Maharajadhiraj Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a prince. However, in late ancient India ...

Mirza

Maharao {{Short description, Variation on Indian royal title Maharaja Maharao is a variation on the Indian (mainly Hindu) royal title Maharaja, also meaning ' great king' in Hindi. It is composed of ''Maha-'' 'great' and the royal title ''Rao'', a variation ...

Shri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Assamese, Meitei ( Manipuri), Marathi, Malay (including In ...

Deshalji II

Sahib Sahib or Saheb () is a term of address originating from Arabic (). As a loanword, ''Sahib'' has passed into several languages, including Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Crimean Tatar, Urdu, Hi ...

Bahadur (1814–1860; reign: 1819–1860) was the

Rao of Cutch Cutch State, also spelled Kutch or Kachchh and also historically known as the Kingdom of Kutch, was a kingdom in the Kutch region from 1147 to 1819 and a princely state under British rule from 1819 to 1947. Its territories covered the present ...

belonging to

Jadeja Jadeja ( Gujarati, Sindhi: , or ''Jāṛejā'') is a Samma Rajput clan that inhabits the Indian state of Gujarat and the Tharparkar district of Sindh, Pakistan. They originated from Sammas of Sindh, a pastoral group, and laid a claim on the ...

dynasty, who ascended the throne of

Princely State of Cutch Cutch State, also spelled Kutch or Kachchh and also historically known as the Kingdom of Kutch, was a kingdom in the Kutch region from 1147 to 1819 and a princely state under British rule from 1819 to 1947. Its territories covered the present ...

upon deposition of his father Bharmalji II by British. He reigned during his minority, under a

Council of Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the Interregnum, throne is vacant and a new monarch has not y ...

, headed by Captain MacMurdo and composed of Jadeja chiefs.

Reign

During his reign Kutch suffered a severe earthquake in 1819 followed by severe famine in 1823, 1825 & 1832. Further, Kutch was attacked by marauding band from

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

. Rao Deshalji and his Dewan Devkaran with their mediocre power and the support of their brethren defeated Kesarkhan and Sher Bulandkhan the Muslim marauding band. Deshalji although 18 years of age took the management of law in his own hands. The trade with Africa especially Zanzibar improved significantly. Slowly and steadily the industrialization in Kutch got a setback which was started by Lakhpatji and Godji. In the period of Deshalji II steps were taken to suppress infanticide, sati and the slave trade in the State. The educational system was also improved. The Fortification of Anjar which was destroyed by 1819 earthquake was re-done by order of Rao Deshalji in 1826

Family and Succession

He had eight wives and several sons of which Pragmalji II was declared Yuvraj by him, who ascended the throne after his death in 1860. One of his queens is responsible for erection of present-day temples at

Narayan Sarovar Narayan Sarovar or Narayansar is a village and place of pilgrimage for Hindus on the Kori Creek. It is located in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The ancient Koteshwar temple lies 4 km away, towards the ...

. Rao Deshalji II came of age in 1834 and was invested with full ruling powers but in later life, due to ill health, he transferred his ruling power to his son & successor Pragmalji II in 1859 one year before his death.
The Hind Rajasthan, or, The annals of the native states of India, Volume 1, Part 1.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deshalji 02 1814 births 1860 deaths Maharajas of Kutch Hindu monarchs Gujarati people