IrisClow72785038 at 19:42, 26 September 2025

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{{Short description|Last ruling Maharaja of Bhavnagar from 1919–1948}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox royalty
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| name = Krishnakumarsinh Gohil
| title = [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]]<br/>[[Colonel]] Raol [[Sir]]
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| alt = Krishnakumarsinhji Gohil Photo High Quality
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| succession = [[Maharaja]] of [[Bhavnagar State]]
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| reign = 1919 - 1948
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| successor = Virbhadrasinhji Krishna Kumarsinhji
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1912|05|19|df=y}}
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1965|04|02|1912|05|19|df=y}}
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| spouse = Maharani Vijayabakunverba Sahiba
| spouse-type = Spouse
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| regnal name = [[Colonel]] [[Maharaja]] Raol [[Sir]] Krishna Kumarsinhji Gohil [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]]
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| house = [[Gohil dynasty]]
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| office = [[Governor of Madras|Governor of Madras state]]
| predecessor = [[Archibald Nye]]
| successor = [[Sri Prakasa]]
| term_start = 7 September 1948
| term_end = 12 March 1952
}}
}}
[[Colonel]] [[Maharaja]] Raol [[Sir]] '''Krishna Kumarsinhji Gohil''' [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]] (19 May 1912 – 2 April 1965) was an Indian politician and the last ruling Maharaja of the [[Gohil dynasty]], who ruled [[Bhavnagar State]] from 1919 to 1948 and also served as the first Indian [[List of Governors of Tamil Nadu|Governor of Madras]] from 1948 to 1952.

==Early life==
Krishna Kumarsinhji was born in [[Bhavnagar]] on 19 May 1912, the eldest son and heir of Maharaja [[Bhavsinhji II]] of Bhavnagar (1875–1919, r. 1896–1919). Kumarsinhji succeeded his father upon his death in 1919; only seven years old, he ascended the [[Bhavnagar]] throne under a regency until 1931. He was educated at [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot]] like his father and grandfather, who was the first student in 1870.

==Reign==
Kumarsinhji continued the progressive reforms of his father and grandfather, reforming the method of tax-collection in his state, introducing village councils and Bhavnagar's first legislature, the ''Dharasabha''. Owing to his progressive reign, Kumarsinhji was knighted with the KCSI in 1938; however, he remained quietly committed to the cause of [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence]]. Therefore, upon Independence in 1947, Kumarsinhji became among the first of the Indian monarchs to accede to the Dominion of India in 1947. He merged Bhavnagar into the state of [[Kathiawad]] in 1948.

Maharaja Shri Bhavsinhji Polytechnic Institute was established by him in commemoration of his father Late Sir Bhavsinhji II in 1932, which commenced functioning in 1949.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sirbpti.org.in/ |title=Sir Bhavsinhji Polytechnic Institute - History |access-date=12 December 2017 |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608003713/https://sirbpti.org.in/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1931, Kumarsinhji married Rajkumari Vijayaba Jadeja (19 June 1910 – 6 October 1990), the daughter of Thakur Sahib Bhojirajsinhji of Gondal and granddaughter of Maharaja Bhagvatsinh of Gondal. The couple had two sons and three daughters:
#Rajkumar Virbhadra Sinh Gohil (14 March 1932 – 26 July 1994) who succeeded as Maharaja of Bhavnagar. His son, Vijayrajsinh Gohil, is the present Titular Maharaja of Bhavnagar
#Rajkumar Shivbhadra Sinh Gohil (23 December 1933 – 31 May 2024)
#Rajkumari Hansaba (b. 25 July 1941) (now the Titular Rajmata of [[Ajaygarh]])
#Rajkumari Dilharba (b. 19 November 1942) (now the Titular Maharani of [[Panna, India|Panna]])
#Rajkumari Rohiniba (b. 8 October 1945) (now the Titular Maharani of [[Kutch]])

