Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerji Esq. M.A.I.C.S. (10 October 1871 – 25 February 1950) was an Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Diwan of Cochin from 1907 to 1914, 21st
Diwan of Mysore
The dewan of Mysore (sometimes spelled diwan) was the ''de facto'' chief executive officer of the Government of Mysore (now Government of Karnataka), ''ex officio'' chairman of the Dewan's Council (now Cabinet), and the prime minister and roya ...
from 1922 to 1926, and as Prime Minister of Kashmir from 1927 to 1929.
Early life and education
Banerji was born in
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
in the
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
Brahmo
Bengali Brahmos are those who adhere to Brahmoism, the philosophy of Brahmo Samaj which was founded by Raja Rammohan Roy. A recent publication describes the disproportionate influence of Brahmos on India's development post-19th Century as un ...
family of
Sasipada Banerji. His father was a noted social reformer and labour activist from
Baranagar
Baranagar (Bengali language, Bengali: বরানগর) is a city and a municipality in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area ...
near
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
. His mother
Rajkumari Banerji
Rajkumari Banerji or Rajkumari Devi (1847 — 8 March 1876) was an Indian social worker and Bengali philanthropist. She was said to be the first Indian woman to visit England in 1871.
Family
In 1860, Banerji married Sasipada Banerji, a social wo ...
was one of the first upper class Indian women to visit England. The family returned to India in 1872 and he was educated at the
General Assembly's Institution and graduated from the
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate c ...
. Subsequently, he earned his master's degree at the
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world.
With a governing body of a master and aro ...
and joined the Indian Civil Services in 1895.
He married Nalini Gupta, daughter of
Sir Krishna Govinda Gupta, the 6th Indian to join the
ICS, who, towards the end of his distinguished career in the civil service, went to the Secretary of State's Council in London.
Career
Magistrate
He cleared the
Imperial Civil Service
The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947.
Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...
examinations in 1894 and was appointed Assistant Collector and Magistrate in the
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
.

Foundational Contributions
Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerji Esq. M.A.I.C.S. presented the Diwan's Cup for the inter-school sports held in February 1908.
Premierships
Kingdom of Cochin
Banerji was appointed Diwan of
Cochin
Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...
in May 1907 and served till 1914.
He introduced ''The Cochin State Manual''.
Kingdom of Mysore
Banerji became a minister (councillor as they were known) in Diwan
Sir M. Visvesvaraya
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (Moːkśguṇam Viśveśvarayya; 15 September 1861 – 12/14 April 1962), also referred to by his initials, MV, was an Indian civil engineer, administrator, and statesman, who served as the 19th Dewan of Mysore ...
's cabinet in 1914. After the resignation of Visvesvaraya as Diwan, Banerji became the First Councillor in Diwan
Sir M. Kantaraj Urs's cabinet. Banerji would have left
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
service much earlier but ended up as the Diwan of Mysore since Urs resigned owing to ill health. He served as Diwan from 1922 to 1926. In 1923, he sought the help of
Brajendranath Seal to create a constitution for the Kingdom of Mysore.
He signed the 1924 Cauvery accord with the
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...
.
Kingdom of Kashmir
Banerji was appointed the first and only prime minister of
Kashmir
Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
in 1927 to
Maharaja Hari Singh
Hari Singh Bahadur (September 1895 – 26 April 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir of the Dogra dynasty.
Hari Singh was the son of Amar Singh and Bhotiali Chib. In 1923, following his uncle's dea ...
. He resigned in 1929 over differences with maharaja on the grounds of his lavish lifestyle sustained by a poor population. His wrote:
Publications
*Indian Affairs (a quarterly journal published from London).
*
Indian Tangle (Hutchinson—London)
*Indian Path-Finder (Kemp Hall Press—Oxford)
*Rhythm Of Living (Ryder & Co -London)
*Looking Ahead in Wartime (Harmony Press-London)
*
What is Wrong with India (Kitabistan—Allahabad)
*
Through an Indian Camera (Bangalore Press)
Honours
*
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:
#Knight Grand Commander ( GCIE)
#Knight Commander ( KCIE)
#Companion ( CIE)
Appoint ...
(1912)
*
Companion of the Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:
# Knight Grand Commander (GCSI)
# Knight Commander ( KCSI)
# Companion ( CSI)
No appointments ...
(1921)
*Knighthood (1925)
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banerjee, A. R.
1871 births
1950 deaths
Indian Civil Service (British India) officers
19th-century Bengalis
20th-century Bengalis
Brahmos
Politicians from Kolkata
Chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)
Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire
Companions of the Order of the Star of India
Diwans of Cochin
Diwans of Mysore
Indian Knights Bachelor
Civil servants from Bristol
Scottish Church College alumni
University of Calcutta alumni
Indian civil servants