12 Facts About Lakshmeshwar Singh

Lakshmeshwar Singh was the eldest son of Maharaja Maheshwar Singh of Darbhanga, who died when Lakshmeshwar was aged two.

Lakshmeshwar Singh was placed under the tutorship of Chester Macnaghten, who later served as the founding Principal of the oldest Public school in India, the Rajkumar College, Rajkot from 1870 to 1896.

Lakshmeshwar Singh was appointed and served as a Member of the Legislative Council of the Viceroy, and took a leading part in the debates of that body.

Lakshmeshwar Singh took an active part in public life and enjoyed a high reputation as a progressive and liberal minded statesman.

Lakshmeshwar Singh was a member of the Royal Commission on Opium of 1895, formed by British Government along with Haridas Viharidas Desai who was the Diwan of Junagadh.

Lakshmeshwar Singh championed freedom of speech, personal and political rights.

Lakshmeshwar Singh did not have any children and thus his younger brother, Rameshwar Singh, succeeded him as Maharaja.

Lakshmeshwar Singh constructed hundreds of miles of roads in various parts of the Raj, planting them with tens of thousands of trees for the comfort of travellers, as part of generating employment for people effected by famine.

Lakshmeshwar Singh constructed iron bridges over all the navigable rivers of the Raj Darbhanga, and completed an elaborate system of irrigation works, for prevention of famine.

Lakshmeshwar Singh was a liberal patron of the turf, and was the owner of the largest and most valuable racing stud in India.

The Maharaja was one of the founders of Indian National Congress as well as one of the main financial contributor thereto Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh is known for purchasing Lowhter Castle for the venue of the 1888 Allahabad Congress session when the british denied permission to use any public place.

Lakshmeshwar Singh constructed Anand Bagh Palace at Darbhanga and became well known in England because of sketches that appeared in the city's illustrated papers.