<<

THE ROBBINS COLLECTION OF THE INDIAN PRINCELY STATES: POSTAL AND FISCAL PHILATELIC ITEMS

Postage stamps, postal covers, crested stationery, greeting cards, picture postcards, fiscal stamps, stamped papers.

POSTAGE STAMPS & POSTAL 15106 , Graphic Arts HISTORY : Modern architecture The Power House, Town Hall, 15101 India, Graphic Arts Osmania Silver Jubilee Hall, and : The last three or . Amirs of the Daudputra dynasty The dynasty claimed descent from the 15107 India, Graphic Arts Abassid Kalifas. Hyderabad: Unissued essay circa 1947- 8 commemorating the Nizam's plans 15102 India, Graphic Arts to declare an independent state. Bahawalpur: Architectural This essay's colors are different than monuments those illustrated in M.A. Nayeem's The and mosque at Sadiq-garh, Hyderabad Philatelic History [New the Nur-Mahal Palace, the Tombs of : The Philatelic Congress of India the Nawabs, and Fort Derawar 1980]. Note the ill-defined northern border. This reflects the disputed areas 15103 India, Graphic Arts such as Berar, which the British had : Essays for unissued long administered and controlled. stamps These essays from this small 15108 India, Graphic Arts state were found by : Silver Jubilee H.D.S. Haverbeck in a collection commemoratives of Man II's formed between 1900 and 1925. See his 1922 accession to the gaddi . article "The Stamps of the Native Designs portray a map, flags, coat-of- States of India" The Collectors Club arms, the Hawa Mahal, Amber fort, Philatelist 54#1:23-4. palace gate, the Jantar Mahal observatory, and the sun-god's chariot. 15104 India, Graphic Arts The latter denotes that the Cochin: Stamp commemorating the were , members of 400th anniversary of the Cochin a solar clan. Synagogue. The stamp has been cancelled on a 15109 India, Graphic Arts photograph of the clock tower which : Mehrengarh Fort has numerals in Hebrew, Roman, and The once impregnable fort is now a Indian numerals. tourist attraction.

15105 India, Graphic Arts 15110 India, Graphic Arts Dungapur : Pratap Though this state issued two sets of Rana Pratap, who upheld stamps used during the 1930's and honor by refusing to submit to the 1940's, these issues only came to the Mughals, is shown on his horse attention of collectors in 1969. They Chetak, who carried him from certain are still not listed in one of the two death on the battlefield of Haldighat. standard stamp catalogs. 15111 India, Graphic Arts Letter from a Gujarati Sirmur: Stamps with printed inquiring about fate of the Central perforations Indian state of at the time of When a stamp dealer tried to order independence. copies of the obsolete 1885 issue, he supplied a catalog illustration for 15116 India, Graphic Arts reference. This illustration did not Surguja: Durga-puja Invitation include sprigs shown in the issued stamps. State authorities sent the 15117 India, Graphic Arts illustration to printers, who produced Vijayanagaram Raj, Banaras: Envelope stamps utilizing this sample just as Flap Crest shown including the perforations. Crest from an estate utilizing a Gandhi Stuck with supplies when collectors quote: "In the midst of darkness light rejected them as bogus fantasies, persists". Vijayanagaram Raj was an Sirmur's postal authorities used them estate within British India, not a for postal purposes. pukka .

