Information

Dynasty

State

Madhya Pradesh

Gun Salutes

11

Accession

15th June 1948

Villages

94

Area

523 Square Kilometers km²

Privy Purse

INR 48,000

Hindi Name

सीतामऊ

Last Updated

27th Mar, 2024

Present Head

HH Raja PURANJAY SINH RATHORE, 10th and present Raja Saheb of Sitamau since May 2008. Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Oberoi Group (LinkedIn). The Hotelier India bestowed him with the "Best General Manager in India" Award for the year 2012; married February 2004 at New Delhi, HH Rani Arunima Kumari, born at The Lady Reading Hospital in Simla, daughter of Rana Arun Chand of Kuthar, and his wife, Rani Sahiba Nirmala Devi, and has issue.
  • Yuvraj Parakram Sinh Rathore, born .
  • Maharaj Kumar Rannvikram Sinh Rathore, born .
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History

The Rajas of Sitamau are Rathore Rajputs descended from Maharaja Udai Singh of Jodhpur. The origin of the Sitamau State dates from the beginning of the 18th century when the revenues of Titrode pargana were granted by the Emperor Aurangzeb to Keshodas, a grandson of Raja Ratan Singh of Ratlam. Keshodas also received sanads from the Moghal Emperors conferring upon him the perganıs of Nahargarh and Alot. The perganas of Nahargarh and Alot, how ever, passed into the hands of Gwalior and Dewas respectively during the latter part of the 18th century when the Marathas established their sway in this part of Malwa. Keshodas, the founder of the State, died in the year 1748, and was succeeded by his son Gaj Singh. On his death, in 1752, Gaj Singh was succeeded by his son Fateh Singh (1752-1802). Fateh Singh was succeeded by his son Raj Singh, who ruled till 1867. Between Raja Raj Singh and Maharaja Daulat Rao Scindia an engagement was mediated by Sir John Malcolm in 1820, under which a tribute of Rs. 60,000 Salim Shahi was payable to Gwalior. During the Mutiny of 1857 Raja Raj Singh remained faithful to the British Government and was rewarded with a khilat of Rs. 2,000. Raja Raj Singh was succeeded by his grand- son Bhawani Singh (1867-85). Raja Bahadur Singh, a second cousin of Raja Bhawani Singh, succeeded to the gadi in 1885. Raja Bahadur Singh was succeeded in 1899 by his adopted brother Raja Shardul Singh, who died o f cholera in the following year.

With his death the direct line of the Ruling family became extinct, but, to continue the autonomy of the State, the Government of India recognized the succession of the present Ruler, a brother of the Thakur of Kachhi Baroda (a feudatory of the Dhar State) on the ground of his descent from the senior branch of the family of Raja Ratan Singh. His Highness Raja Sir Ram Singh, K.C.I.E., was born on the The Ruler. 2nd January 1880 and was educated at the Daly College, Indore. He succeeded to the gadi in 1900.

In 1902 His Highness married a daughter of the Raja of Chhota-Udaipur , who died a year later. In 1903 His Highness married a daughter of the Thakur of Baleri in Bikaner . On her death, in 1915, His Highness married a granddaughter of the Thakur of Maroli in Udaipur State. His Highness has three sons, Rajkumar Raghubir Singh, M.A., LL.B., born on the 22nd February 1908, Rajkumar Govind Singh, born on the 10th August 1911, and Rajkumar Raghunath Singh, B.A., born on the 6th December 1912; and two daughters. The Ruler was made a K.C.I.E. in 1911 on the occasion of the Delhi Darbar.

