Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja (1895 – 1966) was the 20th Maharaja of the princely state of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar), a retired officer of the British Indian Army and a cricketer. He is best known for sheltering a thousand Polish children and their mothers during World War II in 1942. He died in 1966 at the age of 70.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja Bahadur was born Digvijaysinhji Juwansinghji on Wednesday, 18 September 1895 (age 70 at the time of death) in Sadodar, Nawanagar State, Kathiawar, British India (now Jamnagar, Gujarat, India). After completing his early schooling at Rajkumar College, Rajkot, he joined a boarding school called Malvern College in Worcestershire, England. Later, he pursued higher education at University College London.
Family
Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja belonged to the Jadeja Rajput family of Gujarat.
parents and siblings
His father, Juwansinghji Jeevansinghji, was the Maharaja of Sarodar. He had four brothers and one sister. His elder brother Dajirajsinhji Jadeja was born in 1891 and died in 1917. His elder brother Pratapsinhji Jadeja was a cricketer. His younger brother Himmatsinhji Jadeja was a Major General in the British Indian Army.
Himmatsinhji Jadeja, brother of Digvijaysinhji Jadeja
His younger brother Dalipsinhji Jadeja was a cricketer. He died in 1959. His sister’s name was Vijay Kunwarba.
A picture of Dalip Singhji Jadeja
wife and children
His wife, Gulab Kunwerba, was the Maharani of Nawanagar. The couple married each other on 7 March 1935. He died in 1994.
A picture of Rose Kunwarba
His son, Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja, became the 21st Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar) in 1966.
Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
They have three daughters named Harshad Kumari Sharma (deceased), Mukund Kunwarba and Himanshu Kumari.
Harshad Kumari, Digvijay’s daughter
other relatives
Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was a famous cricketer and the nephew of the 19th Maharaja of Nawanagar, Colonel Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, who adopted Digvijaysinhji as his successor.
Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II in his ceremonial uniform
Caste
Digvijaysinghji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was a Yaduvanshi Rajput.
livelihood
British Indian Army
After completing his formal education, Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja joined the British Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1919. He was seconded to the 125th Napier Rifles in 1920, now known as the 5th Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles. Later, he was sent to Egypt as a part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force of the British Indian Army. In 1921 he was promoted and became lieutenant. In 1922, he was posted to Waziristan (now in Pakistan) as a part of the Waziristan Field Force. He served there until 1924. He became Captain in 1929 and left the British Indian Army in 1931. Despite his retirement from active service, Digvijaysinhji received honorary promotions, and by 1947, he had become Lieutenant General.
Digvijay Singhji in his military uniform
Maharaja of Nawanagar
Before his demise, the ruler of Nawanagar, Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, had named Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja as the heir to the throne. On 2 April 1933, after the death of Ranjitsinhji, he became the Maharaja of Nawanagar. Digvijaysinhji continued the economic, educational and welfare policies of his predecessor. In 1937, he became Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes, which had been established by King George V in 1920. He remained Chancellor of the Chamber until 1943. From 1939 until his death, Digvijaysinhji was the chairman of the Prince’s Governing Council. College in Rajkot. When World War II began in 1939, he served as a member of not only the Imperial War Cabinet and the Council of National Defence, but also the Pacific War Council. After India gained independence from British rule in 1947, Digvijaysinhji became one of the first rulers of a princely state to sign the Instrument of Accession and become part of India. In the same year, the Government of India gave him the administrative title of Rajpramukh. In 1949, Nawanagar was renamed Jamnagar after it was merged with the princely states of Dhrol, Dhrafa, Thana and Jaliya Dewani and became part of Saurashtra. He continued to serve as Rajpramukh of Jamnagar until the post was abolished by the government in 1956.
Digvijaysinghji as Maharaja of Nawanagar
Shelter for Polish refugees
In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. During the initial phase of the war, the USSR supported Germany and gave them military assistance. Many Polish citizens were captured by the Russians and sent to the USSR as forced laborers. In 1942, when Germany invaded the USSR, the USSR allowed captured Poles to flee to different countries on a ship. Before reaching the port of Bombay, the Poles were denied entry to several countries in Europe and Iran. When the ship reached Bombay, the Governor of Bombay Presidency did not allow the refugees to enter. Despite repeated requests from Digvijaysinhji, the British authorities did not allow the ship to dock in Bombay. Later, he ordered the ship to be berthed at Rozi port in Nawanagar (now Jamnagar). He ordered the construction of refugee camps at Balachadi (near Jamnagar), Valivade (near Kolhapur) and Panchgani, where more than a thousand children and their mothers were housed until the end of World War II. He also established a camp at Chela in Punjab with the help of the Maharaja of Patiala. To build a refugee camp in Balachadi, Digvijaysinhji managed to raise Rs 6,00,000. The camps he built had a sports field, a chapel, laundry rooms, and a stage to hold Polish cultural events.
