ex-maharajah Rolls 20/25; residence in Switzerland. prewarcar.com |
Bonhams Rolls Royce. Mysore ruler.Silver .royce165.rssing.com |
(then) one of the wealthiest men in the world, owned this iconic Silver .royce165. He bought RR in batches of 7, 14, etc at one time.....................
Indian Maharajahs were fabulously so rich that it may stagger your mind, not withstanding the fact that the British had already laid their hands deep in to the Maharajahs' treasure troves.
Before 1947, roughly 900 Rolls-Royce cars were sold to the Indian princes for ready cash in one payment. In addition to RRs, they also had numerous cars in tens and hundreds. Most of the Indian rulers maintained a vast building - garage for their cars and had lots of employees for daily routing work - cleaning, changing of tyres, car-washing, etc.
The royal tour Maharaja Gaj Singh.luxpresso.com |
After the First World War, when cars became popular in the USA, Indian rulers made a beeline to America and bought catchy Cadillac, Buick, Lincoln, etc to maintain their social status and to entertain British Bobs.
Among the rulers, some were eccentric, The Arcot Nawob of S. India, though he had RRs, preferred noisy cars to draw the attention of the people while he was making a royal visit. He considered RR unfit for his ego trips because the engine did not make any noise to get people's attention. Like wise the Nizam of Hyderabad liked just ordinary cars for his personal use in the city. He was a known miser but had a vast garage full of cars, mostly expensive ones.
Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad of Baroda was the proud owner of first RR that came off the factory soon after world war..
Popularity of RR had just begun when the Maharajah of Gwalior in 1908 made a trans-India non-stop trip and attracted the attention of the media. For the RR company in England, it was a blessing in disguise because it was a free publicity bonanza that helped their sale move upward.They did have to spend extra money for their sales pitch. It all proved to the world the sustained quality of RR, its engine and the adaptability to different terrains in the subcontinent.
It is just amazing that the Nizam of Hyderabad had a fleet of 50 RR. Silver Ghost was the first to arrive in the garage of Nizam in 1913. He also spent huge money for extra work, better upholstery, curtains wheel hubs, interior decoration, seats, etc.
The motor company always had a few mechanics on duty to attend to the needs of Indian rulers, When Bharatpur Maharajah's RR remained idle because of mechanical fault, the late dispatch of mechanics from the car company angered him. He made threats to convert the RR into garage car.
. |
Extravagantly armed Rolls-Royce Hunting Cars. oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com |
Tiger hunting was a major sports event for many Maharajahs in the colonial period. The guests included many British dignitaries. So, the Indian rulers had their RR fitted with extra parts - foot boards for servants (when chasing animals), high power lights with special light screen to blind the animal so that it will be an easy target.
Cars for Tiger hunting. guruprasad.net |
That we are living in a transient world is quite true. every thing is changing, nothing is permanent. Too much obsession is bad. To day's luxury may not be there to-morrow to enjoy it. This is quite true of many Indian rulers who wallowed in money and luxury. Indian rulers' vast wealth has declined with the passage of time and India's freedom saw further decline of Indian rulers' fortune. They had no money either to maintain or to buy spares for RRs. In the garages of many rulers, expensive cars were rusting away; Bentleys, Jaguars and a fleet of other expensive cars remained unused and unattended. for. After independence and abolition of annual dole to them by the Indian governments decades ago, the former rulers have adopted their life-style to the new situation.
Now the Indian rulers converted their rich palaces into five star hotels. Many have become directors of companies.
Lesson: '"Do not ever indulge in excesses. Moderation in everything and self-contentment will make your life enjoyable, meaningful and worth-living" .
Ref:
http://guruprasad.net/posts/rolls-royce-the-indian-maharajas-motor-car/
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011201/windows/main3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Motor_Cars