PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
The Rajas of the Samasthans were closely associated with
the Qutb Shahi kings. The early Rajas of Wanaparthi kept
an army of 2,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry. For
administrative purposes the Samasthan was divided into two
taluqas namely "Sugar" and "Kesampet" under two
Tahsildars. The family trust runs the Sivananda
Rehabilitation Centre and RamDev Rao Memorial
hospital in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The Rajas of the
samasthan also founded the African Cavalry Guards, after
which the current A. C. Guards region (near Masab Tank) in
Hyderabad is named. Rulers and Estate holders were...
- Raja VEERA KRISHNA
REDDY, 1st Raja of Wanaparthi 1512/1540
- Raja VENKAT REDDY,
2nd Raja of Wanaparthi 1540/1566
- Raja RAMA KRISHNA
REDDY, 3rd Raja of Wanaparthi 1566/1592
- Raja PEDDA VENKAT
REDDY, 4th Raja of Wanaparthi 1592/1625
- Raja INUNIDI VENKAT
REDDY, 5th Raja of Wanaparthi 1625/1648
- Raja GOPAL RAO,
6th Raja of Wanaparthi 1648/1676
- Raja BAHIRI GOPAL
RAO I, 7th Raja of Wanaparthi 1676/1691
- Raja VENKAT REDDY,
8th Raja of Wanaparthi 1691/1719
- Raja BAHIRI GOPAL
RAO II, 9th Raja of Wanaparthi 1719/1746
- Raja SAWAI VENKAT
REDDY, 10th Raja of Wanaparthi 1746/1763
- Raja BAHIRI GOPAL
RAO III, 11th Raja of Wanaparthi 1763/-
- Rani Janamma,
12th Rani of Wanaparthi -/1781
- Rani B. Janamma,
13th Rani of Wanaparthi 1781/1807
- Raja RAMKRISHNA RAO
I, 14th Raja of Wanaparthi 1807/1822
- Raja RAMESHWAR RAO
I, 15th Raja of Wanaparthi 1822/1866, on 17th
March 1843, the title of "Balwant" was
conferred on the Raja as a mark of honour by Nizam
Sikander Jah; married 1stly, Rani Janamma Rao, married
2ndly, Rani Shankaramma Rao, and had issue, as well as
adoptive issue. He died spm in 1866.
- Rani Krishnamma, married and had issue.
- Rani (name
unknown), she married the Patel of eight
villages in Hyderabad, he died about 1874, and had
issue. She died 25th August 1869.
- Raja Bahadur Venkata Rama Reddy, born 22nd
August 1869 at Rayampet in Wanaparthy Samasthan
of Mahbubnagar district of erstwhile Nizam
State, educated in his village and then at
Wanaparthy, he was brought up by his uncle,
after his parents died prematurely, and had a
great passion for education, which made him
pursue further studies, in 1887 he entered the
Police Service as Sub Inspector of police, and
was posted in various districts and because of
his diligence rose gradually, he was appointed
head of the district police in 1901 and rose to
the position of Commissioner of Police of
Hyderabad, remaining in office from 19th March
1920 to 1st July 1943; he was Secretary of the
Wanaparthy Estate at the request of the Raja; he
established the Reddy Hostel through donations,
the Reddy Women's School and a number of other
educational and philanthropic institutions; as a
member of the State Legislature, he supported
the bills for the eradication of child marriage
and for widow remarriage; married 1stly,
unknown, she died a few months after the birth
of his son, married 2ndly, and had issue. He
died 1956.
- Ranga Reddy (by 1st wife), became
commissioner of excise and because of the job,
was known as Abkari Ranga Reddy. A bachelor,
he adopted Madhusudan Reddy as his son. Now
going on seventy, this charming gentleman,
lives in Banjara Hills. He is the sole
surviving descendant of the last and great
Kotwal of the city.
- Narsamma (by 2nd wife), was married to a
contractor who built Pathergatti.