15112 India, Graphic Arts 15118 India, Graphic Arts : Hindu Temples Allahabad: Printer's sample sheet The Padmanabha, Subramania, showing thirty-three state crests Mahadeva, and Kanyakumari shrines States Crested Stationery from State as shown on stamps commemorating Crested Works, Bakhshi Bazaar. the 1937 proclamation overturning the practice of limiting temple access to PICTURE POSTCARDS high caste . 15119-15120 India, Photography CRESTED STATIONERY, Ruling of India INVITATIONS Two postcards of A. Vivian Mansell & & GREETING CARDS Co., London and Manchester. The of Murshidabad and the 15113 India, Graphic Arts of Balrampur were titled but Agaigarh: Crested Wedding Invitation their zemindaries were part of British Depiction of Ganesha and state coat-of- India, not Princely States. The arms from Sawai Maharaja maharajas and nawabs of such places Singh for the 1926 marriage of his had no sovereign powers as did the granddaughter to the son of the princes of true states. The Maharaja of of Bhadri, District Pertabgarh is included, though Nepal was (Oudh). an independent kingdom, because of the history of friendship between the 15114 India, Photography British Government and Nepal. : Princess Mary Kamla greeting card for 1924 with 15121 India, Photography photograph of Princess Mary Kamla The on Whom the Sun Never Raja. She and her brother were Sets named after the Empress and - Detail from postcard showing King . Edward VII, his queen, and the in relationship to the Indian princes. 15115 India, Graphic Arts This card clearly shows that the Jambughoda: Letter with Crested princes were in subordinate alliance Envelope with the . The lower half of this card depicts the Amir of within the self and not through image reviewing troops in Agra. worship or blind faith.

15122 India, Photography 15127 India, Photography Young Princes at Coronation Durbar Jaipur: The Gate at Photograph by Ernest Brooks. Issued A postcard "edited" by Joseph Heim of by J. Beagles & Co., London. Vienna and mailed to Cleveland from Calcutta. 15123 India, Photography Baroda: The camp of the Maharaja of 15128 India, Photography Baroda at the 1911 Coronation Durbar Kalat & Las Bela: The of Kalat This card was printed in Germany and and the Jam Of Las Bela with Sir issued by H.A. & Sons, Delhi. Henry MacMahon On the back, someone has written Postcard of Mullick Bros., Quetta. "This is the camp which belonged to the Maharaja which caused all the 15129 India, Photography trouble at the coronation reception Khairpur: Khairpur State Court through not paying homage to the Printed by Raphael Tuck and Sons, King in the right manner. P.S. All London. these places were only temporary constructions and the land now is 15130 India, Photography quite bad". Mewar: Architecture Postcard inscribed "" and 15124 India, Photography "Maha-". Hyderabad: Nizam Mahbub Ali depicted on a card printed in 15131 India, Photography Luxemburg Mewar: Two Postcards of the Lake In 1908, someone named Bert wrote Palace on the back: "This is one of the Indian The Lake Palace Hotel and its Gangour Rajah's that our blokes have to keep a boat for use by tourists at the hotel. sharp eye on, he has an army of his own about 30,000 strong & a palace 15132 India, Photography about 5 miles from our barracks. At : Maharaja Krishnaraja the fort they have two guns trained on Wadiyar as shown in "Reproduction his palace ready to smash it to bits in Bas-Relief" should he turn obstinate any-time Printed by S. & Co., Ipswich and which I am sure he would never think imported by Y. Narayan, Madras. of doing." 15133 India, Photography 15125 India, Photography Mysore: Groups of State Elephants : European Military and 1905 color postcard of Harry A. Norton Religious Presence in of Jaipur. Norton "the man who Printed in England for K. Hormusjee, makes good jacks" is said to be riding Mhow. in a "gilded howdah".

15126 India, Photography 15134 India, Photography Jaipur: The Naga Militia Mysore: A Mysore Saint Giving Postcard of Gobindram Oodeyram, Religious Lectures to his Followers Jaipur depicting followers of Dadu (ca. 1544-1604). He preached monotheism 15135 India, Photography and the belief that God is to be found Orcha: Old mausoleums FISCAL STAMPS 15141 India, Graphic Arts Beja: Legal Documents 15136 India, Graphic Arts Legal documents surviving from this : Court fees Hill state are greater in number Three different coats-of-arms designs than would be expected from the depicting the katar, a dagger used to census of only 994 in 1931. Beja was escape from treachery by Mairaj, the once a larger state that included founder of the Naruka clan. .

