Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh


H.H Maharaja Sir Prabhu Narayan Singh was Bhumihar Brahmin who was the ruler of Benares State, an Indian princely state, from 1889 to 1931.
Prabhu Narayan Singh would reign for 42 years as Maharaja; in 1891, he was knighted with the KCIE, later becoming an honorary colonel in the Indian Army.
In 1911, he became the first Maharaja of the newly created princely state of Benares, including the parganas of Bhadohi and Keramnagar, Chakia, and Ramnagar, together with certain limited rights within the City of Benares. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1892, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1898, and Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India for his services in the First World War in the 1921 New Year Honours. He donated 1300 acres of land to establish famous Banaras Hindu University. He donated land at Kamacha, Varanasi to Dr. Annie Basent for the establishment of Hindu College which she donated for the establishment of BHU. He was a great scholar and well versed in Sanskrit, Persian, and English. Established Iswari Memorial Hospital for reducing mother-child mortality during childbirth. He died in 1931, aged 75, and was succeeded by his only son, Sir Aditya Narayan Singh.

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