Information

Dynasty

Bundela

Clan

Suryavanshi Bundela

State

Madhya Pradesh

Gun Salutes

15

Agency

Central India Agency

Accession

1st January 1950

Revenue

INR 700,000

Area

5,387 Square Kilometers km²

Population

321,364 (1901)

Privy Purse

INR 185,300

Hindi Name

ओर्छा

Last Updated

9th Jul, 2024

Present Head

HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri MADHUKAR SHAH Ju Deo Bahadur, 27th and present Maharaja of Orchha, born , educated at Doon School, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal, and graduated in 1964 from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, married 1973 in New Delhi, HH Maharani Snehlata Devi, born , daughter of HH Maharaja Pratap Singh Malvinder Bahadur of Nabha, and has issue, three daughters and a son.
  • Maharajkumari Vindeshwari Shah, born , married 25th November 2007 in New Delhi, Yuvraj Kamlendra Singh of Jhabua.
  • Maharajkumari Rajeshwari Shah, born .
  • Maharajkumari Bijeshwari Shah, born
  • Raja Bahadur Rudra Pratap Shah, born .
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Genealogy

Founded in about 1250. Rulers were ...
  • Raja Pancham Singh 1048/1071
  • Raja Virbhadra Singh 1071/1087, married and had issue.
    • Raja Karanpal Singh (qv)
    • Kunwar Randhir Singh
    • Kunwar Hirashah
    • Kunwar Hansraj
    • Kunwar Kalyanshah
  • Raja Karanpal Singh 1087/1112, married and had issue.
    • Raja Kinnar Shah (qv)
    • Raja Shaukan Dev (qv)
    • Raja Nanak Dev (qv)
    • Kunwar Vir Singh, married and had issue.
      • Raja Mohanpal Singh (qv)
      • Raja Abhaybhupati Singh (qv)
  • Raja Kinnar Shah 1112/1130
  • Raja Shaukan Dev 1130/1152
  • Raja Nanak Dev 1152/1159
  • Raja Mohanpal Singh 1159/1197
    • Rajkumari Jamwati Bai, married Maharajadhiraj Khuranajondhakar Parambhattarak Pratapalankeshwar Parmeshwar Bharateshwar Samrat Agniraj Sri Prithviraj Chauhan III (Rai Pithora) emperor of Ajmer and Delhi and had issue.
      • Agniraj Govindraj Chauhan, founded the Ranthambore branch of Chauhans and later his descendants founded Bhaddaiyan Raj.
  • Raja Abhaybhupati Singh 1197/1215
  • Raja Arjunpal, he ruled at Mahoni 1215/1231, married and had issue.
    • Raja Virpal (qv)
    • Raja Sohanpal (qv)
    • Kunwar Dayapal, he settled at Etaura, and subsequent generations occupied Gurha in Bihat State, and finally Bihat itself. (cf. below)
  • Raja Virpal 1231/1251
  • Raja Sohanpal 1251/1259, married and had issue.
    • Raja Sahjendra Singh (qv)
    • Kunwar Ram Singh
    • Kunwar Indrajit Singh, ancestor of the later Rajas of Bihat.
  • Raja Sahjendra Singh 1259/1283
  • Raja Nanak Dev II 1283/1307, married and had issue.
    • Raja Prithviraj Singh (qv)
    • Kunwar Indraraj
  • Raja Prithviraj Singh 1307/1339
  • Raja Ram Singh 1339/1375, married and had issue.
    • Raja Ramchandra Singh (qv)
    • Raja Mednepal Singh (qv)
  • Raja Ramchandra Singh 1375/1384
  • Raja Mednepal Singh 1384/1437
  • Raja Arjun Dev 1437/1468
  • Raja Malkhan Singh 1468/1501, married and had issue.
    • Kunwar Kharag Singh
    • Kunwar Jagjit Singh
    • Rauja Rudra Pratap (qv)
    • Kunwar Jait Singh
    • Kunwar Shah Diwan
    • Kunwar Devi Singh
  • Raja RUDRA PRATAP, 1st Raja of Orchha 1501/1531, he managed to increase his lands considerably during the confusion caused by Padshah Baber's invasion; married and had issue. He died .
    • Kunwar Kirat Shah
    • Kunwar Bhupat Shah
    • Raja Bharti Chand (qv)
    • Raja Madhukar Shah (qv)
    • Kunwar Anand Das
    • Kunwar Chandan Das
    • Kunwar Durga Das
    • Kunwar Ghanshyam Das
    • Kunwar Prayag Das
    • Kunwar Bhairon Das
    • Kunwar Khande Rai
    • Kunwar Udyajit Singh of Mahewa, married and had issue.
      • Kunwar Ragho Das
      • Kunwar Kosi Das
      • Kunwar Ganga Das
      • Kunwar Hridaya Narayan
      • Kunwar Bharti Chandra
      • Kunwar Prem Chandra, married and had issue.
        • Kunwar Bhagwan Das, married and had issue.
          • Kunwar Bhagwan Das, married and had issue.
            • Kunwar Chandju
            • Kunwar Kharag Rai
            • Kunwar Champat Rai, married and had issue. He died after 1649.
              • Kunwar Gopal Rai
              • Kunwar Sarvahan
              • Kunwar Anand Rai
              • Maharajadhiraja Chhatrasal, Raja of Mahewa, born , married and had issue. He died .
                • Kunwar Rajaraj
                • Kunwar Jagatraj [Raja Jagatraj Singh of Jaitpur]
                • Kunwar Hirde Shah [Raja Hirde Shah of Panna]
                • Kunwar Unoop Singh
                • Kunwar Bharti Chand [Dewan Bharti Chand of Jaso]
                • Kunwar Padam Rao [Rao Padam Rao of Jigni]
                • Kunwar Govind Das
                • Kunwar Umrood Singh
                • Kunwar Sher Singh
                • Kunwar Man Singh
                • Kunwar Mohan Singh
                • Kunwar Dalpat Singh
                • Kumari (name unknown) Devi, married Thakur Sabha Singh Panwar, on his marriage , he was granted the village of Salaiyah in Pargana Panwari, as well as the title of Rao, and had issue.
                  • generations
                    • Rao Nawal Singh, Thakur of Salaiyah, married and had issue.
                      • generation
                        • Rao Aman Singh, Thakur of Salaiyah, born .
              • Kunwar Ratan Shah
            • Kunwar Sujan Rai
          • Kunwar Kunwar Sen
          • Kunwar Man Shah, ancestor of the Garrauli Royal Family.
  • Raja BHARTI CHAND, 2nd Raja of Orchha 1531/1554, he unsuccessfully tried to oppose Sher Shah on his march to Kalinjar in 1545. He died
  • Raja MADHUKAR SHAH, 3rd Raja of Orchha 1554/1592, a religious recluse who allowed the fortunes of the state to decline from this time; the Mughal forces invaded Orchha for the first time in 1577 when Sadik Khan managed to take Orchha after a severe fight; in 1591 the Raja seized some parganas near Gwalior and was attacked and defeated by the Imperial troops forcing him to flee to the jungles, where he died soon afterwards of a natural death; married and had issue. He died 1592.
    • Kunwar Horal Deo, died .
    • Raja Ram Shah (qv)
    • Raja Bir Singh Deo [Virsingh Dev] (qv)
    • Kunwar Indrajit Singh
    • Kunwar Pratap Singh
    • Kunwar Har Singh Deo, ancestor of the Bhasnai branch, to which belonged HH Maharaja Lokendra Sir Bhawani Singh Bahadur of Datia.
  • Raja RAM SHAH, 4th Raja of Orchha 1592/1605 (deposed), and Raja of Chanderi 1608/1612, sued for pardon and was allowed to succeed, but he was a weak ruler and was unable to keep his brothers in check; Padshah Akbar deposed the Raja and placed his brother on the gadi; he was imprisoned in Delhi for a short time, but was eventually released and granted the fiefs of Chanderi and Banpur in 1608; married and had issue.
    • Kunwar (name unknown) Singh, married and had issue.
      • Raja Bharat Shah of Chanderi 1612/1646, married and had issue.
        • Raja Devi Singh of Chanderi 1646/1717, married and had issue.
          • Raja Duraj Singh of Chanderi 1717/1733, married and had issue.
            • Raja Durjan Singh of Chanderi 1733/-, married and had issue.
              • Raja Man Singh of Chanderi -/1760, married and had issue.
                • Raja Anirudh Singh of Chanderi 1760/1774, married and had issue.
                  • Raja Ram Chand of Chanderi 1778/1802, married and had issue.
                    • Raja Parjapal of Chanderi 1802
                    • Raja Mur Pahlad of Chanderi 1802/1842, married and had issue.
                      • Raja Mardan Singh of Chanderi 1842/1858, the state lapsed with his death and was annexed by the ruler of Gwalior.
                • Raja Hati Singh of Chanderi 1774/1778
  • Raja BIR SINGH DEO, 5th Raja of Orchha 1605/1627, a ruler of strong principles and no scruples, he amassed great wealth and property; he was not only a great warrior but an enthusiastic builder, leaving many monuments, forts and temples; married and had issue. He died .
    • Kunwar Chandrabhan
    • Kunwar Narhari Das
    • Raja Jhujhar Singh (qv)
    • Kunwar Tulsi Das
    • Kunwar Beni Das
    • Raja Bhagwan Rao of Datia.
    • Kunwar Kishan Singh
    • Kunwar Hardaul of Baragaon, married and had issue.
      • Kunwar Bejani Shah of Baragaon, married and had issue.
        • Kunwar Pratap Singh of Baragaon, married and had issue.
          • Kunwar Diwanrai Singh of Baragaon, married and had issue.
            • Kunwar Umaid Singh, ancestor of the Banka Pahari Royal Family.
            • Kunwar Hindu Singh, ancestor of the Tori Fatehpur Royal Family.
            • Kunwar Samant Singh, received Bijna around 1690 and was the ancestor of the Bijna Royal Family.
            • Kunwar Mokham Singh, ancestor of the Chirgaon Royal Family.
            • Kunwar Aman Singh, ancestor of the Durwai Royal Family.
  • Raja JHUJHAR SINGH, 6th Raja of Orchha 1627/1635, a weak and turbulent ruler, he soon plunged his state into difficulties; after serving the Mughal Emperor in the Deccan, he returned home and suspected his brother of adultery with his wife, he forced his brother to drink poison and whose name later became exalted into a local deity; he went into open rebellion against the Mughal forces in 1634-1635, but was pursued and driven into the jungles where he was killed; married and had issue. He died .
    • Raja Pahar Singh (qv)
  • Raja DEVI SINGH, 7th Raja of Orchha 1635/1641
  • Raja PAHAR SINGH, 8th Raja of Orchha 1641/1653, of Kaniyadana, married and had issue.
    • Raja Sujan Singh I (qv)
    • Raja Indramani Singh (qv)
  • Raja SUJAN SINGH I, 9th Raja of Orchha 1653/1672
  • Raja INDRAMANI SINGH, 10th Raja of Orchha 1672/1675, married and had issue.
    • Raja Jashwant Singh (qv)
  • Raja JASHWANT SINGH, 11th Raja of Orchha 1675/1684, married and had issue.
    • Raja Bhagwat Singh (qv)
  • Raja BHAGWAT SINGH, 12th Raja of Orchha 1684/1689, married and had issue.
    • Raja Udwat Singh (qv)
    • Diwan Rai Singh, married and had issue.
      • Diwan Man Singh (fourth son), ancestor of the Diwan Sahebs of Dhurwai.
  • Raja UDWAT SINGH, 13th Raja of Orchha 1689/1735, married and had issue.
    • Raja Prithvi Singh (qv)
    • Raja Aman Singh, founder of Khaniadhana.
  • Raja PRITHVI SINGH, 14th Raja of Orchha 1735/1752, during his rule, more of his territories were lost to the Marathas.
  • Raja Mahendra SANWANT SINGH, 15th Raja of Orchha 1752/1765, he was granted the title of Mahendra by Padshah Alamgir.
  • Raja Mahendra HATI SINGH, 16th Raja of Orchha 1765/1768
  • Raja Mahendra MAN SINGH, 17th Raja of Orchha 1768/1775
  • Raja Mahendra BHARTI CHAND, 18th Raja of Orchha 1775/1776, adopted from Bijna State.
  • Raja Mahendra VIKRAMAJIT, 19th Raja of Orchha 1776/1817 (abdicated) and in 1834, adopted from Bijna State, he entered into relations with the British authorities in 1812, later abdicated in favour of his son, but resumed power on his death, married and had issue. He died .
    • Raja Mahendra Dharam Pal (qv)
  • Raja Mahendra DHARAM PAL, 20th Raja of Orchha 1817/1834, died .
  • Raja Mahendra TEJ SINGH, 21st Raja of Orchha 1834/1842, adopted from Bijna State, died .
  • Raja Mahendra SUJAN SINGH II, 22nd Raja of Orchha 1842/1848, adopted from Bijna State, died
  • HH Maharaja Mahendra HAMIR SINGH, 23rd Maharaja of Orchha 1848/1874, Maharaja [cr.1865], he received a sanad of adoption in 1862. He died .
  • HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri Sir PRATAP SINGH Bahadur Ju Deo, 24th Maharaja of Orchha 1874/1930, born , K.C.S.I. [cr.1900], G.C.S.I. [cr.1906], K.C.B.(mil)[cr.1901], G.C.I.E. [cr.1900], K.C.I.E [cr.1894], Hon. ADC to HM, Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand [cr.1882], granted a personal salute of 17 guns; married and had issue. He died .
    • Raja Bahadur Bhagwant Singh, Yuvaraj Saheb of Orchha; married (as his third wife), the third daughter of Rana Padam Chand of Jubbal, she had issue, one daughter, and had issue, four sons and one daughter. He died vp.
      • HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri Sir Vir Singh Ju Deo Bahadur (qv)
      • Rao Raja Karan Singh Ju Deo, married and had issue.
        • Rajkumari Jayanti Devi [Rani Jayanti Devi of Koti], married Rana Devesh Chand of Koti in Himachal Pradesh, and had issue. She died 10th March 2010.
        • Rao Raja Narendra Singh Ju Dev, married and has issue, one daughter and two sons.
          • Rajkumari Gita Rathod
          • Rajkumar Dhruv Singh Dev, married to Sadhna Singh Dev and has issues, one daughter and a son.
