Dholpur State


Dhaulpur State or Dholpur State was a kingdom of eastern Rajasthan, India, which was founded in AD 1806 by a Hindu
Jat Rana Kirat Singh of Dhaulpur, Ruler. After 1818, the state was placed under the authority of British India's Rajputana Agency. The Ranas ruled the state until the independence of India in 1947, when the kingdom was merged with the Union of India.
Dholpur princely state was located in the present-day state of Rajasthan. The state had an area of, and an estimated revenue of Rs.9,60,000.
The former chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, was a member of the erstwhile ruling family of Dholpur as she was married to His Highness Maharaja Hemant Singh before getting divorced.

History

Very little is known of the early history of the state. According to tradition a predecessor state was established as Dhavalapura. In 1505 neighboring Gohad State of Rana Jats was founded and between 1740 and 1756 Gohad occupied Gwalior Fort. From 1761 to 1775 Dholpur was annexed to Bharatpur State and between 1782 and December 1805 Dholpur was again annexed by Gwalior. On 10 January 1806 Dholpur became a British protectorate and in the same year the Ruler of Gohad merged Gohad into Dholpur.
The last ruler of Dholpur signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union on 7 April 1949 and the state was merged in Matsya Union.

Rulers

The rulers of the state were Jats and were styled Maharaja Rana from 1806 onwards. They were entitled to a 15-gun salute.

Rulers of Gohad (title ''Rana'')

The descendants of Maharaj Udai Bhan Singh and Maharaj Nihal Singh are still carrying on their family legacy.
Kunwar Vikram Rana is the youngest member of the erstwhile ruling family, great grandson of Maharaj Nihal Singh.