Soldier, Sportsman, Statesman, Social Reformer - Nationalist before there was a Nation, Gandhian before Gandhi - Prince, Prime Minister, Paladin - Sir Pratap Singh (1845-1922), Musahib Ala of Marwar, Regent of Jodhpur, Maharaja of Idar, Knight of the Empire, Pillar of the Arya Samaj, Jodhpur Lancer, Designer of the Jodhpur Breeches, Pig-Sticker Extraordinaire, Father of Indian Polo - simply Sarkar in Marwar, and Sir P beyond - was a man of many parts. Sir P’s great-great grandson looks back on this remarkable figure, his extraordinary career and eventful life, in his Death Centenary Year. A surprisingly relevant history lesson culled largely from the family archive and library. A warm tale of an informally educated, but profoundly enlightened man. With an uncomplicated understanding of life, together with a rare zest for it, making the most of the interesting times he found himself in… In the Age, and adorning a facet of Modern Indian History too long ignored; indeed, scorned in our insecure, narrow-minded and short-sighted times. The relationship between India’s Princes and the British Raj may have been complicated, unequal, often uncomfortable, sometimes humiliating - but it was also a wonderful, nuanced, multi-dimensional, subtle and mutually-productive partnership in so many other ways. Best of all exemplified by Sir Pratap; who - despite being described as a “beau ideal” of Empire - an icon of the Raj - personally anticipated, activated and assisted several incipient National Movements - Samaj to Swadeshi to Swabhasha to Sena to Sport - long before Gandhiji r... See more
Soldier, Sportsman, Statesman, Social Reformer - Nationalist before there was a Nation, Gandhian before Gandhi - Prince, Prime Minister, Paladin - Sir Pratap Singh (1845-1922), Musahib Ala of Marwar, Regent of Jodhpur, Maharaja of Idar, Knight of the Empire, Pillar of the Arya Samaj, Jodhpur Lancer, Designer of the Jodhpur Breeches, Pig-Sticker Extraordinaire, Father of Indian Polo - simply Sarkar in Marwar, and Sir P beyond - was a man of many parts. Sir P’s great-great grandson looks back on this remarkable figure, his extraordinary career and eventful life, in his Death Centenary Year. A surprisingly relevant history lesson culled largely from the family archive and library. A warm tale of an informally educated, but profoundly enlightened man. With an uncomplicated understanding of life, together with a rare zest for it, making the most of the interesting times he found himself in… In the Age, and adorning a facet of Modern Indian History too long ignored; indeed, scorned in our insecure, narrow-minded and short-sighted times. The relationship between India’s Princes and the British Raj may have been complicated, unequal, often uncomfortable, sometimes humiliating - but it was also a wonderful, nuanced, multi-dimensional, subtle and mutually-productive partnership in so many other ways. Best of all exemplified by Sir Pratap; who - despite being described as a “beau ideal” of Empire - an icon of the Raj - personally anticipated, activated and assisted several incipient National Movements - Samaj to Swadeshi to Swabhasha to Sena to Sport - long before Gandhiji returned to India.
