Coronation Sir Hari Singh as Maharajah of Kashmir in 1926.

Early life
Hari Singh was born on 23 September 1895 at the palace of Amar Mahal, Jammu, the only surviving son of General Raja Sir Amar Singh (14 January 1864-1826 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     1864-1826     end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     1864-1826     end_of_the_skype_highlighting March 1909), the younger son of General Maharajadhiraj Sri Sir Maharajadhiraj Srí Sir Ranbir Singh and the brother of Lieutenant-General Maharajadhiraj Sri Sir Pratap Singh, the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.
Education and preparation for the throne
In 1903, Hari Singh served as a Page of Honour to Lord Curzon at the grand Delhi Durbar. At the age of 13, Hari Singh was dispatched to Mayo College in Ajmer. A year later in 1909, when his father died, the British took a personal interest in his education and appointed Major H.K. Brar as his guardian. After Mayo College the ruler-in-waiting went to the Imperial Cadet Corps at Dehra Dun for military training, imbibing its British upper-crust atmosphere and polishing his English to a high gloss, and by the age of 20 he had been appointed commander-in-chief of the Jammu and Kashmri state forces.
Singh's reign
Following the death of his uncle, Sir Pratap Singh, in 1925, Sir Hari Singh ascended the throne of Jammu and Kashmir. He made primary education compulsory in the State, introduced laws prohibiting child marriage and threw open places of worship for the low castes.[citation needed]

Singh was hostile towards the Indian National Congress, in part because of the close friendship between Kashmiri political activist and socialist Sheikh Abdullah and Nehru. He also opposed the Muslim League and its members' communalist outlook illustrated in their two-nation theory. During the Second World War, from 1944-1946 Sir Hari Singh was a member of the Imperial War Cabinet.

In 1947 India gained independence from British rule. Kashmir had the option to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent. He originally manoeuvered to maintain his independence by playing off India and Pakistan. Following an invasion by Pakistani Armed Forces in October 1947, Singh appealed to India for help.[1] India refused to come to his aid unless he acceded to India.[2]

He signed the Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir) on October 26, 1947 acceding the Jammu and Kashmir princely state (including Jammu, Kashmir, Northern Areas, Ladakh, Trans-Karakoram Tract and Aksai Chin) to the Dominion of India.[3][4]. These events triggered the first Indo-Pakistan War. Due to the unresolved and undemocratic nature of this transaction, all these territories are regarded as disputed and there are several UN resolutions calling India and Pakistan to allow a UN administered plebiscite.[5]. In 1951 Singh's rule was terminated by the state government of Indian-administered Kashmir. Singh retreated to Jammu and eventually left the state, dying on 26 April 1961 at Bombay after a reign of 35 years, aged 66.

His son Yuvraj (Crown Prince) Karan Singh was elected 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' ('President of the Province') and Governor of the State in 1964, His Highness Dr. Karan Singh is the present titular Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.

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[bablabablaboo]

as aurengzeb is to indian ...... hari singh is to us kashmiris ......

[gourav87]

wow.. the video is amazing.... m feeling proud of being a dogra.

[rajachandra]

Maharaja was not dithering ! There was no obligation under Indian Independence Act 1947 any of the Indian Rulers to accede to either of the new dominions of the British Empire! Maharaja's position was quite unique unlike others as he was a Hindu Ruler with a majority of his subjects being Muslims. It was the Indian leaders who dithered in sending support to the Maharaja till he agreed to sign the Instrument of accession. soon they ditched him by sending him to oblivion to placate Abdulla.

[noufalmk7777]

i love thease type videos of kings

[rkkhashu]

It is Mubarik mandi ,Jammu

[drtahir76]

@10374d / uploader

Can any1 tell me please where was this coronation organised? Srinagar or Jammu? and where?

[tiger4222000]

PIECE OF SCUM DIRTY TRAITORS , WHICH IS WWHY THE BRITISH GAVE THESE NOT WORTHY TO BE CALLED HUMAN DOGRA DOGS THAT AREAS RULE FOR BETRAYING *ELIMINATING SUCCESSSORS GETTING A 9 YR OLD BOY SEPRATED FROM HIS MOTHER BETRAYING THE JUST AND EQUAL 4 ALL SIKH EMPIRE MAY THERE WHOLE LINEAGE BE DAMNED TO LIVES WORSER THEN HELL OF ALL HELLS DISGUSTING ,SHAME

[kamaldhr]

how nice, no words to mention. a remember able memories lie in this live video.

[pinz2022]

Unfortunately, I gather that Maharajah Sir Hari Singh's lasting legacy was his ill-starred attempt to maintain J&K's independence during Partition without possessing the military means to enforce it as Pakistan sent in tribal subversives to loot and pillage, leading to the Mutiny of October, 1947. His fatal dithering before casting his lot with India has been blamed for leading to the first Indo-Pak war and J&K's traumatic division.

[drDevindersingh]

I remember my Grandfather talking about this event..and also Malika Pukhraj,who was court singer in those times,Thanks for uploading this video...truly a historical one!