Shamraj Bhalerao

Sham Raj II[note 1] (born as Shamraj Bhalerao), (also popularly referred as Raja Shamraj Rajwant Bahadur), (15 August 1898 – 10 June 1987), was an Indian noble who served as a member of H. E. H the Nizam's Executive Council.[1] He was the first Hindu member in the executive council.[2] Some of the ancestors of Sham Raj Bahadur were themselves peshkars (deputy ministers) and diwan (prime minister) to the Nizams and still earlier their family served at various points in their career to Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor. A member of the powerful Rai Rayan family, Sham Raj built a magnificent personal library inside his palace containing 45,000 rare books, which he later generously opened to public.[3][4]

Raja Rai Rayan
Shamraj Bhalerao
Rajwant Bahadur
Raja of Rai Rayan Estate
In office
1 July 1927 – 17 September 1948
MonarchOsman Ali Khan
Preceded byRaja Lakshmanraj Bahadur
Succeeded byPost Abolished
P. W. D Member of H. E. H the Nizam's Executive Council
In office
1 June 1935 – 17 September 1948
MonarchOsman Ali Khan
Personal details
Born
Shamraj Bhalerao

15 August 1898
Hyderabad, Hyderabad State (present-day Telangana, India)
Died10 June 1987(1987-06-10) (aged 88)
Hyderabad, Hyderabad State (present-day Telangana, India)
ResidenceRai Rayan Palace
Alma materNizam College

Born to a Hindu Brahmin family which traces its roots to Raja Krishnaji Pant, a watandar of Devagiri under Shah Jahan. Shamraj studied at Madrasa Aliya school and later in Nizam College. He was a childhood friend of the Nizam and was a staunch Nizam loyalist throughout his life.[5]

Shamraj was a patron of arts, literature and music. Newspaper Editor of Bennett, Coleman & Company, Sir Francis Low says, "Raja Shamraj Rajwant is a lover of Art and Literature and his museum contains a valuable collection of Old Indian Paintings".[6]

Early life

Shamraj was born into a noble Rai Rayan family on 15 August 1898 to Raja Lakshmanraj Bahadur in Hyderabad. The Rai Rayan family belongs to Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin community. The surname of Rai Rayan family is "Bhalerao".[7][8]

Family history

His family is the founder of the Dafter-e-Diwani (Department of Finance) in Hyderabad Deccan during Nizam ul Mulk Asif Jah I.[9] Sham Raj II's great-great-grandfather, Rai Naro Pant, migrated from Delhi to Hyderabad with Asaf Jah I. Rai Naro Pant served as 2nd peshkar (deputy minister) of Hyderabad Deccan after his elder brother Rai Moro Pant's death in 1750, who was the first peshkar (deputy minister) of Nizam of Hyderabad Deccan during the reign of Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I.[10]

Sham Raj II's great grandfather's father Raja Dhondoji Pant was the elder son of Rai Naro Pant and served as third peshkar (deputy minister) during the reign of Sikandar Jah. His great grandfather Sham Raj I served as the Prime Minister of the Hyderabad from 1795 - 1797.[11][12] The family is famously known as Rai Rayan Family in Hyderabad, India.[13]

Sham Raj completed his schooling in Madrasa Aliya and his college degree in Nizam College.[14]

Regin
The Chandra Bhavan Palace (Rai Rayan devdi) in Hyderabad was built as the seat of the Rai Rayan rulers in 1757.

Quoting about the reign and the relationship between H. E. H the Nizam and Raja Shamraj Bahadur family, Author and former Mayor of Hyderabad city, K. Krishnaswamy Mudiraj in his book Pictorial Hyderabad, Vol . II says,[15]

"Soon after getting the estates in his charge, by a firman (decree) of H. E. H the Nizam on the 1 July 1927, the young Raja cleared a large amount of arrears of office work and systematised it properly under his own supervision. He familiarised himself with the traditions of his illustrious father by studying old records and night and day he kept himself busy organizing his affairs on a satisfactory basis. With the welfare at his heart of his tenants he has provided Primary Schools and medical help in various places of his jagirs. He does his best to improve the conditions of his people and helps them in all possible ways in times of famine and pestilence.[14] He gives concessions to tax-payers in times of epidemics and adversity and assists the poor at times of scarcity by giving them liberal wages for nominal work. Thus he has endeared himself to his subjects whom he constantly visits. Raja Sham Raj is a pattern of a thorough gentleman, keeping before him those great types of manhood depicted in the ancient scriptures of the country. His Exalted Highness continues to bestow the same personal interest on Raja Sham Raj Bahadur as the late Nizam showed for Raja Lakshman Raj and he often honours Raja Sham Raj and his brothers Raja Trimbakraj and Raja Dhundi Raj with gifts. On 28th April 1913 Raja Sham Raj received a feroja ring and a gold watch; while on 10 June 1929 all three brothers received a couple of rings each at the hands of H. E. H the Nizam".[14]

