His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar, Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir MAHINDRA SINGHjiMahendraBahadur, YaduVanshaVatans Bhatti KulBushan, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI
Maharaja Mahindra Singh Of Patiala, who was born on September 16, 1852, succeeded his father Maharaja Narinder Singh, on January 29, 1863, at the age of only a little above ten and the affairs of state were entrusted to a Council of Regency. On February 26, 1870, the Council of Regency was dissolved and Mahindra Singh having completed his eighteenth year was invested. with full administrative powers. His education was conducted by Ram Chandra, the great mathematician of Delhi. In May 1870, he was created a Knight of ‘The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India’ by the British. He introduced many reforms in his state. In May 1870 he made a donation of Rs 56,600 to the Punjab University College, Lahore, besides the amount already given. He also subscribed liberally to many charitable institutions. On the 15th of October of the same year he formally opened the Satluj bridge at the request of Henry Durand, Lt. Governor of the Punjab. the Bengal famine relief fund in 1873, and other good works. Granted an increased salute of 17-guns .The foundation- stone of Mahendra College, Patiala, was laid during his time on March 30, 1875 by Lord Northbrook, the then Viceroy of India. He died in the night intervening April 13 and 14, 1876, in the twenty fourth year of his age, of disease contracted through exessive use of alcoholic liquors.
References :-
- Muhammad Hasan Khan, op. cit., p. 461; Gian Singh, op. cit., p. 611.
- Ibid., p. 528; Gian Singh, p. 614
- James Skinner, p. 184 (M.S- 1830).
- The Punjab Past and Present By Ganda Singh Volume -1