc.com) otherwise, I will respond upon my return. Zahir Palanpur

Greetings all, Sad to report that Rana TRIVIKRAM CHAND of Koti passed away on 24th December 2008. He leaves a widow and two children. His son succeeds him as head of the Koti Royal family. Kind regards, Henry Soszynski

This is regarding Tori Fatehpur  U.P     ·        According to the law or the act of 1971 the political parties have finish with all the rights of Raja and now have become ordinary citizens.   ·        Raja BRIJENDRA SINGH Ju Dev 1964/1996, married 3rd July 1949 in Awadh, Rani Revati  Kumari Harha, died 14th November 1999, and had issue, 3 sons and 1 daughter. He died 20th March 1996.   ·        Now there is no present Raja since 20th March 1996 All the three sons have equal right of the fort according to the law.   ·        1st is Son named Raja Kaushlendra Singh Ju Deo  Married to Rani Aruna Kumari Saheb daughter of  Harpal Singh Chouhan with two issues Rajkumari Krishna Kumari & Rajkumar Vikramaditya  Singh   ·        2nd Daughter Rajkumari MandaviRaje Married on 7th March 1975 to Krishna Narayan singh Rachi.And has two issues elder daughter named Kr. Preeti Raje & Kr. Priyanka Raje.   ·        3rd is son named Raja Pushpendra Singh Ju Deo Married to Rani Anbika Devi  of Rajkot and has two issues named elder Rajkumar Hemkaram Singh Ju Deo & Rajkumar Govinda Singh Ju Deo .   ·        4th and the youngest is son named Raja Bhanupratap Singh Ju Deo Married to Rani Kiran Kumari born on 8th June 1966 and married on  7th July 1988 and daughter of (Kuwar Sahed Shriman Ranjit Singh ji of Bilkha and mother Kaurani Saheb Ela Kumari of Partapgardh  Youngest Daughter of Sir Ram Singh II Bahadur K.C.S.I.of Partabgardh state  Rajasthan  and mother Her Highness Meghraj Kumari of Dumroa State Bihar )  and has two issues daughter Rajkumari Hirneshwari Singh and son Rajkumar Manvendrapratap Singh Ju Deo

Thank you for your email. I am currently working from our Mumbai office and will be periodically checking my emails. (please not that this is at a different time zone). For urgent issues, please contact Rochelle James (rochelle.james@azularc.com) otherwise, I will respond upon my return. Zahir Palanpur

An inner courtyard with a stunning, multi-layered red sandstone facade, verandahs lined with beautiful marble tables and imposing bronze sculptures on each one of them - the family home of Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner, an erstwhile Rajasthani princess, is a palace that has hosted the then maharajas of Travancore, Palanpur, Patiala and Gwalior. “The Lallgarh Palace: Home of the Maharajas of Bikaner”, a book by Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner, chronicles the history of her century-old family home in Bikaner; peppering it with anecdotes and lore that keep the mystery and the magic of the Rathod clan alive. “Once on a summer trip to Northamptonshire to visit Althorp House of the Spencers, the family home of late Princess Diana, I bought a book written by Earl Spencer, the princess’ brother, in which he had covered the home they had lived in. While reading the book, I felt that since I had also lived in a grand palace with a rich history, it was time I wrote something about it. So I decided to write an anecdotal book about our dynasty, palace and family,” Rajyashree told IANS. Her palace, said the scion of the Bikaner family, was built over several periods. It is within a walled area, spread over roughly 66 acres. “The first wing was completed in 1902 by architect Swinton Jacob and the last wing was completed in 1926,” Rajyashree said. The Rathod clan, to which the author belongs, owes its origin to the ruler Rao Jodha of Jodhpur and Rao Bika of Bikaner, the founder of the principality of Bikaner. Legend says that Bikaner was formed in a moment of banter when Rao Bika, one of the many sons of Rao Jodha walked into the “durbar with his uncle Rao Kandhal and sat down in discussion. Turning towards them, Rao Jodha wanted to know if they were planning to conquer a new kingdom for themselves”, Rajyashree writes in her book. Rao Kandhal rose and announced that his nephew and he were ready to face the challenge. The Rathod princes gathered a band of loyalists and set out to conquer new lands. The book, launched at a glittering function at the Oberoi Hotel here Saturday evening, is divided into nine chapters that map the architecture of the palace and its origin. It begins with a description of the Junagarh Fort, the ancestral family home of the Rathod clan, the Lallgarh Palace and its sections like Laxmi Nivas, Sadul Niwas, Karni Niwas, and Shiv Vilas. The book, replete with photographs and illustrations, has been published by Dev Publishers and supported by the Maharaja Ganga Singh Trust. It is priced at Rs.1,800. The author, who studied at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, said she had a “tough time getting back to the grind” while researching and writing a book. “It was a terrible struggle. I haven’t written anything since I left college. I was busy raising a family. As a result, researching, going to libraries, collating information and disseminating them were difficult,” she said. The author’s pillar of strength has been her father, Maharaja Karni Singh, who has written two books. “He was a special person and three of his traits that inspired me the most were his sense of responsibility, duty and love for people. He taught us something very vital - that your real wealth is your ancestry,” she said. The Lallgarh Palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel.

Mr. Panigrahi reported the marriage. Here is what happened later   see http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Royal+feast+%E2%80%98spoilt%E2%80%99+by+poor+quality+food&artid=o7u%7Cdmu3uos=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=   Royal feast ‘spoilt’ by poor quality food window.google_render_ad(); Express News Service First Published : 11 Dec 2008 04:29:00 AM IST Last Updated : 11 Dec 2008 01:02:46 PM IST BHUBANESWAR: Food poisoning of eight persons, including the Maharaja and Maharani of Patiala, after taking food in marriage feast of Kalikesh Singhdeo, the MLA son of Works Minister A U Singhdeo, at Puri last night, has become a talking point in political circles here.The reception was organised at The Chariot hotel in Puri. The food for the feast was reportedly prepared at Mayfair hotel, Puri. The queen of Patiala, Uma Ranbir, reported sick around 9.30 pm followed by the king Ranbir Singh. The sick were immediately shifted to the district hospital at Puri. Hospital sources said that they were released last night after treatment. The incident has brought to the fore uncomfortable questions about the quality of food served by the so-called big hotels.