Meraki03 at 22:40, 12 March 2026

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{{Short description|Rao of Sikar from 1763 to 1795}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2024}}
{{infobox royalty
| name = Devi Singh
| succession = [[Rao (title)|Rao]] of [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]]
| reign = 1763 – 1795
| predecessor = [[Chand Singh of Sikar|Chand Singh]]
| successor = [[Lachhman Singh of Sikar|Lakshman Singh]]
| birth_date = 1753
| death_date = 1795
| issue = [[Lachhman Singh of Sikar|Lakshman Singh]] (adoptive)
| house = [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]]
| father = Chand Singh
| dynasty = [[Shekhawat]]
}}
'''Devi Singh''' was the [[Rao (title)|Rao]] of [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]] (in [[Rajputana]]) from 1763 until his death in 1795.

== Early life and family ==
He was born in 1753 in [[Balaran, Sikar|Balaran]] to [[Chand Singh of Sikar|Chand Singh]].<ref name="Dundlod-1970" /> As he had no children, he adopted [[Lachhman Singh of Sikar|Lakshman Singh]], the son of the Thakur of [[Shahpura, Jaipur|Shahpura]], as his son and heir.<ref name="Agarwal-1960" /><ref name="Sinh-2001" />

== Succession ==
Upon the death of his father Chand Singh in 1763, Devi succeeded him as [[Rao (title)|Rao]] of [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]].<ref name="Sinh-2001" /> At the time of his succession, he was only ten years old.<ref name="Hooja-2006">{{Cite book |last=Hooja |first=Rima |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tosMAQAAMAAJ |title=A History of Rajasthan |date=2006 |publisher=Rupa & Company |isbn=978-81-291-0890-6 |pages=693–695 |language=en}}</ref> Consequently, his uncle, Budh Singh, was appointed regent to govern on his behalf until he reached the age of majority.<ref name="Hooja-2006" /> When the [[Battle of Maonda and Mandholi|Battle of Maonda]] was fought between [[Madho Singh I]] of [[Kingdom of Amber|Jaipur]] and [[Jawahar Singh|Jawahar Mal]] of [[Bharatpur State|Bharatpur]], Budh Singh participated in it with the forces of [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]].<ref name="Dundlod-1970">{{Cite book |last=Dundlod |first=Harnath Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6T1XAAAAMAAJ |title=The Sheikhawats & Their Lands |date=1970 |publisher=Raj Educational Printers |pages=67–69 |language=en}}</ref> He fell in the battle, and for his meritorious service, [[Madho Singh I|Madho Singh]] permanently reduced the tribute paid by [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]] to [[Kingdom of Amber|Jaipur]] by 4,000 rupees.<ref name="Dundlod-1970" /> To commemorate the memory of his uncle Budh Singh, Devi erected his cenotaph at [[Katrathal]].<ref name="Dundlod-1970" /> In 1779, when Murtaza Khan Bhadech came to [[Shekhawati]] with an army of 52,000 to collect revenue on behalf of the [[Mughal emperor]] of [[Delhi]], he wrote to Devi Singh to send him at once the expenditures incurred in the campaign.<ref name="Thakur Marendra Singh-1939">{{Cite book |last=Thakur Marendra Singh |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.66970/ |title=Thirty Decisive Battles Of Jaipur |date=1939 |pages=222–224}}</ref> In response, he wrote back that he was a vassal of [[Kingdom of Amber|Jaipur]] and Bhadech had nothing to do with [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]].<ref name="Thakur Marendra Singh-1939" /> When Bhadech subsequently marched toward [[Jaipur]], he was blocked by the forces of Jaipur at [[Khatoo, Rajasthan|Khatu]].<ref name="Thakur Marendra Singh-1939" /> Devi participated in this battle along with the forces of other [[Shekhawat]] chiefs and supported [[Kingdom of Amber|Jaipur]].<ref name="Thakur Marendra Singh-1939" /><ref name="Sinh-2001" /> The battle was won by [[Kingdom of Amber|Jaipur]], and in recognition of the meritorious services rendered by him during it, [[Pratap Singh of Jaipur|Pratap Singh]] exempted 9,000 rupees in perpetuity from the annual tribute that [[Sikar]] paid to [[Kingdom of Amber|Jaipur]].<ref name="Sinh-2001" /> He renovated the Jamoon Mahal and redecorated the Gopinath temple in the 1780s.<ref name="Cooper-1994" /> He built a fort at [[Deogarh, Rajasthan|Deogarh]] in 1784.<ref name="Jain-1935">{{Cite book |last=Jain |first=kesharlal Ajmera |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.66091/ |title=The Jaipur Album Or All About Jaipur |date=1935 |pages=50}}</ref> Raja of Khandela objected to its construction and sent a force to stop it but it was of no use.<ref name="Sinh-2001" /> He also built the fort of Raghunathgarh in 1791.<ref name="Jain-1935" /> He founded the town of [[Ramgarh Shekhawati|Ramgarh]] in 1793.<ref name="Jain-1935" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=R.K Gupta |url=https://archive.org/details/rajasthan-through-the-ages-set-of-4-vol/ |title=Studies In Indian History Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs Set Of 4 Vols. by R.K. Gupta |date=2008 |pages=5}}</ref> When Sheo Singh, Thakur of [[Churu, Rajasthan|Churu]], imposed heavy taxes on the Poddars, they approached him.<ref name="Cooper-1994" /> He asked them to move to [[Ramgarh Shekhawati|Ramgarh]].<ref name="Cooper-1994" /> He enlarged his estate by adding no fewer than twenty-five large villages including Lohagarh and Koh.<ref name="Agarwal-1960">{{Cite book |last=Agarwal |first=B. D. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.120406/ |title=Rajasthan District Gazetteers Sikar |date=1960 |pages=32}}</ref> When he found that frequent conflicts between the senior and junior branches of the rulers of [[Khandela]] had left the senior branch financially, militarily, and administratively weak, he saw an opportunity.<ref name="Thakur Natwar Singh-2012">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qiVAgAAQBAJ |title=Khandela Raj: A Short History of the Rulers of Khandela |date=2012-07-06 |publisher=Thakur Natwar Singh |pages=21 |language=en}}</ref> He attacked the senior branch and annexed 28 villages of its estate into [[Sikar (estate)|Sikar]].<ref name="Thakur Natwar Singh-2012" /> He had his eyes set on taking Raiwasa, but before he could attack it, he died.<ref name="Agarwal-1960" />

== Death ==
He died in 1795 at Sikar and was succeeded by [[Lachhman Singh of Sikar|Lakshman Singh]].<ref name="Sinh-2001">{{Cite book |last=Sinh |first=Ranbir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9EduAAAAMAAJ |title=History of Shekhawats |date=2001 |publisher=Publication Scheme |isbn=978-81-86782-74-3 |pages=148, 150–153 |language=en}}</ref> After his death, a [[chhatri]] was erected in his memory.<ref name="Cooper-1994">{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=Ilay |url=https://archive.org/details/paintedtownsofsh0000coop/ |title=The painted towns of Shekhawati : a Mapin guide to India |date=1994 |publisher=Ahmedabad, India : Mapin ; Middletown, N.J. : Grantha |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-944142-80-6 |pages=65, 134, 217, 220}}</ref> Its dome features the work of Lala Ram Chitera and eighty painted panels.<ref name="Cooper-1994" />

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:1795 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:People from Sikar]]
[[Category:People from Rajputana]]
[[Category:1753 births]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian royalty]]

Devi Singh of Sikar - Revision history

Meraki03 at 22:40, 12 March 2026