15137 India, Graphic Arts 15142 India, Graphic Arts Baroda: Currencies Benares: Engraver's Proof of Court Three currencies circulated within Fee Stamp of Maharaja Aditya prior to 1901. Kaldar Narayan Singh circulated in Nasvari and , The English divested his ancestors of shikkai in Kadi, and baba shahi in most of their land leaving only family Baroda district. domains and . In 1910, his father was elevated to the status of a ruling 15138 India, Graphic Arts . Baroda: Four stamps In 1944, many smaller states were 15143 India, Graphic Arts attached to Baroda and other larger : Early Stamps and Later states in and . This Forgeries slide includes pieces combining use of This early receipt stamp is known with Baroda stamps with those of two the frame inverted in a number of attached states, Mansa and . colors. The block with inverts is a This consolidation was part of a plan recent forgery. for the states to become viable units which could achieve federation with 15144 India, Graphic Arts the provinces of British India : Stamps and Stamp Paper following independence. Note the quaint spelling and reversed letters. 15139 India, Graphic Arts : Previously Unrecorded 15145 India, Graphic Arts Writing Fee Stamp. Junior Branch: World War II This fee was paid to a court clerk to War Contribution Stamp write legal papers for persons This stamp shows the goddess Durga appearing without counsel. slaying a German soldier instead of her usual enemy, Mahisha the buffalo 15140 India, Graphic Arts demon. Her traditional lion mount Bastar: Rani Profulla Kumara Devi of also represents the British lion here. Bastar Rani Profulla Kumara Devi of Bastar, 15146 India, Graphic Arts two of Bhopal and Mong Raja Hyderabad: Three Stamps Nanoomah were the only women to The British administered many areas rule an Indian State during the 20th within . These century. Usually male relatives were included Hyderabad Residency Bazaar adopted, some after the deaths of their and near Hyderabad city "fathers", to succeed princes without as well as the district of Berar. legitimate sons. 15147 India, Graphic Arts Jalimvilas: Stamp Paper Note the sophisticated court fee stamp powers. The chief of Maliya's powers and the improvised stamped paper. were limited to suits of Rs. 10,000 Jalimvilas was one of the many and criminal sentences to three thikanas [estates] within Jodhpur that years and fines of Rs. 5,000. issued fiscal stamps documenting their revenue-raising and jurisdictional 15153 India, Graphic Arts powers. In 1915, only 690 out of 4,030 Mysore: Maharaja Krishnaraja villages were directly controlled by the Wadiyar Maharaja. Above: drawing used for revenue stamp; below: stamp depicting 15148 India, Graphic Arts Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar (r. Jetpur: Court Fee Stamp 1895 - 1940). The Lakshmi Art Printing Works of Bombay lithographed court fee stamps 15154 India, Photography on the reverse side of advertisements & Graphic Arts as well as pictures of Gandhi and an : of Palitana Egyptian . Essays dated 1892-3 for unissued stamps depicting the Thakur of 15149 India, Graphic Arts Palitana, a state in Kathiawar. Note : Maharaja Jaggarjit Singh the care taken by the English printer (r. 1877 to 1947) De La Rue & Co. and the involvement The Maharaja was known as a great of inquiries from two companies. (See Francophile. His was one of a number Bibliography, K. Robbins, #18.) of Punjab states ruled by . 15155 India, Graphic Arts 15150 India, Graphic Arts : Two stamps : Tete-beche Block of Court Fee Stamps of Raja Vidvadhar Singh 15156 India, Graphic Arts Rajput ruler of this small Punjab Hill Peint: Court Fees State. Prior to the Indian Mutiny, the British annexed and many other states 15151 India, Graphic Arts for "failure of heirs" under the policy : Large Court Fee Stamp of of lapse. By 1858 following the Nawab Mirza Amin-id-din Amad "mutiny", they stated that they had no Khan intention of extending their territories. size: 185 x 92 mm. They recognized the right of adoption The founder of the state was an in many states by issuing more than Afghan who received Loharu from the 140 sanads of adoption. However, Raja of Alwar and the of when the of Peint (whom they Firozpur from Lord Lake. had installed) died in 1878, the state "lapsed" and was incorporated into 15152 India, Graphic Arts British India. Maliya Taluka: Two Stamps Court fee stamps of this small non- 15157 India, Graphic Arts state in the Western India States Rajgarh: Court Fees made into Agency were issued in the name of the Provisional Receipt Stamps Political Agents F. DeR. Hancock and Note that these bisects are for several W.M.P. Wood. In such small states, different values, not just half of the the political agents exercised face value of the stamps. administrative and judicial powers and the thakurs or chiefs had limited 15158 India, Graphic Arts 15166 India, Graphic Arts : Maharaja Pathan-Ruled States An unissued forests and customs Pathans ruled many states in Central stamp from the home of the famed India (Baoni, , Kurwai, , white . etc.) and Western India (Balasinor, , , Palanpur, 15159 India, Graphic Arts Radhanpur, Sardargarh, etc.) Sirmur: Postcard used as Court Fee Stamp on Document 15167 India, Graphic Arts States Ruled By Muslim Converts 15160 India, Graphic Arts The princes of , Vijiria, and Talcher: Land document Bajana were descended from This document from an Orissan state indigenous Muslim converts. equates the words "petition" and "prayer". 15168 India, Graphic Arts States Owned By Shareholders 15161 India, Graphic Arts Baramajnu had three Muslim Rajput Clans: Stamps portraying chiefs and Bagasra had varying Ruling Princes from different Rajput numbers of share-holders, some who Clans had judicial powers. Clans [states in brackets] as follows: Dogra [], Umet [Rajgarh], 15169 India, Graphic Arts Kachhwaha [Jaipur], Gohel [Lathi], of Bahawalpur, Bhopal, Chohan [Gad-Boriad], Gungabasi Charkhari, , [Bamra], [Kotda-Sangani] and Baghel [Rewa]. Note that all these 15170 India, Graphic Arts Rajput-ruled states except Jaipur were Integration of States after not in . Independence Most states were folded into larger 15162 India, Graphic Arts entities such as , , Rathor Rajput Rulers and Pepsu. Members of this famous clan ruled Jodhpur, , Malpur, Bikaner, 15171 India, Graphic Arts , , Sailana, , L. V. Indap & Co. Sample Sheet , Kushalgarh And . Such sheets were sent to state governments with offers to print 15163 India, Graphic Arts stamps and crested stationery. This Mahratta Rulers: Stamps from States one includes items from Amb, in and the Deccan Dhenkanal, Dungapur, Miraj Jr., and Sant. The stamps of the small North- 15164 India, Graphic Arts West Frontier state of Amb are known Kathi-Ruled States: Fiscal Stamps of only from such sample sheets, mostly Vadia, Thana Devli, Jasdan, Bilkha, now in the Robbins collection. Amb's and Barwala nawabs also controlled a [estate] in British territory. The presence of 15165 India, Graphic Arts Dungapur's postage stamps on these Koli Rulers: Fiscal stamps of , Indap sheets from the 1940's Khadal Ambaliara, Katosan, and authenticates their existence (see slide 15105.) The Deccani state of Miraj Jr. along with Miraj Sr. and two land parcels that lapsed into British India were lands originally obtained by a Patwardhan from the 15179 India, Graphic Arts . Branch: Stamped Paper Maharaja Vikramsinha Rao Paur gave STAMPED PAPERS up this gaddi to become Maharaja of in 15172 India, Graphic Arts 1947. Ajit Singhi Estate: Agit Singh Prime Minister of Jodhpur in 1947, 15180 India, Graphic Arts Agit Singh was the brother of Du-Amli Indore & : Court Fee Maharaja Umed Singh. These fiscals The exact location of this district, were used in courts on his estates jointly administered by Indore and within Jodhpur. Dhar, has not been determined. This was not the only territory jointly- 15173 India, Graphic Arts administered or jointly-owned. Baghal: Raja Tika Bikram Singh (r. Sambhar Shamlet was jointly owned 1904-22) and Raja Surendra Singh (r. by Jaipur and Jodhpur and the British 1922-47) had a valuable monopoly on salt Puar Rajputs who reigned over this manufacture from its lake. Malarna- small Punjab Hill state. The state once Chor district was jointly administered supported a painting atelier. by Japur and Alwar, a state which itself was carved out of Jaipur. 15174 India, Graphic Arts Balasinor: Nawab Mohamed Salabat 15181 India, Graphic Arts Khan Gainta: The Palace and Maharaja Last in a line of Babi Pathan rulers. playing his flute is depicted in addition to the Kotah kotri [estate]. 15175 India, Graphic Arts Bamra: Stamped paper from an 15182 India, Graphic Arts Orissan State Jaora: State Coat-of-Arms Drawing of its Rajput Raja, probably One of many hand-crafted variations Sudhal Deb (r. 1869-1903). on the state coat-of-arms.

