Himmatsinhji M. K.
Born9 October 1928
Died22 February 2008
Occupation(s)Ornithologist, politician and royal family member

Himmatsinhji M. K.[nb 1] (9 October 1928 – 22 February 2008) was a noted ornithologist, politician and scion of the erstwhile Jadeja ruling family of Kutch, who was member of 3rd Lok Sabha from Kutch.[1][2]

Himmatsinhji also served as trustee of Ashapura Mata temple at Mata no Madh and Narayan Sarovar Temples.[1]

Life

Born on 9 October 1928 at Bhuj, Maharaj Kumar Himmatsinhji was the youngest of five sons of Mirza Maharao Vijayrajji Sawai Bahadur, the Maharaja of Cutch and as such younger brother of last Maharaja of Cutch, Shri Madansinhji. His early education was under private tutors and later educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot. He later studied agriculture at Wadia College, Pune.[1][2]

In 1947, when India got independence, his father Sri Vijayaraji was away in US for his treatment and Yuvraj Madansinhji was in Delhi. Himmatsinhji, who was at the time a student, hoisted both the flags of Kutch and of India on 15 August 1947, in the grounds of Gangaba Sahib Middle School at Bhuj.[3]

He married Princess Padmini Kumari, daughter of Maharaja Pratapsinhji Jhala of Wankaner in 1951.[citation needed] He died at Bhuj on 22 February 2008 and was survived by a daughter.[1]

Political career

After independence of India, he represented Kutch constituency in 3rd Lok Sabha, for the years 1962–67, as a member of Swatantra Party which won over the rival Congress party.[1][4] He was also President of local caste body of Rajputs – Sri Cutch Rajput Sabha, for several decades.[5]

Ornithology career

Himmatsinhji's great grandfather, Maharao Pragmalji had formed a museum of natural history in Bhuj while his grandfather Maharao Khengarji was among the first Indian members of the Bombay Natural History Society.[2] Himmatsinhji's father, Maharao Vijayaraji, funded Salim Ali's survey of the birds of Kutch and Himmatsinhji took considerable interest and later became an ornithologist in his own right[1][2][6][7] and regularly published notes on the birds of the Kutch region,[8] most of these were in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society apart from a few books and these include:

Short notes and articles

Books

Note

  1. ^ M. K. stands for Maharaj Kumar

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Kutch's royal family member passes away". One India News. 22 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d Khachar, Lavkumar (2008). "Obituary. Himmatsinhji October 9, 1928 to February 22, 2008". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 105 (1): 86.
  3. ^ Bhuj: art, architecture, history, Part 4 by Azhar Tyabji, Environmental Planning Collaborative (Ahmadābād, India). Mapin. 2006. p. 59. ISBN 9781890206802.
  4. ^ The Swatantra Party and Indian Conservatism by H. L. Erdman – 2007 – Page 310
  5. ^ Organiser – Volume 26, 1972 – Page 154
  6. ^ Birds of Arid and Semi-arid Tracts by Ajit Kumar Mukherjee – 1995, Page 287
  7. ^ Urquhart, Ewan (2010). Stonechats. p. 99. ISBN 9781408138014.
  8. ^ "bibliography of south asian ornithology". Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2013.

Further reading

Categories