PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The
Kingdom
of Kashi or Benares was founded by Khsetravridha, son of
Ayus, of the Somavansa dynasty of Pratishthana. It lost
independance in 1194 and was eventually ceded by the Nawab
of Oudh to the British in 1775 who recognized Benares as a
family dominion. Benares acceded to the status of State in
1911. The ruling family claims descent from the god Shiva
and benefited greatly from pilgrimage to Benares. The
modern name of Benares is Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Mansa
Ram, a Gautam Bhumiyar Zamindar of Utaria 1737-1740,
received most of the Benares territory from the Governor
of Benares 1737, Balwant Singh 1740-1770, Ruler of Utaria
(which name was changed to Gangapur), received the
territories of Jaunpur, Benares and Chunar from the Sultan
of Delhi. Other places that were under the protection of
the Maharajas of Benares included, Chandauli, Gyanpur,
(site of a large hospital and a school), Chakia, Latifshah
(site of the Maharaja's forests and hunting grounds),
Mirzapur, Nandeshwar, Mint House and Vindhyachal. Rulers
were....
- Shri MANSA RAM,
Zamindar of Utaria 1737/1740, married and had issue.
- Raja Balwant Singh Singh (qv)
- Raja BALWANT SINGH,
Raja of Benares 1740/1770, born 1711, the best
administrator that the people of the region had known
although his administration was constantly hampered by
the strained relations existing between him and
Shuja-ud-daula of Oudh. In spite of his unwillingness,
Balwant Singh was compelled to join Shuja-ud-daula,
the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam, and Mir Kasim in the
battle of Buxar which was fought in 1764 against the
British, which ended in victory for the British,
married (a), Rani Panna Kunwar, married (b), Rani
Gulab Kunwar (#2) (sister
of Ajaib Singh, died 3rd April 1787), and had issue.
He died 19th August 1770 (#3 p.34).
- Raja Chait Singh (qv)
- Rajkumar Sujan Singh
- Kumari (name unknown), married Shri Durg
Vijay Singh, and had issue.
- Raja Mahip Narayan Singh (qv)
- generation
- Raja Udit Narayan Singh (cf. below)
- generation
- Maharaja Shri Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh
Bahadur (qv)
- generation
- Lt.Col. HH Maharaja Shri Sir Prabhu Narayan
Singh Bahadur (qv)
- Raja CHAIT SINGH,
Raja of Benares 1770/1781, (#1) his Raj was
declared independent of Oudh in 1775 and made
tributary to the British; deposed by them on 16th
August 1781, married and had issue. He died 29th March
1810 at Gwalior (#3
p.34).
- Thakur Balwant Singh, married and had issue. He
died 1871.
- Thakur Chakarbati Singh, died sp in 1871.
- Raja MAHIP NARAYAN
SINGH, Raja of Benares 1781/1794, born 1756,
restored to the Raj on 30th September 1781; married
and had issue. He died in September 1794.
- Raja Udit Narayan Singh (qv)
- Thakur Babuhar Narayan Singh, married and had
issue. He died 1846.
- Raja Sir Deo Narayan Singh, born 1820, died in
August 1870 (#3
p.389).
- Raja UDIT NARAYAN
SINGH, Raja of Benares 1794/1835, he attained
majority in 1799, married 1791, a daughter of Fateh
Shahi, a zamindar in Bettiah, and his wife, a daughter
of Babu Pahalwan Singh, Zamindar of Manjhwa; and had
adoptive issue. He died in March 1835.
- (A) Maharaja Shri Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh
Bahadur (qv)
- HH Maharaja Shri
ISHWARI PRASAD NARAYAN SINGH Bahadur
G.C.S.I., Maharaja of Benares 1835/1889, born 1822 (or
1818), Maharaja Bahadur [cr.1859], G.C.S.I., he was
granted the style of His Highness as a personal
distinction in 1889 and a salute of fifteen guns; he
was a great patron of literature; he adopted his
nephew, his eventual successor. He died sp on
13th June 1889 (#3 p.35).
- (A) Lt.Col. HH Maharaja Shri Sir Prabhu
Narayan Singh Bahadur (qv)
- Lt.Col. HH Maharaja
Shri Sir PRABHU NARAYAN SINGH Bahadur
G.C.S.I., Maharaja of Benares 1889/1931, born 26th
November 1855, succeeded by adoption, he was granted
the title of Maharaja Bahadur and the style of His
Highness (as a personal distinction) [cr. xx.9.1889];
Maharaja (hereditary) [cr.1911], G.C.I.E. [cr.
1.1.1898], K.C.I.E. [cr.1890], LL.D., proclaimed a
Ruling Chief on 4th April 1911 at a Durbar in Nadesar
Palace, married a daughter of Babu Har Prasad Singh of
Bettiah, and had issue. He died 4th August 1931 (#4).
- Capt. HH Maharaja Shri Sir Aditya Narayan Singh
(qv)
- Capt. HH Maharaja
Shri Sir ADITYA NARAYAN SINGH, Maharaja of
Benares 1931/1939, K.C.S.I., born 17th November 1874,
he adopted Kumar Chandra Bhal Singh, son of Babu
Jharkande Prasad Singh of Surajpur, Azamgarh Distt.,
U.P. as his
intended successor from a family of Bhumiyar Brahmins;
married and had adoptive issue. He died 5th April 1939
(#5).
- (A) HH Maharaja
Shri Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh (qv)
- HH Maharaja Shri
Dr. VIBHUTI NARAYAN SINGH, Maharaja of
Benares 1939/2000, born 5th November 1927 into a
family of Bhumiyar Brahmins and adopted by the
Maharaja of Benares on 24th June 1934, educated at
Meston High School, Ramnagar; Kashi Naresh,
Chairman of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust,
pro-Chancellor of Varanasi Sanskrit University,
married 1947, and had issue, one son and three
daughters. He died 25th December 2000.
- Maharajkumari Vishnu Priya
- Maharajkumari Har Priya
- Maharajkumari Krishna Priya
- HH Maharaja Anant Narayan Singh (qv)
- HH Maharaja Shri
ANANT NARAYAN SINGH, Maharaja of Benares (see
above)
OTHER MEMBERS:
- Babu Maniyar Singh, grandson of Babu Daya Ram
(brother of Shri Mansa Ram).
- Col. Vindeshwari Prasad Singh, born 1865, C.I.E.
[cr.1919] (#6)
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