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{{Short description|Maharaja of Gondal from 1869–1944}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Bhagvat Singh
| image = H.H. Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagwant Singhji Sagramji Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Gondal, GCSI, GCIE, 1911.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1865|10|24}}
| image_size = 200px
| caption = H.H. Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagwat Singhji Sagramji Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Gondal GCSI, GCIE (then only a GCIE), a 1911 photograph, during his visit to London, for the Coronation of King George V.
| birth_place = [[Dhoraji]], [[Gujarat, India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1944|03|09|1865|10|24}}
| death_place = [[Gondal, India]]
| religion = [[Hindu]]
| title = [[Maharaja]] of [[Gondal, India|Gondal]]
| spouse =
| father =
| mother =
| issue =
}}
'''Bhagvatsinhji''' (24 October 1865 – 9 March 1944) was the ruling [[Maharaja]] of the [[Gondal State|princely state of Gondal]] from 1869 until his death in 1944, upon which he was honoured with an 11-gun salute.<ref name=Peters1938>{{cite book |editor1-last=Peters |editor1-first=Thos |title=Who's Who In India Burma Ceylon (1938) |date=1938 |publisher=The Sun Publishing House |location=Poona |pages=59–60 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.1492/page/59/mode/2up?|chapter=Gondal}}</ref> He was the only ruler from princely states of [[Kathiawar Agency]], in [[Bombay Presidency]] of [[British India]], to have taken a medical degree, among other qualifications.

==Early life==
Bhagvatsingh was born ''Kumar Sri'' Bhagvatsinghji Sangramsinhji Sahib, [[Yuvaraja]] Sahib of Gondal, on 24 October 1865 at [[Dhoraji]], the third and the youngest but only surviving son of Thakurani Bai Shri Monghiba Sahiba, daughter of Jhala Shri Rartansinhji Sahib of Minapur,<ref name=vam>[https://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1158_lafayette/popup.php?img_id=664 Bhagvatsinghji Sangramsinhji] ''[[Victoria and Albert Museum]]''.</ref> the third wife of Thakore Sagramji II, the Thakore Sahib, or chieftain, of Gondal, a small princely state that was an offshoot of the [[Jadeja]] dynasty.

===Background===
The Gondal branch of the dynasty had split off from the dynasty ruling [[Rajkot]] in the early 17th century. During the reign of Sagramji II, modern schools, courts and police force were established. In 1869, Sagramji II died, and Bhagvatsingh succeeded his father at the age of four.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Education and training==

Bhagvatsingh was educated at The [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot]].<ref name=vam/> Several years after ascending to the throne of Gondal, Bhagvatsinhji delegated the governance of his state to his adept Parsi Diwan, Bezanji Merwanji Damri.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mawani |first1=Sharmina |url= |title=Perspectives of Female Researchers: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Gujarati Identities |last2=Mukadam |first2=Anjoom A. |date=2016-05-05 |publisher=Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH |isbn=978-3-8325-4124-8 |pages=68 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |title= |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/211330643.pdf |journal=}}</ref> He then traveled to Scotland to undertake medical studies at the [[University of Edinburgh]] from 1892,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edin.ac/2HuWwAD|title=Bhagvat Singh (1865 – 1944)|work=The University of Edinburgh|access-date=2018-02-20|language=en}}</ref> where he graduated as a medical doctor in 1895<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Maharaja |first=Bhagvats Singhji |date=1895 |title=History of Aryan medical science |language=en |publisher=University of Edinburgh|hdl=1842/24115 }}</ref> and became a Fellow of the [[Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh]], the only princely ruler ever to do so.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} In 1894, he became the President of the Organising Committee of the 8th International Congress of Hygiene and Demography at Budapest. He later rose to become vice-president of the [[Indian Medical Association]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhagvat Singh (1865 – 1944)|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/alumni/services/notable-alumni/alumni-in-history/bhagvat-singh|access-date=2021-05-31|website=The University of Edinburgh|date=October 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1900 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were [[William Turner (anatomist)|Sir William Turner]], [[Douglas Argyll Robertson]], [[Alexander Crum Brown]] and [[Peter Guthrie Tait]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Reign==
Bhagvatsingh delegated most governing responsibilities, including public works, irrigation, and transportation projects. to the Diwan, Bezanji (Bejanji''')''' Merwanji Damri. Bhagvatsingh's primary focus and interest lay in the realm of education policy.<ref name=":0" /> Together they reformed the state administration, developed its resources, erected schools, colleges and hospitals, provided free and compulsory education for both men and women through university, built technical schools for engineers and training facilities for labourers.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} As well, Bhagvatsingh improved the regional livestock through modern animal husbandry, built dams and irrigation networks and introduced sewage, plumbing, rail systems, telegraphs, telephone cables and electricity, becoming also a champion for women's rights.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}<ref>[https://thediplomat.com/2019/04/girls-education-in-india-and-the-maharaja-bhagwat-singh-of-gondal Perspectives of The Maharaja by the current generation ].</ref><ref name="Girls, 1918. Page 11">''Education for Girls'', ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'', Boston, Mass. 11 June 1918. ''Page 11''.</ref> Compulsory education for girls up to fourth grade was enforced; educated mother will raise the next generation for the betterment of the society. Bhagvatsingh also published the first ever dictionary of [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and a Gujarati encyclopedia, the "[[Bhagavadgomandal]]" in 1928.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

