Rajeshwar Bali

He was an intellectual reformist. During his lifetime, he was the head of the Taluqdar association of Oudh. From 1924 to 1928, he was the education minister of Uttar Pradesh. Under the Diarchial System of Government of India Act 1919, he was elected to the United Provinces Legislative Council from the non-Muslim Rural Area of Barabanki district.

His main contributions were the passage of the Agra University act, the creation of Bhatkhande College of Hindustani Music, and the passing of the primary education system of education in India.

From July 1924 – June 1928 Minister of Education, Medical Relief & Public Health and Local Self Government of the UP legislative assembly in 1920 and represented the Non-Muslim rural constituency of Barabanki district. He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1919 New Year Honours by King George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India .[1] The passing of the Agra University Act and Primary Education Bill in the UP Assembly was also due to his efforts. For this, he was not only conferred a Degree of the Doctor of Literature by Lucknow University but his name was given a place in honor in the Encyclopedia of Great Men of the World, published in the USA.

After getting into the ministry Raja Saheb gave concrete shape to the development schemes he had kept to his heart. A wave of reforms started flowing through during his ministership. The establishment of different educational institutions and several community health services without discrimination to religion, caste, or creed were hallmarks of his tenure. It was his ardent wish that no foreigner can call his countrymen illiterate and uncultured. He chalked out several educational and health schemes and made the government provide maximum financial assistance.

After independence, the prime minister of India Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru disclosed to Sri Mahesh Chandra, a senior journalist in a leading daily The Statesman that he and other prominent Congressmen had Rai Rajeshwar Bali's name in mind for the first President of India.

Raja Saheb contributed towards the annual membership of University of Lucknow from his estate from 1917 when it was known as Canning College. As reported in History of Lucknow University Vol 1 (1921-1951) by B.N.Puri, when the first meeting of Lucknow University Court was held on 21 March 1921 under the presidency of Chancellor Sir Harcourt Butler, Rai Rajeshwar Bali was among those top 45 members who attended it. Rai Rajeshwar Bali also contributed to the development of Lucknow University. The university honored him for his services with 'Doctor of Literature' in its convocation in 1936. Later he was a member of the executive council of the university for several years. A gold medal in the Hindi department is awarded annually in his name by the University of Lucknow.

In the early part of the 20th century, Hindustani music was confined to temples. Bali was instrumental in bringing the Hindustani classical music to the public by opening one of the first music colleges of India called the Bhatkhande College of Hindustani Music in Lucknow. For this, he invited Pundit V. N. Bhatkhande and requested him to write the grammar of Hindustani Classical Music. Rai Rajeshwar Bali was also an avid Krishna Bhakt and his Phag and Panje are still recited in Vrindavan, the Lila sthal of Bhagwan Krishna.

The then Governor of UP Sir William Marris appointed Raja Saheb as the Minister of Education in 1922.

Rai Rajeshwar Bali was appointed Chairman of the U.P. Franchise Committee on 26 Jan 1932 the main aim of which was to decide the voting rights of women and representation of backward classes and labor classes.

In 1924, he also built a new palace in Dariyabad in the finest Hindustani Architectural style & encouraged his family members to develop their talent in Hindustani Music.

The Kayastha community out of great affection and respect felt proud in making him the President of the All India Kayastha Conference in 1933 Hindu Educational Society requested him and he accepted and was its chairman from 1929 until 1944. Later in 1957, a hostel of the Society's Civil Engineering School in Lucknow was named after him.

Rai Rajeshwar Bali was succeeded by his eldest son Rai Dinanath Bali. Rai Kaushlendra Bali, his youngest son was also an avid Krishna and Ram Bhakt and wrote many poems. In 2011,2012 & 2013 he received national language pride award from Akhil Bhartiya Hindi Seva Sansthan for his work in Hindi Literature.

Raja Rai Dinanath Bali took over the state in 1944 and became the last ruling taluqdar of Rampur-Dariyabad state.

• 1919 New Year Honours (OBE)
• www.balifamily.net
• http://bhatkhandemusic.edu.in/history/#
• Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith
• Dariyabad, Barabanki
• Bhatkhande Music Institute University
• List of Ministers, Vidhan Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
• History of Bhatkhande Music Institute, Lucknow
• Awards of memorial medal at University of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Royalty – Barabanki District
• Taluqdar