WANKANER (Princely State)

(11 gun salute)

 
AREA: 1,080 km2 PRIVY PURSE: 180,000R  ACCESSION: 15th February 1948
STATE: Saurashtra  DYNASTY: Jhala  RELIGION: Hindu
     
PRESENT RULER: HH Maharana Raj Saheb Dr. DIGVIJAYSINHJI (2007/-) (Ranjit Vilas Palace, Wankaner - 363621, Gujarat, India)
born 1934, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1949); married 1stly (div.), Maharajkumari Pratap Kumari [HH Pratap Kumari of Alwar], daughter of HH Shri Sawai Maharaja Sir TEJ SINGHJI Dev Bahadur of Alwar, and his wife, HH Maharani Chand Kumari, married 2ndly, 1982, HH Maharani Vibha Devi, born 1948, and has issue.
  • Yuvaraj Sahib Kesri Sinhji (by 2nd marriage), born 5th November 1982.
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Founded in 1605 by a grandson of Raj Chandrasinhji, the ruler of Dhrangadhra. Rulers were...
  • Raj Saheb SARTANJI/SULTANJI 1605/1632 
  • Raj Saheb MANSINHJI SULTANJI 1632/1653
  • Raj Saheb RAISINHJI MANSINHJI 1653/1679 
  • Raj Saheb CHANDRASINHJI I RAISINHJI 1679/1721 
  • Raj Saheb PRITHVIRAJJI CHANDRASINHJI 1721/1728 
  • Raj Saheb KESARISINHJI I CHANDRASINHJI 1728/1749 
  • Raj Saheb BHAROJI KESARISINHJI [Bhavaji] 1749/1784, married (amongst others), Rani Kunkabai Sahiba, daughter of Kumar Shri Sagramji Kumbhoji Sahib of Gondal, and had issue.
    • Kumar Shri Raisinhji Bharoji, married and had issue. He died vp before 1784.
      • Raj Saheb KESARISINHJI II RAISINHJI (qv)
  • Raj Saheb KESARISINHJI II RAISINHJI 1784/1787 
  • Raj Saheb CHANDRASINHJI II KESARINHJI [Raj Dosaji] 1787/1839 
  • Raj Saheb VAKHATSINHJI CHANDRASINHJI 1839/1842, married and had issue, 8 sons.
    • Kumar Shri Jaswantsinhji Vakhatsinhji, married and had issue. He died vp before 1842.
      • HH Maharana Raj Saheb Shri BANESINHJI JASWANTSINHJI (qv)
  • HH Maharana Raj Saheb Shri BANESINHJI JASWANTSINHJI 1842/1881, born 1842, installed 1861, married and had issue. He died 12th June 1881 (#1)
    • Capt. HH Maharana Raj Saheb Shri Sir AMARSINHJI BANESINHJI (qv)
    • Maharajkumari (name unknown), married (as his first wife), HH Maharana Shri Sir CHHATRASINHJI GAMBHIRSINHJI of Rajpipla.
  • Capt. HH Maharana Raj Saheb Shri Sir AMARSINHJI BANESINHJI (1879-1954)Capt. HH Maharana Raj Saheb Shri Sir AMARSINHJI BANESINHJI [Gangubha] 1881/1954, K.C.I.E. [cr.1911], born 4th January 1879 (#2), educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot; married 1stly, 1896, and had issue. He died 1954.
    • HH Maharani Takhat Kunverba Saheba, married 1916, HH Maharaja PURNA CHANDRA BHANJ DEO of Mayurbhanj.
    • Maharajkumari Manher Kunverba [HH Maharani Kusum Kunwari of Lunawada], married  Col. HH Maharaja Sri VIRBHADRASINHJI RANJITSINHJI of Lunawada, and had issue.
    • Rani Vilas Kunverba, married Raol Shri SAJJANSINHJI TAKHATSINHJI of Mansa, and had issue.
    • HH Maharana Raj Saheb PRATAPSINHJI AMARSINHJI (qv)
    • Maharaj Saheb Chandra Bhanu Singhji, married Rani Kumud Manjli of Mayurbhanj, and had issue, 4 children. 
      • Kumar Shri Jitendra Singh, married Camilla.
      • Kumar Shri Bhartendrasinhji Chandrabhanusinhji, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1947).
      • Rajkumari Bhagyawanti Devi, born 1st February 1945 in Wankaner, Gujarat; married 24th November 1968 in Wankaner, Maharaj Devendra Pal Singh of Jhabua, and has issue, one son.
    • Maharajkumar Rasikkumarsinhji Jhala, married Baijilal Chandrawali Kumari, daughter of Rajkumar Pratap Singh, Yuvaraj Saheb of Banera, and had issue.
      • Kumar Shri Janakkumarsinhji Rasikkumarsinhji Jhala, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1964).
  • HH Maharana Raj Saheb PRATAPSINHJI AMARSINHJI 1954/2007, born 17th April 1907, married 5th February 1929, HH Maharani Rama Kunver, born 20th February 1911, died 10th February 1991, daughter of HH Rai-i-Rayan Maharawal Shri BIJAY SINGH Bahadur of Dungarpur, and his first wife, HH Maharani Devendra Kumari, and had issue, 2 sons and 3 daughters. He died 22nd May 2007.
    • Maharajkumari Padmini Kumari [Rani Sahiba Padmini Kunverba of Kutch], married Maharajkumar Saheb Himmatsinhji Vijayrajji of Kutch, and had issue. She died 4th December 2006 at Kutch after a long illness.
    • Maharajkumari Nalini Kumari, married Maharajkumar Shivbhadrasinhji Krishnakumarsinhji Gohil of Bhavnagar.
    • HH Maharani Mohini Kumari, married HH Maharaja Govind Singh of Bijawar, born 1934, died 1983, and has issue.
      • HH Maharaja JAI SINGH of Bijawar.
    • HH Maharana Raj Saheb Dr. DIGVIJAYSINHJI (qv)
    • Maharajkumar Dr. Ranjitsinhji, born 19th February 1939 (#3), educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1954); an expert on Indian wildlife and natural history, he has authored many books, including "Beyond the Tiger: Portraits of Asian Wildlife", joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1961, and held several environment-related jobs. As Forests and Tourism Secretary to Madhya Pradesh, he was responsible for the creation of 14 national parks and 11 wildlife sanctuaries. Later, he drafted the key Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972, and served as India's first Director of Wildlife Preservation. He is perhaps best known for his work on Project Tiger, but he also played a crucial role in bringing back from the brink of extinction, the endangered central and eastern populations of the barasingha or swamp deer, (the eastern barasingha, cervus d. Ranjitsinhi, is named after him), he is married and has issue.
      • Rajkumari Meenal Kumari, married 8th December 1990, Yuvaraj Amar Jyoti Singh Deo of Dhenkanal.
      • Rajkumari Radhika Kumari [Radhikaraje Gaekwad], married Yuvaraj Samarjitsingh Gaekwad of Baroda.
  • HH Maharana Raj Saheb Dr. DIGVIJAYSINHJI (see above)
 
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LAST MODIFIED:  
1. "The Golden Book of India"; LETHBRIDGE, Roper, MacMillan & Co., 1893 p.577
2. "Indian Annual Register" ,  N.N.Nitra, Calcutta 1945
3. The help of Arjun Rammohan is gratefully acknowledged, March 2005.