Capital of the State of the same name in Central India, situated in 24° 1' N. and 75° 21' E., on a small eminence 1,700 feet above sea-level. Sītāmau is 132 miles distant by road from Indore. It is connected with the Mandasor station of the Rajputana- Malwa Railway by a metal road 18 miles in length, and is 486 miles from Bombay. Population (1901), 5,877. The town is surrounded by a wall with seven gates, and its foundation is ascribed to a Mīnā chief, Sātajī (1465). It fell later into the hands of the Gajmalod Bhumias. These Bhumias were Songara Rathors, who came into Malwa and took Sītāmau about 1500. About 1650 Mahesh Das Rathore , father of Ratan Singh, was journeying from Jhalor to Onkārnāth, and was forced to stop at Sītāmau, owing to his wife's illness. She died here, and he asked the Gajmalod Bhūmias for permission to erect a shrine to her memory, but they refused. He seized Sītāmau. The connection thus established between this place and the Rathore clan caused Ratan Singh to get it included in his grant of Ratlam. Laduna, situated 3½ miles from Sitamau , on the edge of a fine tank, was the chief town from 1750 to 1820, Sītāmau being too open to attack by the Marathās. The town contains a school, a guesthouse, a dispensary, and a British post and telegraph office.

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Genealogy

The princely state was founded in 1701 when Raja Kesho Das of Ratlam lost his state but was compensated by the jagir of Sitamau. Rulers were.......
  • Raja KESHO DAS, 1st Raja of Sitamau 1701/1748, during his reign in Ratlam prior to 1701, an important Mughal officer was killed in Ratlam by the state employees, as a result, the Mughal Emperor confiscated Ratlam and Maharaja Keshav Das went to Sitamau, which was given in jagir to him when he was forgiven by Padshah Aurangzeb, and he thus became the 1st Raja of Sitamau in 1701, he married and had issue.
    • Raja Gaj Singh (qv)
  • Raja GAJ SINGH, 2nd Raja of Sitamau 1748/1752, married and had issue.
    • Raja Fateh Singh (qv)
  • Raja FATEH SINGH, 3rd Raja of Sitamau 1752/1802, married and had issue.
    • Raja Raj Singh(qv)
  • Raja RAJ SINGH, 4th Raja of Sitamau 1802/1867, an able ruler, he remained faithful to the British Government during the mutiny of 1857, and received a khilat valued at Rupees 2,000; in 1865 the Chief agreed (No. CLXIV) to cede any land that might be required for railway purposes on the same terms as those mentioned in the cases of Ratlam and Sailana; married and had issue. He died .
    • Rajkumar (name unknown) Singh, married and had issue. He died .
      • Raja Bhawani Singh (qv)
  • Raja BHAWANI SINGH, 5th Raja of Sitamau 1867/1885, born , married and had adoptive issue. He died .
    • (A) HH Raja Bahadur Singh (qv)
  • HH Raja BAHADUR SINGH, 6th Raja of Sitamau 1885/1899, born (or 1854), elder son of Thakur Takht Singh of Chiklia, second cousin of Raja Bhawani Singh, he succeeded to the gaddi by adoption on 8th December 1885, married and had adoptive issue.
    • (A) HH Raja Shardul Singh (qv)
  • HH Raja SHARDUL SINGH, 7th Raja of Sitamau 1899/1900, succeeded to the gaddi by adoption in 1899.
  • HH Raja Sir RAM SINH II Bahadur, 8th Raja of Sitamau 1900/1967, adopted by his predecessor, son of Thakur Dalel Sinh of Kachhi-Baroda, born , K.C.I.E. [cr.1911], married 1stly, 1902, HH Chauhaniji Sahiba died , daughter of Maharawal Shri Motisinhji Jitsinhji of Chhota-Udaipur, married 2ndly, 1903, HH Rajawatiji Sahiba, died , daughter of the Thakur of Baleri in Bikaner, married 3rdly, 1915, HH Natyaniji Sahib, grand-daughter of the Thakur of Marauli in Udaipur, and had issue. He died .
