View source for Fateh Singh of Udaipur and Mewar

{{Short description|Maharana of Udaipur from 1884–1930}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2009}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title     = Ruler of [[Udaipur State]]
| image     = Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur.jpg
| caption   = 
| succession = [[Maharana]] of [[Udaipur State|Udaipur]]
| reign     = 1884–24 May 1930
| predecessor = [[Sajjan Singh of Udaipur|Sajjan Singh]]
| successor  = [[Bhupal Singh]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1849|12|16|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1930|05|24|1849|12|16|df=y}}
| house      = [[Sisodia]] [[Rajput]]
| spouse     =
| issue      = [[Bhupal Singh]]
| father     = Dal Singh
| mother     =
|death_place=[[Udaipur]], [[Udaipur State]], [[British India]]}}
[[File:Maharaja Fateh Singh of Udaipur, (r.1884-1930), on royal barge, Udaipur.jpg|thumb|right|160px|Maharaja Fateh Singh on royal barge, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, early 1900s]]
[[File:Maharaja Fateh Singh Bahadur.jpg|thumb|Maharaja Fateh Singh Bahadur|left]]
{{Mewari Rana}}
'''[[Maharana]] [[Sir]] Fateh Singh''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCSI|GCIE|GCVO}} (16 December 1849 – 24 May 1930), ruled [[Mewar]] for 46 years from 1884 to 1930, with [[Udaipur]] as capital, and resided in the [[City Palace, Udaipur]].<ref>Complete title: HH 108 Sri Maharaj Adhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Ravi Kula Bushana-Mahi Mahindra Yavadarya Kula Kamaldhivakara Chattis Rajkul Singar Maharana Shri Sir Fateh Singh Hindua Suraj Hindupati.</ref><ref name=gu>[[#Gu|Gupta, p. 256]]</ref>

==Biography==
He was born on 16 December 1849 at Shivrati, son of Maharaj Dal Singh of the Shivrati branch of [[Mewar]] dynasty – A descendant of the fourth son, Arjun Singh, of the Rana [[Sangram Singh II]] (AD 1710–1734). First he was adopted by his elder brother, Gaj Singh who had no heir, subsequently Maharana [[Sajjan Singh of Udaipur]], who too had no heir, adopted him, he eventually became the Maharaja of [[Udaipur State|Udaipur]] in 1884. In 1887, he received [[Order of the Star of India|G.C.S.I]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uqconnect.net/~zzhsoszy/ips/s/shivrati.html |title=Shivrati Genealogy |publisher=Queensland University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516021719/http://uqconnect.net/~zzhsoszy/ips/s/shivrati.html |archive-date=2011-05-16 }}</ref><ref name=im>{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V24_099.gif|title=Udaipur State: History|year=1909|publisher=[[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]]|pages=v. 24, p. 93}}</ref><ref name=so>[[#So|Solomon, p. 128]]</ref>{{Clarify|explained talk page|date=August 2018}}

In 1889, he built the "Connaught Dam" on Lake Dewali to mark the visit of [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Duke of Connaught]], son of [[Queen Victoria]], this enlarged the lake, and it was later renamed, [[Fateh Sagar Lake]].<ref name=gu/><ref name=lakes>{{Cite web |url=http://udaipur.nic.in/lake.htm, |title=Fateh Sagar Lake: Lakes |access-date=28 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109234601/http://udaipur.nic.in/lake.htm, |archive-date=9 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He also built [[Chittorgarh#Fateh Prakash Palace|Fateh Prakash Palace]] in [[Chittorgarh fort]], which is an edifice with a tower on each of its four corners crowned by domed [[chhattri]]s. This palace is a grand specimen of modern Indian architecture and at present houses a museum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/247|title = Hill Forts of Rajasthan}}</ref>

