Brahmins Kings

MAHARAJA TEKARI GOPAL SHARAN SINGH (BRAHMAN BHUMIHAR MAHARAJA )

  When it comes to Motor Racing or Formula 1, you probably recall Narain Karthikeyan. Wait a moment, did you ever think of an Indian participating in motor race way back in the earlier 20th Century? Even before India got independence and Formula 1 became the new Cool for we Indians, an Indian Prince used to motor race and participate in Grand Prix races in Europe. Yes, an Indian Prince – Maharaja GOPAL SHARAN NARAIN SINGH – Sounds Cool!

GOPAL SHARAN NARAIN SINGH (born 1883) was the king of Tekari Raj also called as (Tekari Raj of 9 Annas). He received the charge of the estate from the Court of Wards in 1904. Tekari, at present is a block located westwards from district headquarters of Gaya. Pre – Independence, Tekari Raj was a minor estate and Mr. Cotton Senior was the manager of the Estate by appointment of the Courts of Wards whereas Cotton Junior was the counsel of Mahant of Bodh Gaya.

Raja Gopal Sharan Singh 2

1883 – 1958

Gopal Sharan Singh studied at St. Georges School, Mussourie and by private British tutors, he received the charge of the estate from the Court of Wards in 1904. He also appointed his teacher Mr. M. Keith as first Manager of his Estate.

The Captain-Life

He was the first Indian prince to motor race in France and England and several other early Grand Prix races in Europe at the turn of the century. He was a noted game hunter of the time and he also volunteered for active service as Lieutenant at the break of World War I in 1914. He was special dispatch officer to Field Marshall Haig and active in the trenches in France while serving with the Corps Signal Company. He was also promoted to Captain during the war. He donated the Skidder Tank to England Government and later joined the Indian freedom movement as a member of the Indian National Congress.

Political Life

Gopal Sharan Singh contested elections under 1919 Govt of India Act and he defeated Maharajadhiraj Sir Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga twice. He was elected as one of the 39 delegates in Bihar Rajya Regional Congress Conference at Patna; Bhagalpur in 1908. He was also elected a member of Indian National Congress in 25th conference held in 1912 at Bankipoore, Patna. The Swaraj Party of Motilal Nehru and C R Das was founded during the 37th All India Congress conference in 1922 at his residence White House in Gaya.

A dive into captain’s personal life

Maharaja Gopal Sharan Narain Singh was born to Maharani Radheshwari Kuer and Ambika Saran Singh.

1st Marriage: Maharajah Kumar Gopal Saran Narain Singh married Rajkumari of Tamkuhi in 1902. Maharani (name unknown) was the sister of Raja Indrajit Pratap Shahi of Tamkuhi Raj, Gorakhpur. Unfortunately she died in 1903 because of Tuberculosis.

2nd Marriage: On 2nd May 1909 in Lucknow, he got married to Maharani Sita Devi (also known as Elsie Thompson). She was born (1883) in Sydney, Australia, died in 1967 in Australia. She was the daughter of James Thompson. She received a perpetual annuity starting in May 1913 of Rs 36,000 P.A. 37 villages of Aurangabad Circle, from the Maharaja.

3rd Marriage: In 1912, He married Kumar Rani Sayeeda Khatoon.

Maharaja Gopal transferred the Aurangabad Circle of Tikari Raj to Kumar Rani Sayeeda Khatoon and her sons where she formed the ‘Kumar Rani Aurangabad Estate’, which had an annual income of Rs 1,200,000. She left Maharaja Gopal Sharan Singh and went Pakistan. She married a citizen in Pakistan and settled there where she died in 1972 in Karachi, Pakistan.

4th Marriage: In 1919, he married Maharani Vidyawati Kuer, daughter of Kumar Chote Narain Singh.

 

 

Maharaja’s friends and associates :

He had a fast friend Pt Deoki Nandan Bajpai, Circle Officer, Jehanabad (later he became the Circle Officer cum Assistant Manager of Tekari Raj).

Mr. JG Wakefield was at the post of manager till 1934. Maharaja  donated 11 villages near Bodh Gaya to his manager J.G. Wakefield in lieu of income/salary. After JG Wakefield, Mr. Willey Hathaway became the manager of his Estate. Bachchu Narayan Singh, Singhaul, Bela, Gaya was also the manager of his Estate. Harihar Nath was assistant manager of his state from 1912 to 1918. Maharaj also wrote an application to the Commissioner of Income Tax about his property worth to two crores.His legal representatives were eminent lawyer Sir Sultan Ahmad of Allahabad, P.R. Das, Hassan Imam of Patna. Sidheshwar Prasad Sinha and Rai Hari Prasad Lall, Deoki Nandan Bajpai were circle officers of his Estate. Dr. K.S.R. Swami, Gaya, Dr. T K Banerjee, Patna, Dr. Sheo Narayan Bajpai, Tekari were his family doctors.

Maharaja GOPAL SHARAN NARAIN SINGH took his last breathe on 17th February 1958 at Kharkhari/ Zarlahi Kothi. It is located in front of the residence of senior SP, Gaya.

The article has been contributed by Rajneesh Bajpai (Bajpai Bhavan, Tekari) of Tekari and to know more about Tekari and Tekari Estate, please follow the page टिकारी राज managed by him.

If you would also like to share something about the history of Tekari and Gaya, please let us know.