Maharaja of Patiala

The Maharaja of Patiala was the title of the ruler of the princely state of Patiala, in British India. The first ruler of Patiala was Baba Ala Singh (1691 – 1765), who held the title of Raja. The second and third rulers, Amar Singh and Sahib Singh, respectively, held the held the title of Raja-e Rajgan. Karam Singh, the fourth ruler, was the first ruler of Patiala who held the title of Maharaja. By the time of the seventh Maharaja, Rajinder Singh (1876 – 1900), the Maharaja of Patiala was recognized as the leader of the Sikh community and the most foremost prince in Punjab. During the British Raj, the Patiala maharajas were entitled to a 17-gun salute and had precedence over all the other princes in Punjab.

Yadavindra Singh (1914 – 1974) became the maharaja on 23 March 1938. He was the last independent maharaja, agreeing to the accession of Patiala State into the newly independent Union of India in 1947. On 5 May 1948, he became Rajpramukh of the new Indian state of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). The former Patiala royal family has had multiple notable members in post-independence India, including those in politics, diplomacy, the Indian army, and other fields. The title of Maharaja of Patiala and other royal titles were retained by members of the Patiala royal family until they were abolished in India in 1971 through the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.

In 1940, Dr. V.S. Bhatti proposed the creation of a Sikh nation called 'Sikhistan,' to be led by the Maharaja of Patiala. He envisioned a "Khalistan" where the Maharaja would be aided by a cabinet comprising representatives from various federating units. These units included the central districts of Punjab province directly administered by the British at that time, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Ambala, Firozpur, Amritsar, and Lahore. It also encompassed the princely states of the Cis-Sutlej region, including Patiala, Nabha, Faridkot, and Malerkotla, as well as the states in the 'Shimla Group'.

After the Partition of India in 1947, a Sikh publication called The Liberator advocated for Khalistan, proposing that it should include East Punjab merged with the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), with the Maharaja of Patiala as its monarch.

Origins and lineage
The Maharajas of Patiala were Jat Sikhs of the Sidhu clan. The Patiala maharajas are direct descendants of Rawal Jaisal Singh, who founded the Kingdom of Jaisalmer in 1156. The maharajas of Patiala, through Jaisal Singh's ancestor, are direct descendants of Rao Bhatti, a 3rd-century Hindu monarch. Over the centuries, some of Jaisal Singh's descendants established themselves in the Punjab region, and Khewa, a descendant of Jaisal Singh, married the daughter of a Jat Sidhu zamindar, whose children were known by their mother's caste. Khewa's descendant was Baba Phul, the common ancestor of the Phulkian dynasty, and Baba Phul's grandson was Ala Singh, the first ruler of Patiala.

Mythological lineage and descent
The maharajas of Patiala claimed to be direct descendants of Yadu, a mythological Hindu king from whom Bhatti claimed descent. According to Hindu mythology, Yadu was the founder of the mythological Yadu dynasty, a branch of the legendary Lunar dynasty (IAST: Candravaṃśa).