Dr Bharti Gupta
The Dogra dynasty’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir began in 1846 with the signing of the Treaty of Amritsar between Maharaja Gulab Singh and the British. Maharaja Gulab Singh was the founder of this dynasty, followed by Maharaja Ranbir Singh, Maharaja Pratap Singh, and finally Maharaja Hari Singh. Born on September 23, 1895, Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling monarch of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was the son of Raja Amar Singh, the younger brother of Maharaja Pratap Singh.
He was a visionary leader whose reign (1925-1947) witnessed significant social and educational reforms. As a progressive ruler, he sought to modernize his state while preserving its rich cultural heritage. His reforms left an indelible mark on the region.
In 1908, at the age of thirteen he was sent to Mayo College in Rajputana Ajmer for his early education. After completing his studies at Mayo College, he was sent to Imperial Cadet corps, Dehradun for more advance training in arms. After completing his course at Imperial Cadet corps at Dehradun in 1915, Maharaja Pratap Singh appointed him as the Commander-in-chief of the State Forces at the early age of twenty. He remained so till the death of Maharaja Pratap Singh in September 1925. After his death, Hari Singh assumed the rulership of the state, and the coronation was held on 25th February 1926. His speech on the day of coronation is pertinent to be quoted to highlight his secular ideology. He said, ” If I am considered worthy of governing this state then I will say that for me all communities, religions and races are equal. As a ruler I have no problem. All religions are mine and my religion is justice. It is possible that while dispensing justice I may commit mistakes. To err is human. One who says that he does not commit a mistake is not speaking the truth. Only God is free from error. My duty is to look at everyone with equality. I shall, as far as possible work with justice”.
Maharaja Hari Singh was notably progressive in his outlook. His numerous reformative initiatives speak volumes about his dedication to fostering positive change within the social structure and improving the lives of his people. Let us take a look at the various initiatives he undertook.
Agriculturists Relief Regulation of July 1926
Soon after the coronation ceremonies and festivities were over, Maharaja Hari Singh made a whirlwind tour of the state to have a first hand assessment of the conditions of his subjects. It dawned on him that the basic cause of the economic servitude of the rural community was the exploitation by the moneylenders. Following this, Agriculturists Relief Regulation of July 1926 was drafted which empowered the debtor to bring his creditor to the court for settlement of account. Through the Relief Act of July 1926, the poverty stricken rural masses ceased to be the slaves of the moneylending class.
Scholarship Selection Board
Maharaja Hari Singh constituted a Scholarship Selection Board with a grant of one Lakh of rupees annually to select scholars for professional training in British India and European countries. He evolved a system according to which the scholarships were to be divided equally between the members of the Hindu and Muslim communities. The amount spent on scholarships between 1927 and March 1931 was Rs. 3,02,918 including Rs. 60,387 which was specially reserved for the Muslims through competitions but were set apart for them so that they would not be affected.
Infanticide
Maharaja Hari Singh constituted a committee consisting of his Council Members to go into the issue of female infanticide and give its findings. The Maharaja took measures to suppress the obnoxious practice. He created a special trust called Dhandevi Memorial Fund after the name of his first wife. The girls to be benefited at the tie of their marriages from the Dhandevi Memorial Kanya Fund were placed in three categories: Orphan girls who had lost their parents, no one was there to help them; the girls who had lost their fathers while their mothers were alive, and the girls whose parents were alive but were under the poverty line. The measures adopted discouraged the inhuman social evil of female infanticide and improved the status of women in society.
Judicial System
Keeping in view the British Indian Judicial system, Maharaja Hari Singh enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution of 1928. The Adalat -ul- Alia functioning in the State from the times of Maharaja Ranbir Singh was replaced by a High Court which consisted of a Chief Justice and two puisne judges appointed by the Maharaja. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution Act of 1939, the Board of Judicial Advisors was set up to advise the Maharaja about the disposal of appeals, referred to him for the decision of the High Court.
Secularism and Justice
Maharaja Hari Singh was a torch bearer of secularism and justice to one and all irrespective of caste and religion, can be seen from the fact ” that he amended the state law in 1936 to remove the clause from the statute book under which capital punishment could not be awarded to Brahmins and Rajputs. He declared in unequivocal terms that all were equal before law and that punishment would be inflicted on all those found guilty.
Child Marriage
The Maharaja enacted the Infant Marriage Prevention Regulation in 1928 (June 18) which prohibited the pernicious evil of child marriage. According to this act, “any person who causes the marriage of an infant girl or of an infant boy, or who knowingly aids and abets within the meaning of the Ranbir Dand Bidhi such a marriage shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both.”`
Health Care Consideration
Through Jammu and Kashmir Vaccination Enactment (1928), Maharaja Hari Singh paved the way for making vaccination against smallpox compulsory all over the state. He was the first ruler in India to establish T.B hospitals in the state. Two properly staffed sanatoriums were established, one at Kud in Jammu region and the second one at Tangmarg in Kashmir Province for the treatment of the patients suffering from the fatal disease. The Maharaja enacted the Juvenile Smoking Regulation of July 8, 1929, which prohibited the children from the menace of smoking in a public place.
Medical facilities were upgraded in the State at all levels to provide the best medicare to his subjects. Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh Hospital (SMGS) was built in Jammu for which the foundation stone was laid by the Maharaja himself on May 6, 1940, and was inaugurated by him after its completion in 1943. Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital was built in Srinagar and was inaugurated by the Viceroy Wavell in 1946. Similarly a modern hospital was constructed at Mirpur district.
