Vanity Fair Print, Princes No. 21, Vanity Fair

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Category

Golf Books

Publisher

Vanity Fair

Reference

10803

H.H. The Maharaja Of Patiala, Vanity Fair Polo Print.
A framed chromolithograph polo print with letterpress sheet, published Jany. 4th 1900, by Vincent Brooks, Day & Son Ltd. Lith., for Vanity Fair. This illustration was part of Vanity Fair's "Men of the Day" series, which humorously portrayed prominent public figures of the time. The Vanity Fair Polo caricature is titled 'Patiala' by the artist 'MR' and is an original print of H.H. the Maharaja of Patiala, Sir Rajinder Singh GCSI. Maharaja Sir Rajinder Singh of Patiala, was a notable Indian royal figure and one of the earliest Indian aristocrats to embrace Western lifestyles, particularly polo and motorcars.

Image size shown is of one window aperture in the mount. Frame size: 51 cm high by 60 cm wide.

Letterpress sheet reads:-
PRINCES. No.21, H.H. The Maharaja Of Patiala, G.C.S.I.
= Although Farzand-i-Khás Daulat-i-Inglishia Mansoor-i-Zaman Amir-ul-Umara Maharaja Dhiraj Rajeshwer Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan (Sir Rajinder Singh Mahinder Bahadur) became the son of Sir Mahinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala. Only eight-and- twenty years ago, he is now one of the Ruling Chiefs of India and the premier Prince of the Punjaub. He is also the descendant of an ancestor who stood by the English in the Mutiny at a time when his support was worth having; and the head of the Sikha, a great Chieftain amongst Chiefs, and the leader of a fighting race. As becomes his ancestry, he is himself a keen fighter in the field, and in the polo field; and as a pigsticker he is in the very first flight. A fearless horseman, he is also a good cricketer, who keeps a polo team, a cricket team, and an enormous stable of racehorses - hacks, hunters, and pigstickers - his teams and his horses all giving good accounts of themselves on every occasion: as his Cherry did last week, winning the Viceroy's Cup. He is indeed the chief supporter of the Turf in Upper India; and in the late frontier war he went out with his transport and bore himself so well that he was rewarded with the Grand Cross of the Star of India. He is a generous friend, and though he was "privately educated" he is full of quality. He invented the Patiala riding trousers, which are English, and the elastic strap to his turban, which is Sikh. He loves the English in general, and Lord William Beresford in particular; and he has just sent an Arab charger to Lord Roberts.

Taken from Wikipedia:-
PRINCES. No.21, Maharaja Sir Rajinder Singh GCSI (25 May 1872 - 8 November 1900) was a Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala from 1876 to 1900. In 1897, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Star of India for his bravery, by the colonial government. Described as "the first reigning Prince to blend the elements of the English gentleman and Indian potentate."
In the 1870s, he became one of the first Indians to own a car, a French De Dion-Bouton and in 1892, became the first man in India (and largely the world at the time) to own an aircraft.
Singh died following a riding accident. He was known for playing polo, cricket, field hockey and English billiards. The maharaja had a total of 365 wives, and defied his subjects and the British government when he married Florence Bryan, the daughter of his Irish horse master, persuading her to convert to the Sikh faith. He was a close friend of William Beresford and of Frederick Roberts. The Irish composer Thomas O'Brien Butler (1861-1915), who spent some time in India, dedicated a song composition to him.
He was the son of Maharaja Mahendra Singh of Patiala, a member of the Phulkian Dynasty. One of his sons was Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh.
One of his sons was Rao Raja Birinder Singh of Patiala.

Most Exalted Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes (regardless of gender): Knight Grand Commander (GCSI), Knight Commander (KCSI), Companion (CSI).