DHULEEP SINGH (183 7-1893 ), maharaja of Lahore, was born in Feb. 1837, and was proclaimed maharaja on Sept. 18, 1843, under the regency of his mother the rani Jindan, a woman of great capacity and strong will, but extremely inimical to the British. He was acknowledged by Ranjit Singh and recognized by the British Government. After six years of peace the Sikhs invaded British territory in 1845, but were defeated in four battles, and terms were imposed upon them at Lahore, the capital of the Punjab. Dhuleep Singh retained his territory, but it was administered to a great extent by the British Government in his name. This arrangement increased the regent's dislike of the British, and a fresh outbreak occurred in 1848-49. The Sikhs were routed at Gujarat, and in March 1849 Dhuleep Singh was deposed, a pension of f4o,000 a year being granted to him and his dependents. He became a Christian and elected to live in England. On coming of age he made an arrangement with the British Government by which his income was reduced to f 25,00o in con sideration of advances for the purchase of an estate, and he finally settled at Elveden in Suffolk. In 1864 he married Miss Bamba Muller, a German missionary worker in Egypt, by whom he had six children. After her death he married in 1890 an English woman, Miss Ada Wetherill. The maharaja was passionately fond of sport, and his shooting parties were celebrated, while he himself became a persona grata in English society. The result, however, was financial difficulty and in 1882 he appealed to the government for assistance, making various claims based upon the alleged possession of private estates in the Punjab, and upon the surrender of the Koh-i-noor diamond to the British Crown. His demand was rejected, whereupon he started for India, after drawing up a proclamation to his former subjects. But as it was deemed inadvisable to allow him to visit the Punjab, he remained for some time as a guest at the residency at Aden, and was allowed to receive some of his relatives to witness his abjuration of Christianity, which actually took place within the residency itself. As the climate began to affect his health, the maharaja at length left Aden, and returned to Europe. He stayed for some time in Russia, hoping that his claim against England would be taken up by the Russians; but when that expectation proved futile he proceeded to Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life on the pension allowed him by the Indian government. His death from an attack of apoplexy took place at Paris on Oct. 22, 1893.
The maharaja's eldest son, Prince VICTOR ALBERT JAY DHULEEP SINGH (1866-1918) was educated at Trinity and Down ing colleges, Cambridge. In 1888 he obtained a commission in the Royal Dragoon Guards. In 1898 he married Lady Anne Coventry, youngest daughter of the earl of Coventry. He died without issue on June 7, 1918.