15176 India, Graphic Arts 15183 India, Graphic Arts : Traditional Town above a Jawhar: Raja Shrimant Yeohwantrao Globe A Koli prince whose state was in Like many later stamped papers (as Thana district. well as fiscal and postage stamps), it is overprinted for use in post- 15184 India, Graphic Arts independence . Jhabua: Portrait of Raja Udai Singh Rathor Rajput who reigned in this 15177 India, Graphic Arts Agency state from 1895 to 1940. Bhor: The Brahmin raja of a Deccani state with a 15185 India, Graphic Arts : Talbana or Process Fee Stamped 15178 India, Graphic Arts Paper Branch: Stamped Paper Note the state flags showing 15186 India, Graphic Arts Hanuman and the motto "Dal Dvayo Junagadh: Nawab Mahabat Khan III Bhatt Vamshah" meaning "Two branches grace one stem.” Stamped paper also depicts a Kathi This bilingual legal document uses horse, a lion of the Gir Forest, Western psychological terms. Junagadh City, and Port. 15195 India, Graphic Arts 15187 India, Graphic Arts Pudukkottai: Raja Rajagopala Kawardha: The Ganges Springing from Shiva's Locks The last ruling prince of Pudukkottai. The Tondaiman Dynasty were Kallars, 15188 India, Graphic Arts a group the British named in the Khairpur: George Alimurad Criminal Tribe Act. These non-Rajput Khan rulers utilized founding legends and A Muslim prince named after the religious stories to legitimize their King-Emperor . status.

