Bijai Singh

Singh was born on 17 July 1887 to Khuman Singh.^[1][2][3] While he was five years old, he lost his father, Khuman Singh, and became the heir to the throne of his grandfather, Udai Singh.^[4] Shortly afterward, he also lost his mother.^[4]

He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, where he received the college diploma in 1906.^[3][4] He then entered the Imperial Cadet Corps for a brief period of time and later returned to Mayo College to join the post-diploma course.^[3] He left the college in 1907.^[3]

He succeeded his grandfather, Udai Singh II, as Maharawal of Dungarpur in February 1898.^[2][3] As he was a minor at the time of his succession, the state was placed under direct management, and its administration was carried out by a political agent, assisted by a chief executive officer and a council of two consultative members.^[2][5] He was formally invested with full ruling powers by Colonel F. H. Pinhey, the Agent in Rajputana to the Governor-General of India, on 27 February 1909.^[4] He had demarcated the Dungarpur's 450 miles of reserved jungles and instituted a regular forest law.^[6] He established regular courts of law and constituted the Legislative and Executive Councils in his state.^[7] He reorganized the police, customs, and forest departments, modernized the excise department, and introduced the Madras system in his state.^[8] During his reign, World War I broke out, and he contributed men and money to the British Government for the war effort.^[7] He offered a contingent of 100 men for garrison duty in India and personally accompanied the first installment on 6 May 1918 to Nowgong and returned to Dungarpur on 11 May 1918.^[9]

He attended the Delhi Durbar in 1903 and 1911.^[2][10]

He married Devendra Kanwar, the daughter of the Raja of Sailana, on 19 January 1907.^[3][11] They had four sons: Laxman Singh, Virbhadra Singh, Nagendra Singh, and Pradyuman Singh, as well as one daughter, Rama Kumari.^[7][12]