- Laxma Reddy (by 2nd wife), did Bar-at Law,
married two English ladies one after another
and became a judge of the High Court; and had
issue, three sons and a daughter. [NOTE:The
children of the second wife, may have been
by her first husband.]
- William Wahab, he served in the Hyderabad Police
Force, and brought up his nephew till 1885. He
died suddenly about 1885 while serving at Raichur.
- (A) Raja Rama Krishna Rao, he died aged 14
years.
- (A) Raja Rameshwar Rao II (qv)
- Raja RAMKRISHNA RAO
II, 16th Raja of Wanaparthi 1866/1880, born
about 1840, died 1880.
- Raja RAMESHWAR RAO
II, 17th Raja of Wanaparthi 1880/1922, born
1861, he was adopted from a family in Rangapuram that
traditionally supplied adoptive heirs to the royal
family; married and had issue. He died on 22nd
November 1922, being survived by two sons.
- Maharaja Krishna Deva Rao (qv)
- Raja Ram Deva Rao, married Rani Kumudini Devi, she
was the first female Mayor for the City of
Hyderabad.
- Maharaja KRISHNA
DEVA RAO, 18th Raja of Wanaparthi 1922/1944,
he was granted the title of Maharaja in 1924; married
Rani Sarala Devi, and had issue.
- Maharaja Rameshwar Rao III (qv)
- Raja RAMESHWAR RAO
III M.A. (Hons.), 19th Raja of Wanaparthi
1944/1998, born 6th February 1923 (#1), educated at
Jagirdars' College, Hyderabad, at Nizam's College,
Hyderabad, and at Madras University, he was granted
full administrative powers in 1944; he initiated
Village Panchayat, democratic and land reforms in the
Samasthan; enacted a new constitution based pn
decentralised democracy; he joined the Foreign Service
in 1950, and served in various capacities till 1957,
including a posting as First Secretary, India's
Commission in Nairobi December 1950 to August 1952;
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha 1957/1977; Member of
the United Nations Conciliation Commission on the
Congo 1960/1961; Chairman of Orient Longman 1964/1968;
married and had issue. He died 1998.
- Rani Vidya Rao, married a son of Muhammad Saleh
Akbar Hydari, himself son of Sir Akbar Hydari, and
has issue.
- Aditi Rao Hydari, Actress, educated at
Lady Sriram College, Delhi; married Satyadeep
Mishra.
OTHER MEMBERS:
- Unknown, married and had issue.
- Rani Janamma Rao [Caroline], married (as his first
wife), Raja Rameshwar Rao I, 15th Raja of
Wanaparthi, and had issue.
- Rani Shankaramma Rao, married (as his second
wife), Raja Rameshwar Rao I, 15th Raja of
Wanaparthi, and had adoptive issue.
- Charles Wahab, married and had issue.
- Rani Seethamma, married Bizzula Venkata
Narashima Reddy (see below), and had issue.
- Govind Reddy, married and had issue.
- Bizzula Venkata Narashima Reddy, born 1850, married
1stly, Rani Seethamma, daughter of Charles Wahab (see
above), married 2ndly, Rani Rama Lakshamma of
Bijjinapalli, and had issue. He died 1913.
- Bijjula Chandra Shekar Reddy (by Rani Seethamma),
Jagirdar of Pallepad, married and had issue.
- Padmanab Reddy
- Goverdhan Reddy
- Janardhan Reddy
- Bijjula Rameshwar Reddy (by Rani Ramalakshamma),
born 1907, married and had issue. He died 1995.
- Rani Ruknamma, married into the Bijjinapalli
family, and had issue.
- Rani Sitamma [aka Mrs. Pramela Pingle], married
Hon. Pingle Jagan Mohan Reddy, Supreme Court
Judge, son of Pingle Venkataram Reddy of Warangal.
The help of John Duncan McMeekin is gratefully
acknowledged, October 2010.
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