MOHINDER SINGH, MAHARAJA

MOHINDER SINGH, MAHARAJA (1852-1876), was born at Patiala on 16 September 1852, the son of Maharaja Narinder Singh. He ascended the Patiala throne on 29 January 1862 at the age of ten. The young Maharaja was fairly well educated and enlightened. He received good all round education and was the first one in the line to learn English. He sponsored several works of public utility. A project he helped with a handsome contribution of 1,15,00,000 rupees was the construction of the Sirhind canal. The canal which was opened in 1882 irrigated large areas of Patiala, Nabha and Jind as well as those of Ludhiana and Firozpur districts in the British territory.

Maharaja Mohindcr Singh made a donation of seventy thousand rupees to the University College at Lahore, paid a lakh of rupees for the relief of the famine stricken people of Bengal, and founded in 1875 the Mohindra College at Patiala for the promotion of higher education in the state. This college, the oldest in the northwestern region of India and initially affiliated to Calcutta University, imparted education without charging any fees right up to the postgraduate stage and attracted students from distant parts of the country. Maharaja Mohinder Singh died at Patiala on 12 April 1876. BIBLIOGRAPHY

References :

1. Griffin, Lcpcl, The Rajas of the Punjab [Reprint]. Delhi, 1977
2. Ganda Singh, The Patiala and the East Panjab States Union. Patiala, 1951
3. Fauja Singh, Patiala and its Historical Surroundings. Paliala, 1969