    • Rajkumar Dr. Raghubir Sinh, born , M.A., LL.B., D.Litt., declined succession to the gaddi in favour of his eldest son, President of the Sitamau State Raiya Parishad (Legislature) 1939/1941 and 1945/1946, Member of the Rajya Sabha 1952/1960, author of a large number of books in Hindi and English; married Rajkumar Rani Mohan Kumari, daughter of Yuvraj Man Singh of Pratapgarh, and his second wife, Yuvrani Bhuvaneshwari Devi, and had issue, two sons and two daughters. He died .
      • HH Raja Krishan Sinh (qv)
      • Kunwar Brijraj Singh, born , married 6th May 1967, Kunwar Rani Shrimati Rama Devi, daughter of HH Raja Lakshman Sen of Suket, and his wife, HH Rani Kalawati. He died .
      • Maharani Usha Kumari, married Maharawal Digvirendra Singhji of Bansda.
      • Rani Rama Kumari, married Raja Ramkrishnaju Deo of Jeypore (Orissa), and has issue.
    • H.E. Rajkumar Raghunath Sinh, born , with the Indian Foreign Service, serving as Ambassador to many countries around the world, married Raj Kumarani Indumati Sinh, and had issue.
      • Kunwar Sahib Jay Sinhji, worked with Air India and retired as the Deputy Commercial Director in 1997, married Kunwar Rani Sahiba Asha Kumari, daughter of the Rana Sahib Sri Jagdishwar Prasad Singhji of Chaugain in Bihar, and his wife, Rani Sushila Devi of Churhat, and has issue.
        • Ajatshatru Sinhji, born , educated in the U.K., married 22nd November 2002, Kunwarani Sahib Taruna Kumari, born , daughter of Rajkumar Dalip Singh of Keonthal, and his wife, Rajkumar Rani Mankya Kumari, and has issue.
          • Abhyudai Sinh, born .
        • Ambika Kumari [Tikka Rani Sahiba Ambika Kumari of Mandi], born in Lusaka, Zambia, educated in Rome, Italy and the U.K. for five years, married 25th November 2001, Tikka Omeshwar Singh of Mandi, and has issue.
      • Kunwar Sahib Ajai Sinhji, married Kunwarani Sahiba Shashi Kumari of Palaitha in Kotah, and has issue, two children.
        • Ratan Sinh Rathore, married Rohini Singh from Una in Himachal Pradesh and has issue, one daughter.
          • Rajkumari Riddhima Kumari Singh
        • Anshuman Sinh Rathore, born in , B.Arch from Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, married in 2006 to Aditi Singh (M.Arch From School of planning and Architecture Delhi), daughter of Brig. Kunwar Kamal Singh, son of Thakur Himmat Singh of Khandela Junior.
      • Kunwar Sahib Raj Sinhji, married Maharaj Kumari Sahiba Brijraj Kumari, daughter of HH Maharajadhiraj Mirzan Maharao Shri Madansinghji Vijayrajji Sawai Bahadur of Kutch, and his wife, HH Maharani Rajendra Kunverba, and has issue.
        • Dhananjay Sinh
        • Baijilal Aparajita Kumari
        • Baijilal Vijayeta Kumari
      • Baijilal Abhilasha Kumari
    • Maharani Krishna Kumari, married (as his second wife), Maharaja Ambikeshwar Saran Singh Deo of Surguja, and had issue.
    • Rani Saheb Chand Kanwar Ji, married to Rao Sawai Kesri Singh Ji of Bijolian, son of Rao Sawai Prithvi Singh Ji of Bijolian and Rani Saheb Jas Kanwar Ji of Chhaprel.
    • Rajkumar Govind Singh Ji, married to Urmila Singh Ji.
  • HH Raja KRISHAN SINH, 9th Raja of Sitamau 1967/2008, he joined the Indian Police Service in 1959 and was a distinguished officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, he had an abiding interest in equitation and owned a number of horses; married HH Rani Yogeshwari Kumari (now Rajmata), daughter of Colonel HH 108 Sri Maharaj Adhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Ravi Kula Bushana-Mahi Mahindra Yavadarya Kula Kamaldhivakara Chattis Rajkul Singar Maharana Shri Bhagwat Singh Bahadur Hindua Suraj Hindupati of Udaipur, and his wife, HH Maharani Sushila Kunwari, and had issue. He died in .
    • Rajkumari Vindhyeshwari Kumari
    • HH Raja Puranjay Sinh (qv)
    • Rajkumar Mritunjay Sinh
  • HH Raja PURANJAY SINH, 10th Raja of Sitamau (see above)
OTHER MEMBERS:
  • Princess of Sitamau, married Sawai Rao Kesri Singhji of Bijolian, and had issue.
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Map

Sitamau map
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