MAHARAJA HARI SINGH

About:

• The Lieutenant-Governor’s (L-G) administration earlier this week announced a holiday on the birth anniversary of the Maharaja, who signed the Instrument of Accession with India in 1947, and later shifted outside J&K in 1949.
• Maharaja Sir Hari Singh (1895 – 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• He signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947, joining the whole of his princely state to the Dominion of India.
• Pressure from Nehru and Sardar Patel Hari compelled Singh to appoint his son and heir, Yuvraj (Crown Prince) Karan Singh, as Prince Regent of Jammu and Kashmir in 1949, although he remained the titular Maharaja of the state until 1952 when the monarchy was abolished by Nehru's government.