Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja, who belongs to the royal family of Jamnagar, was officially announced as the new heir to the throne today (October 11, 2024). The announcement was made by the incumbent Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanagar– Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja. For the unversed, Nawanagar was an Indian princely state in Gujarat before India’s independence and its capital city was Nawanagar city, which is also known as Jamnagar.
Sharing the news of appointing Ajay Jadeja as the new Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja said in a statement, “The festival of Dussehra is believed to mark the day the Pandavas emerged victorious from exile. Today, on Dussehra, I am equally happy, as I have found a resolution to one of my dilemmas thanks to Ajay Jadeja, who has accepted to be my heir… Ajay Jadeja taking up the responsibility of serving the people of Jamnagar is truly a boon for its people. I express my sincere gratitude to him.”
Born in the year 1939, Shatrusalyasinhji ascended to the throne on February 3, 1966. He is the cousin brother of Ajay Jadeja’s father.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja was born on February 1, 1971. During his cricketing career, he played in One Day International (ODI) format from 1992 to 2000; he played 15 Test matches and 196 ODIs for India. After his cricketing career was cut short due to a controversy, he tried his hands at acting in a few Bollywood films, worked as a cricket commentator, and even participated in a dance reality show. More recently, he mentored Afghanistan’s cricket team for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Here we list some interesting facts about the royal family of Jamnagar one should know:
1. Before India’s independence, Nawanagar was an Indian princely state in Gujarat and it was ruled by the dynasty of Jadeja Rajput. Nawanagar city was its capital city, which is now known as Jamnagar. The rulers of Jamnagar use the title “Jam Saheb”, and historically they belong to the same ancestral line as the Rao of Kutch.
2. The Jam Saheb of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar) were renowned for their vast and opulent jewellery collection. It is noted that Jam Saheb Ranjithsinhji owned an Emerald collection which was “unequaled in the world, if not in quantity, then certainly in quality,” as per Jacques Cartier.
3. Jamnagar’s royal family also has a remarkable legacy in cricket. Ajay Jadeja’s relatives K. S. Ranjitsinhji and K. S. Duleepsinhji were renowned cricketers and former Jam Sahebs of Nawanagar. It is in their names respectively that the prestigious cricket award– Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy.
4. More recently, a memorial in honour of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji’s honour was also inaugurated in the memory in Poland. The Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Memorial in Warsaw, Poland was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2024. The former Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji was a humanitarian, especially during World War II, which made him known as the ‘Good Maharaja’.
5. Ajay Jadeja’s father, Daulatsinhji Jadeja, was a Member of Parliament for three terms wherein he represented the Jamnagar Lok Sabha constituency. Becoming the heir to Jamnagar’s royal throne is a reflection of Ajay Jadeja’s rich family legacy. Ajay Jadeja’s mother Gyanba Jadeja hails from Kerala’s Alappuzha. And, Ajay is married to Aditi Jaitly, who is the daughter of Indian politician-activist-author Jaya Jaitly. Ajay and Aditi have two children together– Aiman and Ameera.
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