The [[Shiv Niwas Palace]] at Udaipur was also built by him. The palace was reserved exclusively by the House of Mewar for visiting dignitaries and guests during [[British Raj]]. It now has been turned into a luxury hotel.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hrhhotels.com/grand_heritage/shiv_niwas_palace/index.aspx |title=Shiv Niwas Palace, Udaipur The crescent-shaped palace was built in the early 20th century, in the reign of Maharana Fateh Singh (period of reign: 1884–1930) |access-date=7 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621061626/http://www.hrhhotels.com/grand_heritage/shiv_niwas_palace/index.aspx |archive-date=21 June 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He was the only Maharaja to not attend the [[Delhi Durbar]], both of 1903 and 1911. Then in 1921, when [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward, Prince of Wales]], son of [[George V|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]], visited Udaipur, he refused to receive him, citing illness and instead sent his son. The independent attitude adopted by Fateh Singh observed in his refusal to appoint a Dewan and his direct or indirect association with people of known anti-British sentiments such as [[Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath|Kesari Singh Barhath]] and [[Shyamji Krishna Varma|Shyamaji Krishna Verma]] made him a problematic figure for the British Government.<ref>{{Cite book |last=R.K. Gupta |url=http://archive.org/details/bub_gb_S7dCkiyLJ6EC |title=Studies In Indian History Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs Set Of 5 Vols. |date=2008-01-01 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |others=unknown library |language=English |quote="The bold and independent attitude adopted by Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar encouraged the patriotic feelings of the people and exposed the latent Rajput love for freedom...Maharana Fateh Singh was proving a source of trouble in several ways for the British Government. While he had refused to appoint a Dewan, he had associated himself directly or indirectly with people of anti-British convictions as Shyamji Krishna Verma, Kesari Singh Barhat, etc."}}</ref> This left him at odds with the British, thereafter, under the garb of ignoring a social unrest in Mewar, on 28 July 1921, his powers were curtailed and he was formally deposed, he was however allowed to retain his title, the effective power was handed to his son and heir, [[Bhupal Singh]].<ref name=gu/><ref>[[#Wa|Warren, p. 50]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.amazingudaipur.com/turn%20the%20pages.html|title=Maharana Fateh Singh (1884–1930)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402072903/http://www.amazingudaipur.com/turn%20the%20pages.html|archive-date=2 April 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Raja Ravi Varma, Maharaja Fateh Singh.jpg|thumb|Maharaja Fateh Singh, portrait by [[Raja Ravi Varma]]]]
[[File:1 rupee Mewar - 1928.png|thumb|225px| [[Silver coin]]: 1 rupee of Udaipur State, Fatteh Singh, 1928]]
He was first married in 1867, to Rani Phool Kumari, daughter of the Thakur of Khod in [[Marwar]], who died in 1877. Subsequently, he was married in 1878, a daughter of Thakur Chanda Kol Singh of [[Varsoda]], and had son, [[Bhupal Singh]], and daughters, Ankaran Bai, married in 1904 to Madan Singh of [[Kishangarh]], and Kishor Kunwar, married 1908 to Sardar Singh of [[Jodhpur]].

He died on May 24, 1930, at Udaipur.

== See also ==

* [[Chetavani ra Chungatya]]

==Further reading==
* ''Maharana: the story of the rulers of Udaipur'', by Brian Masters. Mapin Pub., 1990. {{ISBN|0-944142-28-1}}.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{Cite book|last= Solomon|first= R. V. |author2=J. W. Bond |author3=Arnold Wright |author4=Somerset Playne|title=Indian states: a biographical, historical, and administrative survey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47sfj8DUwNgC&q=Fateh+Singh+of+Udaipur&pg=RA1-PA128|year= 2006 |publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=81-206-1965-X|ref=So}}
* {{Cite book|last=Warren|first=William |author2=Jill Gocher |title=Asia's Legendary Hotels: The Romance of Travel Authors|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GVmAfRMHw1wC&q=Fateh+Singh+of+Udaipur&pg=PA50|year= 2007|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=978-0-7946-0174-4|chapter=Shiv Niwas Palace, Udaipur|ref=Wa}}
* {{Cite book|last=Gupta|first=R.K.|author2=S.R. Bakshi |title=Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S7dCkiyLJ6EC&q=Fateh+Singh+of+Udaipur&pg=PA256|year=2008|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-841-8|chapter=9. Maharana Fateh Singh|ref=Gu}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Fateh Singh of Udaipur and Mewar}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091026162658/http://uqconnect.net/~zzhsoszy/ips/u/udaipur_r.html Udaipur genealogy] ''[[Queensland University]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512015016/http://www.mewarindia.com/ency/indexency6.html History of Mewar]

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|
  before=[[Sajjan Singh of Udaipur|Sajjan Singh]]|
  title=[[Mewar|Ruler of Mewar]]|
  years=1884—1930|
  after=[[Bhupal Singh]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Udaipur}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Fateh, Maharana Of Udaipur And Mewar}}
[[Category:Mewar dynasty]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Indian Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:1849 births]]
[[Category:1930 deaths]]
[[Category:History of Udaipur]]