Successor Usha Devi Holkar | Name Yashwant Holkar | |
 | ||
Reign 26 February 1926 – 28 May 1948 Pretendence 28 May 1948 – 5 December 1961 | ||
Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Sawai Shri Sir Yeshwant Rao II Holkar XIV Bahadur (6 September 1908 – 5 December 1961) was the Maharaja of Indore (Holkar State) belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas.
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Life
He was educated at the Cheam School, Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford.
He succeeded his father Tukojirao Holkar III, who abdicated in his favor on February 26, 1926. He was installed on the throne on 11 March 1926 under a regency council. He was invested with full powers on 9 May 1930 at the age of 20. On January 1, 1935 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Indian Empire. He established a legislative council for Indore state and created a cabinet with a prime minister and three ministers. British Resident of Indore, K.S. Fitze, remarked on the great amount of time Maharaja Yeshwant spent abroad. Christie's art director Amin Jaffer takes this to exemplify maharaja culture's turn to the West.
On 11 August 1947 he signed the document of accession to India. Indore State was included in the Union of Madhya Bharat on May 28, 1948. He served as the second Rajpramukh of this new state until 31 October 1956. He then worked for the United Nations.
He died in a Mumbai Hospital on 5 December 1961.
Marriage
In the year 1924 he married Maharani Shrimant Akhand Sahib Soubhagyavati Sanyogita Bai Holkar. Yeshwant Rao and his wife Maharani Sanyogita both studied in England. In 1938 he married Margaret Lawler and after their divorce, married Lady Euphemia Watt of Los Angeles.
He is survived by his two children - 1. HH Maharani Usha Raje of Indore (inherited the titles and rights). 2. Maharajkumar Shrimant Shivaji Rao Holkar of Indore (Prince Richard Holkar).
Titles and styles
Honours
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