15189 India, Graphic Arts 15196 India, Graphic Arts Kolhapur: Durga Slaying the Buffalo Rakhi Jojawar: The Holy Family of Demon Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and Twentieth century stamped paper. Karttikeya Revenue stamped paper of this 15190 India, Graphic Arts Jodhpur thikana [estate]. Korea: Raja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo 15197 India, Graphic Arts Stamped paper and revenue stamp are Talcher: Raja Kishor Chandra Birbar shown with crested envelope and Harichandran (r. 1891-1940) photograph of state flag. Korea state The tigers represent the patron was a hilly, forested state. goddess, Hingula Devi. According to the Rajput princes of Talcher, the 15191 India, Graphic Arts goddess defeated the enemies of the Kotah Estates: Balwan and Indargarh 17th century Raja Padmanav Birbar Estates in the northern part of Kotah. Harichandran in the form of a Their chiefs were Hara . Rajputs like the Maharao. 15198 India, Graphic Arts 15192 India, Graphic Arts Varsoda: Thakkor Jorawarsinhji Koti: Rana Raghubir Chand Surajmalji Prince of this tiny Punjab Hill state. When Thakkor Jorawarsinhji Surajmalji attained the gaddi, the 15193 India, Graphic Arts personal powers of the previous ruler : Raj Gonds were rescinded. Kisorsinhji had been Makrai was a Central Indian state, able to inflict longer sentences, larger ruled by Raj Gonds. Raj Gonds fines, and hear larger civil suits. recognized neither Brahmin superiority nor the ban on cow-killing. 15199-15200 India, Graphic Arts Note that this document is stamped in Two pages from the sample book of L. the name of a European official. V. Indap & Co., a Bombay printer These stamped papers show Hindu 15194 India, Graphic Arts and Muslim rulers from Kathiawar, Maler Kotla: Stamped Paper Orissa, the Punjab, the Punjab Hills, and Rewa Kantha. Publications by Kenneth X. Robbins 1. Indian and Southeast Asian Ivories: Selections from Local Collections-The Brooklyn Museum. Orientations March 1983 2. Indo-Asian Shadow Figures. Arts of Sept.-Oct. 1983 3. The Art of India and . Arts of Asia May-June 1985 4. The of India 3000 B. C.-1300 A. D. Arts of Asia Sept.-Oct. 1985 5. Indian Miniatures From The Ehrenfeld Collection. Arts of Asia May-June 1986 6. The Indian and Nepalese Collections of The Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. Bulletin of the Indian Institute of the History of Medicine July, 1987 7. India: A Festival of Science. Highlights: Notes, News and Views on the Arts, History and Letters of India Summer 1987 (Co-Author Joyce Robbins) 8. Siddha Medicine. Highlights Summer 1987 9. Use of Numismatic and Philatelic Source Material in the Study of the Princely States of India. Indo-British Review 15:2, 1988. 10. Maharajas, Nawabs & Other Princes Beyond Number from the Robbins Collection of the Indian Princely States. Ind Dak (Serialized 1990-1) 11. The Jewish Community of Calcutta A. In R. Krishna (Editor) From Thames to Hooghly: Calcutta Heritage 1690- 1990. Washington: India School, 1990. Pp. 32-40 B. Points East 8 #1:6-9, 1993 12. The Calcutta Collection of The Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. (Co-Author Joyce Robbins) A. In R. Krishna, 1990, Pp. 41-50 B. Bull. Indian Institute of The History of Medicine 20:107-21, 1990 13. Kalighat Painting In R. Krishna, 1990, Pp. 61-74. 14. Maharajas, Nawabs and Other Princes Beyond Number from the Robbins Collection of the Indian States: Exhibition Guide. Washington: Gandhi Memorial Center, 1991. 15. Barriers to the Appreciation of . Highlights 6:5, 1991 16. Medals of the Indian Princely States The India Magazine April 1992 17. Jams & Nizams; Nawabs & Sawbwas; Mirs, Raos, & Maharajas The India Magazine September 1993 18. De La Rue and Palitana The Revenue Journal of Great Britain 4 #4:81, 1994 19. Jams and Nizams; Amirs, Raos, and Maharajas: The Robbins Collection of the Indian Princely States. Guide For Exhibition At The Paley Library, Temple University. August 29th-October 14th, 1994 20. Confusingly Similar Names in the Princely States India Post 29:99, 1995 21. Strong Medicine The India Magazine October 1995 22. The Sacred Cows of Bundi India Post 30:87, 1996

Book Reviews by Kenneth X. Robbins 1. Robert Johnson: Femininity Lost and Regained Council On Women In Asian Studies Newsletter 8 #1, Fall 1990 2. Sudhir Kakar: Intimate Relations: Exploring Indian Sexuality A. Middle East & Folklore Newsletter 8 #3, Autumn 1991 B. Paso (Psychoanalytic Social Science) Rev. 1#10 April, 1992 3. S. Nanda: Neither Man Nor Woman: The Hijras of India Middle East and South Asia Folklore Newsletter 8#3, Autumn 1991