Bookstrapping: 'Dungarpur - A Glorious Century' by Samar Singh
Here's a book that focuses on the stories of the last three rulers of Dungarpur. If you are a history buff, do pick this up. Bookstrapping rating: 3 stars
The book focuses on the last three rulers who ascended the throne at the tender ages of 7, 10, and 10 again respectively.
For 776 years, the Dungarpur state was ruled without a break by a single family, despite all the countless invasions and incursions of the time.
That's eight centuries and definitely a very long inning. Precisely what piqued my curiosity with this book. Very few princely states in pre-independence India or elsewhere in the world have such a record!
Related stories
Descendants of the Sisodia's of Udaipur, the Maharwals of Dungarpur represent the elder branch whereas the rulers of Mewar represent the younger branch. Let's look at what made them tick.
The book focuses on the last three rulers who ascended the throne at the tender ages of 7, 10, and 10 again respectively. Three minors became highly successful rulers, thanks to a support structure that assisted them ably - a political agent, the state executive council, and significant elders of the family who were committed to the bloodline. This is quite rare because ‘power’ can entice families to turn on each other.
The rulers were progressive. Maharwal Uday Singh (1846 to 1898) worked to stop the practice of female infanticide and Sati, which were extremely common in Rajasthan. He was also an active participant in the social and economic reform of his people.