During the reign of Sham Raj II, along with the hereditary Rai Rayan estate of worth around Rs.4,96,000, Sham Raj also held jagirs worth Rs.34,000,00.[16]

Titles

On the birthday of H. E. H the Nizam (Mir Osman Ali Khan) in 1930, He honoured Raja Shamraj Bahadur with the unique title of "Rajwant".[15]

Notes
  1. Since his great grandfather is also famous with the same name, Raja Sham Raj, in order to avoid confusion his name is written as "Sham Raj II"

References
  1. Chatterji 1999, p. 2980.
  2. Peters 1941, p. 498.
  3. Dongerkery 1968, p. 195.
  4. I.K.Sarma (1986). SJM Research Journal, Volumes 23-24. Salar Jung Museum. p. 15. Raja Sham Raj Rajwant Bahadur Raja Sham Raj Rajwant Bahadur, son of Raja Rai Rayan Bahadur, was one of the premier nobles of the Hyderabad State. His family came next in rank to the family of no less a person than Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur, the Peshkar . Some of the ancestors of Raja Shamraj Bahadur were themselves Peshkars to the Nizams and still earlier Treasurers and Accountants of the Exchequer to Shah Jehan, the Mughal Emperor. They were great friends of Asaf Jah Nizam-ul-Mulk and it was due to him that they came to the Deccan.
  5. C. Sri Kishen (1952). 45 Years a Rebel. Deccan Printing Press. p. 103.
  6. Sir Francis Low (1938). The Indian Year Book, Volume 25. Bennett, Coleman & Company. p. 1234.
  7. Dadabhoy 2019, p. 20.
  8. Proceedings of the ... Session, Volume 38. Indian Historical Records Commission,The Commission [sic]. 1967. p. 109. Krishnajipant (1608–1688), the known ancestor of the Rai Rayan family, was a Maharashtra Deshastha Brahmin. He was a native of the village of Lamgaon, Pargana Takli, Prant Devgad (Daulatabad), on the bank of the Girija river.
  9. Dadabhoy 2019, p. 65.
  10. M. V. Siva Prasada Rau (1980). Archival Organization and Records Management in the State of Andhra Pradesh, India: An archival analysis and description of the public documents in the Andhra Pradesh State Archives. Government of Andhra Pradesh by the Director of State Archives (Andhra Pradesh State Archives). p. 32.
  11. Mudiraj 1934, p. 217.
  12. Proceedings of the ... Session, Volume 38. Indian Historical Records Commission,The Commission [sic]. 1967. p. 109. Krishnajipant (1608–1688), the known ancestor of the Rai Rayan family, was a Maharashtra Deshastha Brahmin. He was a native of the village of Lamgaon, Pargana Takli, Prant Devgad (Daulatabad), on the bank of the Girija river.
  13. Leonard 1994, p. 24.
  14. Mudiraj 1934, p. 227.
  15. Mudiraj 1934, p. 228.
  16. List Of Leading Officials Nobles And Personages. Residency Government Press. 1937. p. 30. Shamraj Rajwant Bahadur, Raja: Hindu Brahmin, jagirdar, Eldest son of late Raja Rai Rayan, Born on 15th August 1898. The member of his family, Moro Pant, with his brother came to Hyderabad with the first Nizam. His great grandson Shamraj Rao Rayan Diyanatwant Bahadurofficiated as Prime Minister (Madar-ul-Maham) for a few years during the reign of Nawab Nizam Ali Khan Bahadur, Received the title of "Raja" from late Nizam and of "Rajwant Bahadur" from the present Nizam. Total revenue of the jagir is nearly 34 lakhs. Appointed as member of His Exalted Highness the Nizam's Executive Council for the Public Works Department from 1st June 1935.

Bibliography

Further reading
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