BHADAWAR (Zamindari)

PRESENT RULER: Maharaja Mahendra ARIDAMAN SINGH, present Maharaja of Bhadawar since 1991. born 23rd January 1957 at Agra, succeded to the dignity of Chief of the Badauriya sept of the Chauhan clan and Maharaja Sahib of Bhadawar in 1991, educated at St. John's College, Agra (M.Com.), won the gold medal in the National Shooting Championships, Chairman of the District Co-operative Bank in 1989 onwards, elected five times to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly 1989 onwards, Minister for Electronics in the U.P. government  1998/2001, Minister for Transport 2001/2002, Minister for Health 2002/2003, married 9th May 1987, Maharani Pakshalika Singh, daughter of Raja Samar Singh of Rampura, and has issue. Raj Kumar Tripurdaman Singh, born 26th June 1988, educated at St. Peter's College, Agra, at the University of Warwick, U.K. and at the University of Cambridge, U.K.

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Founded in 794 by Raja Chandrapal Dev, the clan is named after his son Raja Bhado Rao who established the capital at Bhadaura. Raja Shalya Dev 1194/1208, died in battle with Quttubuddin Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi. His son Raja Rajju Raut 1228/1262, re-established his rule at Hatkant. Two Bhadauria Maharajas, Badan Singh and Maha Singh served with the Mughal armies in Afghanistan. Maharaja Mahendra Gopal Singh greatly extended the boundaries of the state during the decline of the Mughal empire. On his death in 1730, the boundaries extended upto Gwalior in the south, Dholpur in the west and Etawah and parts of Mathura and Kanpur in the east, an area of close to 12000 sq kms. During the latter years of the 18th century the Bhadaurias were attacked by the Marathas and many of their possesions were lost, leaving the small principality as we see it today (1947). The clan is one of the most loyal and illustrious and finds mention in almost all sultanate and Mughal era texts. The total family tree is spread over 56 generations as recorded over 1,300 years. Rulers and estate holders were....