The "Black Prince" of Perthshire

The local people of Perthshire called him the "Black Prince" but his name was Maharajah Duleep Singh, the first Indian prince to visit Scotland. His father was Ranjit Singh, who ruled the Sikh kingdom of Punjab in India.

Duleep Singh was five when he became ruler of the kingdom, but some six years later, in 1849, his Sikh armies were defeated and his lands swallowed up in the vastness of the great British Empire which was fast reaching the heights of its influence and power around the world.

A Scot from Orkney, Dr John Login, was appointed governor of the capital of the Sikh Kingdom and guardian of the young Duleep Singh. Meanwhile, the occupying British forces, of course, exploited the wealth of the region, sending back home millions of pounds worth of gold, silver and jewels, including the priceless Koh-i-Noor diamond, a gift from the 'loyal' Punjabi subjects to Queen Victoria.

Under the influence of Dr Login, Duleep Singh gradually changed his outlook, eventually turning his back on the culture and even the religion of his people. In 1854, the 'christianised' Maharajah arrived in London and embraced the high society of the time, his youth, his looks, his diamond-studded turban all helping to create quite an impact. He was wined and dined by the rich and powerful and proved a popular guest in the royal court circles, becoming a firm favourite with Queen Victoria herself.

A year later the Maharajah was brought to Scotland by Dr Login, leasing Castle Menzies in Perthshire as his residence. Naturally the young man quickly became the centre of attention there, too, and his reputation grew with the lavishness of the receptions, shoots and entertainments he held which became ever more popular as the years passed. The 'Black Prince' and his extravagant shooting parties are still remembered in the area even today.

Also remembered is the figure of Duleep Singh dressed up in Highland dress, a love affair which began in his childhood days when he first set eyes on some Highland soldiers during a garden fete in Lahore in the Punjab.

The castle lease expired in 1858 so the Maharajah and his Indian servants set up home at Auchlyne, on Loch Tay, renting an estate from Lord Breadalbane, and the lavish lifestyle continued. But in 1860, the Maharajah returned to India to visit his mother whom he hadn't seen for some 12 years.

The two returned to Scotland the following year but the passing of time and the separation had taken their toll. They were unable to get on. To overcome this, Duleep Singh bought a home for his mother in England - and then concentrated his attention on the Grandtully estate in Perthshire which he'd just bought.

However, life, which had been so good to Duleep Singh, suddenly started to go all wrong. In 1863 his mother took seriously ill and the Maharajah arrived at her bedside only hours before she died. Then some two months later Dr Login, his long and trusted friend, also died and his interest in Scotland waned.

Instead, he concentrated his energies on an estate in Suffolk which he'd also bought, building on it an Indian-style mansion and continuing with the lavish shooting parties which he'd become famous for in Scotland. But Duleep Singh's extravagant lifestyle gradually diminished as financial troubles overtook him.

He died in 1893, a broken man.

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