Polish children in Digvijaysinghji’s refugee camp in India
When the British government opposed his decision, Digvijaysinhji told the officials that the responsibility for the refugees was on them. Reportedly, he provided education, food, and other types of facilities to the Poles in the camp. He also told the Poles that they were free to follow their traditions. Addressing Polish refugees in Nawanagar, Digvijay Singhji said,
Don’t consider yourself an orphan. Now you are Nawanagar and I am the father of all the people of Nawanagar, hence I am yours too.”
Digvijaysinghji with Polish children in a refugee camp
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Cricket
Digvijaysinghji had a keen interest in sports, especially cricket. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm bowler. He was part of the Western India cricket team that competed in a first-class match against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1933–34. Western India lost the test match to MCC by 4 wickets. In the match, Digvijaysinghji managed to score six runs. In 1937, he became the fourth President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and remained its President until 1938. He has also played cricket for Sussex County in England. He reportedly scored 3000 runs in one match.
League of Nations
After the end of the First World War, the League of Nations was established on 10 January 1920 to maintain peace in the world. Digvijaysinhji represented India in the first season of the league in 1920.
United Nations
During the Korean War, Digvijaysinghji served as the Deputy Leader of the Indian contingent at the United Nations (UN). He was also appointed as the Chairman of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. After the end of the Korean War, he served as chairman of the United Nations Negotiating Committee on Korean Rehabilitation.
military decorations
British Medal
- In 1924, for his service in Waziristan, the British Government awarded him the India General Service Medal with Waziristan Clasp.
- In 1935, he received the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal from the British Government.
- He received the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937.
- In 1939, the British Government honored him with the title of Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE).
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- In 1947, he was awarded the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI) (KCSI-1935) by the British Government.
indian medal
- After India gained independence from British rule in 1947, the Government of India awarded Digvijaysinghji the Indian Independence Medal.
polish medal
- Digvijaysinhji was posthumously awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2011.
car collection
- Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja owned a Lanchester Straight 8 which he imported from the United Kingdom.
A photo of Digvijaysinghji’s Lanchester Straight 8 taken before leaving for India from Britain
Lanchester Straight 8 Registration Form
- Wrightcraft Scootercar.
Digvijaysinghji driving his Wrightcraft scooter car
Death
Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja died on 3 February 1966 in Bombay at the age of 70. After his death, his son, Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja, became Jam Saheb of Jamnagar.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Digvijaysinhji was called the Good Maharaja by the Polish children who lived in his camp during World War II. He is also known by many other names such as Indian Oscar Schindler, Bapu, The Big Jam and Jam Saheb.
- Digvijaysinghji often used to play the game of hunting.
Digvijaysinghji’s picture (centre) taken after hunting the leopard.
- When Digvijaysinhji went to Poland to visit one of his uncles in the 1920s, he learned a lot about Polish culture.
- In 1942, during World War II, Digvijaysinhji addressed the Vadodara Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
Digvijay Singhji addressing members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1942
- In 2013, the Polish government inaugurated the Good Maharaja Square in Warsaw. The government also named a school in Warsaw after Digvijay Singhji. A park has also been named after Digvijaysinghji. According to several sources, he once told a Polish Army general that he would like to see a street named after him in independent Poland.
People gather at The Good Maharaja Square in Warsaw, Poland
A board outside the school, which has been renamed after him
- In 2015, the Indian and Polish governments collaborated and produced a documentary titled A Little Poland in India. It was based on the resettlement of Polish children by Digvijaysinhji in India during World War II.
- On 17 December 2022, the film The Good Maharaja, based on Digvijaysinhji’s efforts to shelter Polish children during World War II, was released in English, Hindi and Polish languages. Sanjay Dutt played the role of Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja in the film.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn