Ranmalsinhji II
HH Maharana Raj Ranmalsinhji II Amarsinhji Sahib Bahadur, KCSI, was the 41st ruler of Jhalavad from 1843 to 1869. He was the first person in Kathiawar to become Knight Commander of the Star of India.
Biography
Early life
Ranmalsinhji II was born to Maharana Raj Amarsinhji and his wife Dev Kunvarba. Ranmalsinhji was a scholar in Urdu, Persian, Gujarati and Sanskrit languages.Reign
Ranmalsinhji succeeded his father on 9 April 1843. He repaired the fort of Dhrangadhra, built new forts at Sitha and Umrada. He rebuilt the fort of Halvad, Ranmalsar tank at Dhrangadhra. Ranmalsinhji was fond of hunting, he hunted lions until they went extinct in Dhrangadhra.He was made Knight Commander of the Star of India on December 26 1886.
Death and succession
He died on 16 October 1869, succeeded by his son Mansinhji II.Family
He had 3 wives and 8 children: 5 sons and 3 daughters.Wives
- Jankunvarba or Bai Saheba I, daughter of Ranmalji Jadeja II, Thakor Saheb of Rajkot
- Sundarkunvarba or Bai Saheba II, daughter of Nathaji Jadeja, Thakor Saheb of Gondal
- Birjakunvarba, Bairajba, or Vrijrajkunvarba, daughter of Raidharji Jadeja of Sarodar
Children
- Mansinhji II
- Merasinhji
- Harisinhji
- Pratapsinhji
- Raghunathsinhji
- Ucchab Kunwarba, married to Ravaji Jadeja of Kutch
- Jeev Kunwarba, married to Javansinhji Rathor, Maharaja of Idar
- Krishna Kunwarba, married to Maharao Pragmalji Jadeja II of Kutch