==Later years==
In 1948, he worked as acting [[Rajpramukh]] of [[United State of Kathiawar]] for a brief period. Later, in 1948, Kumarsinhji became the first Indian [[Governor of Madras|Governor of Madras state]], which included the area then partitioned to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka serving until 1952. Also, in that year Kumarsinhji was made an honorary [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] in the [[Royal Indian Navy]]. From 1948 until 1952, Kumarsinhji also served as the President of the Shree Nandkunverba Kshatriya Kanya Vidhyalaya and as Vice-Patron of the United Service Institution of India. Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji died at Bhavnagar on 2 April 1965, aged 52 after a reign of 46 years. He was succeeded as Maharaja of Bhavnagar by his eldest son, Virbhadrasinhji Krishna Kumarsinhji.

==Titles==
*1912-1919: [[Maharajkumar]] [[Shri]] Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib Gohil, [[Yuvaraja|Yuvraj]] [[Sahib]] of [[Bhavnagar State|Bhavnagar]]
*1919-1937: [[His Highness]] [[Maharaja]] Raol Shri Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, [[Maharaja]] of [[Bhavnagar State|Bhavnagar]]
*1937-1938: [[Lieutenant]] His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Bhavnagar
*1938-1943: Lieutenant His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri [[Sir]] Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Bhavnagar, [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]]
*1943-1945: [[Captain (land and air)|Captain]] His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri Sir Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Bhavnagar, KCSI
*1945-1946: [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri Sir Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Bhavnagar, KCSI
*1946-1948: [[Colonel]] His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri Sir Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Bhavnagar, KCSI
*1948-1965: [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri Sir Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib, Maharaja of Bhavnagar, KCSI
*1948-1952: Commodore [[Excellency|His Excellency]] Shri Sir Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Gohil, Governor of [[Madras State]], KCSI

==Honours==

<div class="center">
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

[[File:1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna.svg|100px]]
[[File:India Service Medal BAR.svg|100px]]
[[File:Defence Medal BAR.svg|100px]]
[[File:War Medal 39-45 BAR.svg|100px]]
[[File:GeorgeVSilverJubileum-ribbon.png|100px]]
[[File:GeorgeVICoronationRibbon.png|100px]]
[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|100px]]
</div>

===Decorations and medals===
*[[King George V Silver Jubilee Medal]]-1935
*[[King George VI Coronation Medal]]-1937
*[[Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India]] (KCSI)-1938
*[[War Medal 1939-1945]]-1945
*[[Defence Medal (United Kingdom)|Defence Medal]]-1945
*[[India Service Medal]] - 1945
*[[Indian Independence Medal]]-1947

===Hon. military ranks===
*Hon. Colonel, Indian Army - 18 January 1951<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=20 |date=27 January 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
*Hon. Commodore, Indian Navy - 18 January 1951<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=21 |date=27 January 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

=== University ===
Bhavnagar University is now known as [https://www.mkbhavuni.edu.in/mkbhavuniweb/index.php the Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University]

Bhavnagar Marketing yard also given the name of Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji.

==Political office==

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Gohil dynasty]]||19 May 1912||2 April 1965}}
{{s-reg|}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Bhavsinhji II]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Bhavnagar State|Maharaja of Bhavnagar]]|years=1919-1948}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Dominion of India|Monarchy abolished<br>(Merge within the Dominion of India)]]}}
{{s-pre|}}
{{s-bef|before=none}}
{{s-tul|title=[[Bhavnagar State|Maharaja of Bhavnagar]]|years=1948-65}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Virbhadrasinhji Krishna Kumarsinhji|Virbhadrasinhji]]}}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Governors of Tamil Nadu}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishna Kumarasingh, Bhavasingh}}
[[Category:Governors of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Governors of Madras]]
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Bhavnagar]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Rajpramukhs]]
[[Category:Saurashtra (state)]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:British Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian military personnel]]

Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji - Revision history

IrisClow72785038 at 19:42, 26 September 2025