{{Infobox royalty , name = Shivashanmukha Rao , title =

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in history of South Asia, South Asia and History of ...

of Sandur , image = , image_size = 300x380px , caption = , succession = , reign = 1861 - 3 May 1878 , coronation = 1863 , predecessor = Venkata Rao II , regent = , successor1 = Ramachandra Vitthala Rao , suc-type = , full name = Srimant Raja Shivahsanmukha Rao Vitthala Rao Hindurao Ghorpade , regnal name = , house =

Ghorpade Dynasty Ghorpade is a surname found among Marathi Brahmins and Marathas in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Notable people * Santaji Ghorpade (1645–1696), Maratha warrior, chief general of Rajaram Maharaj * Yeshwantrao Ghorpade (1908� ...

, house-type = , father = , mother = , birth_date = {{birth date, 1847, 10, 17, df=yes , birth_place = Sanduru , death_date = {{Death date and age, 1878, 05, 03, 1847, 10, 17, df=yes , death_place =

Bellary Bellary, officially Ballari, in the eponymous Ballari district, Bellary district, is a city in the state of Karnataka, India. History Bellary was a part of Rayalaseema (Ceded Districts) which was part of Madras Presidency till 1 November ...

, occupation = , signature_type = , signature = , religion =

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...

Raja Srimant Shivashanmukha Rao Venkata Rao Hindurrao Ghorpade (17 October 1847 - 3 May 1878) was a member of the

who served as the

Sandur State Sandur State was a princely state of India during the British Raj, part of the Madras States Agency. Its capital was the town of Sanduru. History From 1731 until the accession to India, the Sandur state was ruled by Maratha royals. In 1776 � ...

from 1861 to 1878. His reign was noted for its progressive reforms.

Early life

Shivashanmukha Rao was born on 17 October 1847 to Venkata Rao II, the reigning Raja of Sandur. Being the eldest son, Shivashanmukha Rao was heir-apparent to the throne. Shivashanmukha Rao was educated in private.

Reign

When Venkata Rao died in 1861, 14-year old Shivashanmukha Rao ascended the throne. As he was yet a minor, the administration was handled by a regency. Shivashanmukha Rao did not have a full formal coronation till 1863, when his ''sanad'' was renewed by the Madras government. In 1876, he was accorded the title of "Raja" by the British. As soon as he assumed the throne in 1863, Shivashanmukha Rao selected

J. Macartney ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...

, a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

of the LMS as his agent and advisor. During his tenure, Macartney introduced many reforms and improved the administration of the state. Macartney retired in 1885 and was succeeded by

J. G. Firth ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...

, a former tahsildar of Bellary. Venkata Rao was a recipient of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

medal (1876). In 1877, was awarded a

Kaisar-i-Hind Medal The Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for Public Service in India was a medal awarded by the Emperor/Empress of India between 1900 and 1947, to "any person without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex ... who shall have distinguished himself (o ...

on the occasion of the

Delhi Durbar The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by the British at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it wa ...

Personal life

Shivashanmukha Rao was the oldest surviving son of Venkata Rao through his six wives. Shivashanmukha Rao married Rani Sundarabai Ghorpade. They had two sons - Vittal Rao and Maloji Rao both of whom predeceased their father.

Death

Shivashanmukha Rao died at Sandur on 3 May 1878 after a long illness. As he did not have sons of his own, Shivashanmukha Rao was succeeded as Raj by his younger brother

Ramachandra Vitthala Rao Raja Srimant Ramachandrarao Vitthala Rao Ghorpade CIE (29 March 1850 – 3 December 1892) was a member of the Ghorpade Dynasty who served as the Maharaja of the princely state of Sandur from 1878 to 1892. Early life Ramachandra Vitthala Rao ...

. 1847 births 1878 deaths Recipients of the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal