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Mahendra Singh, whose death has convulsed the Mewar royal family's succession issues, was himself excluded from the family trust by his father who gave control to the younger son, Arvind Singh.
It is this decision that years later has cast a shadow on Vishvaraj Singh's coronation, reports Prakash Bhandari.
Vishvaraj Singh's recent coronation in the royal family of Mewar (Udaipur) has been the one of the most contentious in recent times. And that it has occurred in the house that traces its lineage to the legendary warrior Maharana Pratap, makes it even more poignant.
The dispute arose after the demise of Mahendra Singh, the eldest son of the late Maharana Bhagwat Singh of Udaipur, when his son Vishvaraj Singh, also a BJP MLA, was crowned Maharana. Vishvaraj's wife, Mahima Singh, is an MP from Rajsamand. However, the coronation was fraught with disputes among the Udaipur royals.
Mahendra Singh, who died at 83, had himself long been at odds with his father Maharana Bhagwat Singh. Due to their strained relationship, the late Maharana had excluded Mahendra Singh from the family trust, which oversees the management of various royal properties.
Instead, he appointed his younger son, Arvind Singh, as the managing trustee and chairman of the family trusts. It was this decision that fuelled legal disputes that remain unresolved to this day, and puts a question mark over Vishvaraj Singh's coronation.
When Mahendra Singh passed away, Arvind Singh and his son Lakshyaraj Singh did not attend the funeral, highlighting the deep rift within the family.
Despite this, a section of former nobles loyal to Mahendra Singh supported Vishvaraj Singh's coronation at the historic Fateh Prakash Palace in the Chittorgarh fort. The event drew a large crowd of Rajputs and former nobles, even as the coronation's legitimacy was contested by Arvind Singh.
Arvind Singh, acting as the managing trustee, issued public notices warning against unauthorised entry into the City Palace and the Eklingnathji temple, both of which are part of the family trust. He declared that neither Mahendra Singh nor Vishvaraj Singh had any legal claim to these properties.
The notices, issued through the trust's lawyer, Sheetal Kumar Kumbhat, emphasised that any attempt to enter these premises would be treated as criminal trespass.
Despite these warnings, Vishvaraj Singh's supporters insisted on performing the dhuni rituals at the City Palace and forcibly tried to enter the premises. The ensuing altercation prompted police intervention, with lathi charge being used to disperse the crowd.
The district administration, including the collector and senior police officials, faced significant challenges in maintaining order during the event.
In 1983, Mahendra Singh filed a case challenging his father's decision to transfer control of the properties exclusively to Arvind Singh through a trust. The Udaipur district and sessions court recently issued a landmark judgment, directing that the disputed properties be divided equally among four members of the Mewar family: The late Maharana Bhagwat Singh (25%), and his three children -- Mahendra Singh, Arvind Singh, and Yogeshwari Kumari (75% collectively).
Until the final division is implemented, the court ruled that the three siblings would have rotational access to the properties, with each having a four-year tenure. However, Arvind Singh secured a stay order, allowing him to retain control of the properties pending further legal resolution.
Similar coronation ceremonies for titular maharajas have occurred in other princely states, including Jaipur, Kota, Bharatpur, and Bikaner, among others. In Jaipur, Brigadier Bhawani Singh, the last titular maharaja, adopted his grandson Padmanabh Singh, who was crowned amid much pomp.
In Bikaner, a dispute arose after Narendra Singh, the titular maharaja, passed away without a male heir. Raviraj Singh Rathor, a distant relative, attempted to claim the title but faced resistance from the royal family and their supporters.
A Bit of History
The rulers of various princely states in India lost their kingdoms after Independence in 1947, following the merger of all principalities with the Indian Union.
Although the princes were stripped of their power to rule and could no longer earn revenues from their estates, they were allowed to retain their titles as maharajas and nawabs. They were also granted a privy purse to sustain themselves.
However, even this privy purse, which amounted to merely one-fourth of the annual revenues the rulers previously earned, was insufficient to maintain their lifestyles. Consequently, many princes were compelled to abandon their regal ways and live like commoners.
Legal Disputes and Court Rulings
The maharajas faced another significant setback in 1971 when the Indira Gandhi government abolished privy purses. This directive ceased to recognise the princes as rulers, leading to the discontinuation of their privileges.
Post-abolishment, the former rulers fell into two categories: One group retained their titles and the privy purse until 1971, while the other was stripped of all privileges and became titular maharajas.
A titular title implies having a formal designation without any real authority, meaning they retained the title but not the responsibilities or powers associated with it.
Even after officially losing their status, many of these former rulers continued to act as maharajas within the confines of their palaces. They upheld family traditions, celebrated festivals, and organised coronation ceremonies or Raj Tilaks. These events were attended by their loyal followers, nobles, and relatives, who continued to express their allegiance by offering nazar (tributes).
After several former rulers passed away, their eldest sons have often been ceremonially crowned to keep the tradition alive, like in Mewar (Udaipur).
Vishvaraj Singh's coronation, though lacking legal sanctity, was a symbolic attempt to assert familial and traditional claims. With both Vishvaraj Singh and his wife holding significant political positions, their supporters hope to leverage this influence to resolve the longstanding property disputes. However, the final resolution rests in the hands of the judiciary, as the Mewar royal family's legal battle continues, nearly 40 years after it began.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com