Yagya Narayan Singh

He was born on 26 January 1896 to Dixit Jawan Singh and his wife Shekhawatji, the daughter of Anand Singh, Thakur of Mandawa.^[1][2] His father had performed a somayajna, and he was born nine months after the final oblation of that yajna.^[3] Upon the death of his father in September 1903, he succeeded him as Maharaj of Karkeri.^[1] He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, where he passed the Diploma Examination, standing second in order of merit.^[2][4] During his time there, he also served as the troop leader of the Mounted Squadron.^[5] He accompanied his first cousin, Madan Singh, to attend the Delhi Durbar of 1911.^[1][6]

In 1915, he married Bhanwar Kumari, a daughter of the Raja of Madhusudangarh.^[7] In 1933, he married Pratap Kumari, a daughter of the Raja of Madhusudangarh and the niece of his first wife.^[3][7] He had three sons, including Yatendra Singh by his first wife, but all of them died in childhood.^[2][3] He also had two daughters, named Kalyan Kanwar and Govardhan Kanwar.^[3]

He was a Rajput of the Rathore clan.^[2]

As Madan Singh had no male issue to succeed him, he adopted Yagya Narayan Singh and declared him heir-apparent to the throne of Kishangarh.^[8] However, when Madan Singh died on 25 September 1926, Yagya Narayan Singh's succession was postponed due to the possibility of a posthumous heir being born to Madan Singh.^[9] On medical advice, the Governor-General of India approved his succession on 16 November 1926.^[9][10] Nonetheless, it was not until 24 November 1926 that the Resident at Jaipur, in a special durbar held at Kishangarh, formally announced his succession.^[10]

He was a Hindu of the Vallabhkul sect of Vaishnavism.^[1] He was a skilled polo player, poet, and singer.^[3]