            • Rajkumari Mrinalika Singh Ju Dev, studied at IIM Indore, currently residing in Zurich, Switzerland.
            • Rajkumar Vikramaditya Singh Ju Dev, studied at Christ University, Bangalore, and finished his Masters of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA.
          • Rajkumar Rudra Singh Dev, born , married 12th December 1989, Rajkumari Manjari Kumari, daughter of Raja Vishwaraj Pratap Singh of Kawardha, and his wife, Rani Shashi Prabha Devi (now the Rajmata Sahiba of Kawardha), and have issue.
            • Rajkumari Gopika Kumari, born . Did her schooling from Rajkumar College Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and presently (2014) pursuing her graduation in B.A. History Honours from St. Stephens College, Delhi University.
        • Rao Raja Gayanendra Singh Ju Dev, married and has issue, three daughters and one son.
          • Rajkumari Gauri Parikh
          • Rajkumari Hema Devi [Rani Hema Chand of Manaswal], married (as his second wife), Rana Yatendra Chand of Manaswal.
          • Rajkumari Maya Rana
          • Rao Raja Vishwajeet Singh Ju Dev, married to Archana Singh, daughter of Rao Gulab Singh of Jharkuaan (Panna) and has issues.
            • Rajkumar Siddharth Singh Ju Dev, studied at La Martiniere College, Lucknow, later finished his education in London at University of Westminster.
            • Rajkumar Parth Singh Ju Dev, studied at La Martiniere College, Lucknow, later finished his education from Delhi University (Delhi College of Arts & Commerce)
      • Rao Raja Jayanendra Singh Ju Deo, married and had issue.
        • Rao Raja Praduman Singh Ju Dev, married and has issue, three sons.
          • Rajkumar Brijraj Singh Dev
          • Rajkumar Mrigendra Singh Dev
          • Rajkumar Shivraj Singh Dev
        • Rajkumari Usha Kumari
      • Rao Raja Mahendra Singh Ju Deo, married and had issue, three daughters and one son.
        • Rajkumari Ila Raghuvanshi
        • Rao Raja Dinesh Singh Ju Dev, married and has issue, one daughter and two sons.
          • Rajkumari Abha Singh
          • Lt.-Col. Rajkumar Abhay Singh Dev
          • Rajkumar Ajay Singh Dev
        • Rajkumari Gayatri Kumari
        • Rajkumari Kumud Singh
      • Rajkumari Saraswati Devi [HH Rani Saraswati Devi of Khilchipur], married HH Raja Rao Bahadur Yashodar Singh, Raja of Khilchipur, and had issue.
    • Kunwar Sawant Singh, second son, adopted into Bijawar in 1898, as HH Bharat Dharmendra Maharaja Sawai Sir Sawant Singh Bahadur of Bijawar.
    • Maharajkumari (name unknown) [HH Maharani Sahiba of Chhatarpur], married 1884 (as his first wife), HH Maharaja Sir Vishwanath Singh Bahadur of Chhatarpur. She died sp 1920.
  • HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri Sir VIR SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur, 25th Maharaja of Orchha 1930/1956, born , K.C.S.I., married 1stly, 1919, a daughter of HH Thakore Sahib Shri Jaswantsinhji Becharsinhji of Wadhwan in Kathiawar, married 2ndly, HH Maharani Kamlaba Sahiba, daughter of HH Maharajah Shri Bhojrajjisinhji Bhagwatsinhji Sahib of Gondal in Kathiawar, and his wife, HH Maharani Raj Kunverba Saheb, and had issue, one son and one daughter. He died .
    • HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri Devendra Vijay Singh Ju Deo Bahadur (by 1st marriage) (qv)
    • Maharajkumari Sudha Kumari (by Maharani Kamlaba), born , married (as his second wife), Kanwar Ratan Singh of Dhami, and had issue. She died .
  • HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri DEVENDRA VIJAY SINGH Ju Deo Bahadur, 26th Maharaja of Orchha 1956/-, born .
  • HH Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Bundelkhand Maharaja Mahendra Sawai Shri MADHUKAR SHAH Ju Deo Bahadur, 27th Maharaja of Orchha (see above)
OTHER MEMBERS:
  • Rani Mahendra Kumari, married (as his first wife), Raja Surendra Bikram Singh of Itaunja.
  • Rao Raja Meherban Singh, married Rani Sheela Devi, and had issue.
    • Rajkumari Kamlesh Kumari, born , married Kanwar Dushyant Singh of Dhami, and has issue.
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Map

Orchha map
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