Jaswant Singh II, GCSI, was Maharaja of Jodhpur in India between 1873 and 1895.
Background
He was born in 1838 at Ahmadnagar in Gujarat and was eldest son of Takht Singh. He had eight wives, of which the first–the daughter of the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, Puariji–was chief consort. He acceded to the throne of Jodhpur in 1873 upon death of his father, Takhat Singh.
Career
The reign of Jaswant Singh II was marked with remarkable prosperity and reforms and development works. He established Courts of Justice, introduced system of revenue settlement and re=organizing all the state departments. Further, he developed infrastructure of the state by introducing telegraphs, railways (Jodhpur State Railway), and developing roads.
He formed Imperial Service Cavalry Crops, which later rendered active service in European War.
Jawant Singh had invited Swami Dayananda as he was influenced by his ideas. But the tragedy occurred that Dawayanda was poisoned on 29th September 1883, when he was the royal guest of Jaswant Singh II by Dayananda"s own cook, who had conspired with a court dancer.
Maharaja was quick to arrange services of doctor and arranged for Swamiji to be sent to Mount Abu upon advice of Residency. The is an architectural landmark located in Jodhpur.
lieutenant is a white marble memorial built by Sardar Singh in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh World War II