Bhagvatsingh's four surviving sons were all educated abroad. The eldest son, Bhojirajsingh, studied at [[Eton School]] and [[Balliol College, Oxford]], where he took an engineering degree. His second, Bhupatsingh, was educated at [[Harrow School]] and at [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] and became a doctor like his father, going on to the [[London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine]] at the University of London to become a [[Doctor of Tropical Medicine]], [[Member of the Royal College of Physicians]] and [[LRCP]]. After returning to Gondal, Bhupatsingh became its chief medical officer. The youngest two sons, Kiritsingh and Natwarsingh, were both educated at the [[University of Edinburgh]], and became directors of the state railways.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

Only four years after his formal accession in 1888, Gondal was raised to the rank of a first-class state with an 11-gun salute; in 1887, Bhagvatsingh became "Sir Bhagvatsingh" after he was knighted that year.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Family==

On 3 June 1881, Bhagvatsingh married Maharani Shri [[Nand Kunverbaiji]] Sahiba, CI (1867-9 March 1936). The couple had six sons and three daughters:

#Yuvraj Sahib [[Bhojirajsinhji]] Bhagvatsinhji (8 January 1883 – 31 July 1952, r. 1944–1952), who succeeded as Maharaja of Gondal
#Maharajkumari Bai Shri Nanba Kunverba Sahiba (1884–?)
#Rajkumar Shri Ajitsinhji Bhagvatsinghji Sahib (January–May 1887)
#Rajkumar Shri Ranjitsinhji Bhagvatsinghji Sahib (16 September 1887 – 1890)
#Maharajkumar Shri Dr. Bhupatsinhji Bhagvatsinghji Sahib, LRCP, MRCS, DTM (25 May 1888 – 1945?)
#Maharajkumari Bai Shri Leilaba Kunverba Sahiba, later the Rani of Jubbal (14 February 1891 – 7 March 1975); had issue.
#Maharajkumar Shri Kiritsinhji Bhagvatsinghji Sahib (13 February 1894–?)
#Maharajkumar Shri Natwarsinhji Bhagvatsinghji Sahib (29 May 1895 – 28 October 1937) (mauled by an Asiatic lion at Junagadh)
#Maharajkumari Bai Shri Taraba Kunverba Sahiba (4 March 1900 – 1958)

(Although Bhagvatsingh married three other wives, they do not seem to have provided him with children.)
{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Later years==
During his reign, Bhagvatsingh abolished all rates, taxes, customs, octroi, and export duties in the state making Gondal the only state to be tax-free.<ref name=qu/> He not just removed the [[purdah]] system for women,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110130050139/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,740757,00.html "Purdah Women"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. 24 November 1930.</ref> but 'Zananas' or restricted women's wing were no longer built in subsequent palaces.<ref>[http://www.destinationsindia.com/india-palaces-tour/gujrat-palaces/gondal.html Gondal]</ref>

By 1918, Gondal was the only state in the [[Western India States Agency]] to have compulsory education for girls in all villages<ref name=qu>[http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/g/gondal.html Gondal Gealogy] at ''[[Queensland University]]''.</ref><ref name="Girls, 1918. Page 11"/> In October 1934, on the 50th anniversary of his accession to the throne he gave his weight in gold to charity.<ref>''Gives His Weight in Gold'', [[Chicago Daily Tribune]], 21 October 1934. ''E7 – PART 8''.</ref> Bhagvatsingh died on 9 March 1944 in his eightieth year after a 75-year reign, cementing his reputation as one of the most progressive monarchs in Indian history.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Titles==
[[File:Coat of arms of Gondal State.svg|thumb|180px|Coat of Arms of princely Gondal, 1893.]]
*1865–1869: [[Kumar]] [[Shri]] Bhagvatsingh Sangramsinhji [[Sahib]], [[Yuvaraja]] Sahib of [[Gondal, India|Gondal]]
*1869–1877: [[His Highness]] [[Thakur (Indian title)|Thakore]] Shri Bhagvatsingh Sahib, [[Thakore Sahib]] of Gondal
*1877–1887: His Highness Thakore Shri Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Thakore Sahib of Gondal
*1887–1888: His Highness Thakore Shri [[Sir]] Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Thakore Sahib of Gondal, [[Order of the Indian Empire|KCIE]]
*1888–1892: His Highness [[Maharaja]] Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, [[Maharaja]] Thakore Sahib of Gondal, KCIE
*1892–1895: His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, KCIE, [[Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh|MRCPE]]
*1895–1897: His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, KCIE, [[FRCPE]], [[Royal Asiatic Society|MRAS]], [[Royal Institution|MRI]]
*1897–1909: His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, [[GCIE]], FRCPE, MRAS, MRI
*1909–1913: His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, GCIE, [[FRSE]], FRCPE, MRAS, MRI, HPAC
*1913–1937: His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, GCIE, FRSE, FRCPE, FCP (Bombay), MRAS, MRI, HPAC
*1937–1944: His Highness Maharaja Thakore Shri Sir Bhagvatsingh Sahib, Maharaja Thakore Sahib of Gondal, [[GCSI]], GCIE, FRSE, FRCPE, FCP (Bombay), MRAS, MRI, HPAC
{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Honours==
Bhagvatsingh received numerous honours, both academic and political, through his reign. Here is a full list of his honours and academic degrees:

===Academic degrees===
*[[Bachelor of Medicine]] (Edin.) (MB)-1889
*[[Master of Surgery]] (Edin.) (CM)-1892
*[[Medical Doctor]] (Edin.) (MD)-1895

===Honours===

====Decorations====
* [[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]] (GCIE)-1897 (KCIE-1887)<ref>[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V12_326.gif Gondal state] ''[[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]]'', 1908. v. 12,
''p. 320''</ref>
* [[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]] (GCSI)-1937

====Medals====
* [[Prince of Wales]] Gold Medal-1875
* [[Empress of India Medal|Empress of India Gold Medal]]-1877
* [[Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal]]-1887
* [[Delhi Durbar]] Gold Medal-1903
* [[Delhi Durbar]] Gold Medal-1911
* [[King George V Coronation Medal]]-1911
* [[King George V Silver Jubilee Medal]]-1935
* [[King George VI Coronation Medal]]-1937

====Honorary degrees====
* Fellow of [[Bombay University]]-1885
* Honorary [[Legum Doctor|LLD]] (Edin.)-1887
* Honorary [[Doctor of Civil Law|DCL]] ([[Oxon.]])-1892
* Honorary [[Legum Doctor|LL.D.]] [[Trinity College Dublin]] – 1900<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular|date=28 February 1900 |page=7 |issue=36077}}</ref>
* Honorary Master of Surgery (SB-Bombay)-1913

====Academic societies====
* [[Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh|Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh]] (FRCPE)-1895 (MRCPE-1892)
* Member of the [[Royal Asiatic Society]] (MRAS)
* Member of the [[Royal Institution]] of Great Britain and Ireland (MRI)
* Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] (FRSE)-1909
* Fellow of the College of Physicians (FCP-Bombay)-1913

{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==Works==
* ''A Short history of Aryan Medical Science'', by the Thakur Sahib of Gondal, 1896.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1897/09/02/102096700.pdf "Medical Work in India"] [[William Osler|Dr. William Osler]], ''The New York Times'', 2 September 1897.</ref><ref>"A Few Things Under the Sun: Vaccination, Anaesthesia, and Antiseptic Surgery Were in Vogue Two Thousand Years Ago". ''[[Chicago Daily Tribune]]'', Chicago, Ill. 20 December 1896, page 25. "Modern science is robbed of the credit of several of its most boasted discoveries by the revelations made in a remarkable book issued this week from the pen of a learned Indian Prince..."</ref>
* ''[[Bhagavadgomandal]]'', 1928.

==External links==
* [https://thediplomat.com/2019/04/girls-education-in-india-and-the-maharaja-bhagwat-singh-of-gondal/ Perspectives of The Maharaja by the current generation]
* [https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/25108 Princes, diwans and merchants by Bhalodia-Dhanani, Aarti — University of Texas — Austin : education and reform in colonial India — Depiction of Gondal as one of the illustrative kingdom]

==References==
<references />
* ''Shree Bhagvat Sinhjee: The Maker of Modern Gondal'', by St. Nihal Singh, Shree Bhagavat Sinhjee Golden Jubilee Committee, Gondal. Published by Golden Jubilee Committee, 1934.
* [http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/g/gondal.html Gondal Gealogy] at ''[[Queensland University]]''.



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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhagvatsingh of Gondal}}
[[Category:1865 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Rajkot district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian medical doctors]]
[[Category:Maharajas in Gujarat|Gondal, Bhagvatsingh]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language writers]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian medical doctors]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian medical writers]]
[[Category:Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Medical doctors from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Writers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:19th-century British male writers]]

Bhagvatsinhji - Revision history

ResearcherFacts at 05:15, 31 March 2026