Educational Reforms
In 1930, Maharaja Hari Singh enacted the compulsory Primary Education Regulation. Under the provisions of this Regulation, the guardians of all boys between 6 to 11 years were required to send wards to attend schools, and neglect to comply with this regulation was made an offense punishable with a fine. To make the education more broad-based an Educational Reorganization Committee was set up on June 27, 1938, under the aegis of K.G. Saiyidain . The drive against illiteracy among the adults of the state was started in 1938 at the suggestions of K.G Sayidain. Maharaja paid special attention to female education in the state by establishing female education under a deputy director.
Karan Singh ji Intermediate College was opened in Mirpur on June 14, 1944, and another Intermediate Arts College was established in the Poonch Jagir in October 1944. There being no separate college for women, the Prince of Wales College functioned as a s co-educational institution till, when Maharani Tara Devi Mahila College, Jammu, a private institution was founded in June 1944 with the efforts of the Mahila Education Society led by the Rai Bahadur Mulk Raj Gandotra. Maharani Tara Devi donated ten thousand rupees to this noble cause.
Widow remarriage
After mobilizing public opinion, the Maharaja introduced the Hindu Widow Remarriage and Property Regulation of 1931 which gave liberty to the widows to remarry and removed the age-old pernicious evil prevailing in the society.
Press
The Maharaja brought forth the Press and Publication Act on April 25, 1932, to facilitate the publication of newspapers from both Srinagar and Jammu, and provisions for the security of the Printing Press and newspapers were also modified. When Maharaja Hari Singh Ascended the throne of Jammu & Kashmir state, there was only one Urdu weekly, Ranbir edited by social activist, Mulk Raj Saraf and in June 1949, when he was forced to leave the State after appointing his son as the Regent, there were sixty-seven newpapers being published from the state.
Crusader against Untouchability
Maharaja Hari Singh was a crusader against the curse of untouchability. On October 31, 1932, Maharaja Hari Singh made a formal proclamation by throwing open the doors of State Temples and places of worship to the Harijans. This decision of the Maharaja earned him the unprecedented credit of being the first ruler of a Princely State in India to take such a revolutionary step for the emancipation of the Harijans even before Gandhiji launched his movement in British India.
Regulation against immoral trafficking of Women
The first legislative Assembly enacted a Regulation for the suppression of brothels and immoral trafficking of women in 1934. This regulation was specific in declaring that public prostitution was a sin and a grave offense. The Maharaja issued orders that this enactment be determinedly implemented and brothels operating in Jammu and Kashmir were banned. For the rehabilitation, the women were trained in handicrafts to make them economically independent and self-reliant.
Postal and Telecommunication services
A sub-post office was inaugurated at Darbar Garh in Jammu on November 07, 1939. There was a postal division in Kashmir. By 1944, 126 post offices were functioning in the state. Considerable expansion of telegraph services was undertaken from 1925-1947.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited 1938
During the reign of the Maharaja, the Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited was registered as a public company in the year 1938 and it commenced its banking transactions in July 1939. Its principal objective was to help develop trade and industry on sound lines in the state.
First Industrial Township
The Resin and Turpentine factory was established in Mira Sahib, Jammu, in 1940 with a capital outlay of Rs. 3.00 lakhs. This was the first industrial township established by the Maharaja in Jammu. In order to promote the goods manufactured in the State, Industrial Museum and Sale Emporiums were established in both the capital cities of the State whereas the Emporium at Srinagar was opened in July in 1941 and the other one at Jammu was started on May 2, 1942.
The initiatives and reforms mentioned above are not an exhaustive list of Maharaja Hari Singh’s contributions. There are likely many others beyond my current knowledge and the scope of this article to include.
Maharaja Hari Singh’s reign stands as a testament to his visionary leadership and progressive mindset. His reforms across social, economic, and political spheres laid the foundation for a more equitable society in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the challenges of his time, his dedication to modernization, justice, and the welfare of his people remains an enduring legacy. Today, Maharaja Hari Singh is remembered not just as a ruler but as a reformer who sought to uplift his kingdom and leave a lasting impact on its future generations.
The later years of Maharaja Hari Singh’s life were marked by a series of deeply unfortunate political developments that ultimately led to his departure from his beloved state of Jammu and Kashmir. As India moved towards independence in 1947, the partition of the subcontinent created a highly complex and sensitive situation for the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. In October 1947, the state was invaded by tribal forces supported by Pakistan, which plunged Jammu and Kashmir into turmoil. Faced with the imminent threat, Maharaja Hari Singh turned to India for military assistance and signed the Instrument of Accession, formally aligning Jammu and Kashmir with India.
Despite this, the political dynamics in the region remained complex and fraught with tension. Maharaja Hari Singh faced increasing pressure from both the Indian government and local political leaders to leave the state. While he had hoped to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for his people, the changing political landscape led to his eventual exile. After his forced exile from Jammu and Kashmir, he spent his later years in relative seclusion in Bombay (Mumbai), far from the state he had once ruled. Maharaja Hari Singh passed away on April 26, 1961, in Bombay. It was a poignant end for a ruler who had devoted much of his life to the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir.
(Acknowledgement: This article has drawn the information on reforms and initiatives from Book “The Dogra Rulers of Jammu and Kashmir” by Sat Prakash Suri)
(The author is Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism and Travel Management, Central University of Jammu)
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