Albion Rajkumar Banerjee Explained

Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerjee
Honorific-Suffix:CSI CIE
Order1:Prime Minister of Kashmir
Term Start1:1927
Term End1:1929
Monarch1:Hari Singh
Predecessor1:Padam Deo Singh
Successor1:G. E. C. Wakefield
Order2:21st Diwan of the Mysore kingdom
Term Start2:1922
Term End2:1926
Monarch2:Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Predecessor2:M. Kantaraj Urs
Successor2:Sir Mirza Ismail
Order3:Diwan of Cochin kingdom
Term Start3:1907
Term End3:1914
Predecessor3:Nemali Pattabhirama Rao
Successor3:J. W. Bhore
Birth Date:10 October 1871
Birth Place:Bristol, United Kingdom
Death Place:Calcutta, India
Alma Mater:University of Calcutta
Balliol College, Oxford
Occupation:Civil Servant

Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerjee (10 October 1871  - 25 February 1950) was an Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Diwan of Cochin from 1907 to 1914, 21st Diwan of Mysore from 1922 to 1926, and as Prime Minister of Kashmir from 1927 to 1929.

Early life and education

Albion Rajkumar Banerjee was born in Bristol in the Bengali Brahmo family of Sasipada Banerji. His father was a noted social reformer and labour activist from Baranagar near Calcutta. His mother Rajkumari Banerji was one of the first upper class Indian women to visit England. The family returned to India in 1872 and he was educated at the General Assembly's Institution and graduated from the University of Calcutta. Subsequently, he earned his master's degree at the Balliol College, Oxford and joined the Indian Civil Services in 1895.[1]

He married Nalini Gupta, daughter of Sir Krishna Govinda Gupta, the 6th Indian to join the ICS, who, towards the end of his distinguished career in the civil service, went to the Secretary of State's Council in London.

Career

Magistrate

He cleared the Imperial Civil Service examinations in 1894 and was appointed Assistant Collector and Magistrate in the Madras Presidency.

Premierships

Kingdom of Cochin

Banerjee was appointed Diwan of Cochin in May 1907 and served till 1914.[2] He introduced The Cochin State Manual.[3]

Kingdom of Mysore

Banerjee became a minister (councillor as they were known) in Diwan Sir M. Visvesvaraya's cabinet in 1914. After the resignation of Visvesvaraya as Diwan, Banerjee became the First Councillor in Diwan Sir M. Kantaraj Urs's cabinet. Banerjee would have left Mysore service much earlier but ended up as the Diwan of Mysore since Urs resigned owing to ill health. He served as Diwan from 1922 to 1926. In 1923, he sought the help of Brajendranath Seal to create a constitution for the Kingdom of Mysore.[4] He signed the 1924 Cauvery accord with the Madras Presidency.

Kingdom of Kashmir

Banerjee was appointed the first and only prime minister of Kashmir in 1927 to Maharaja Hari Singh. He resigned in 1929 over differences with maharaja on the grounds of his lavish lifestyle sustained by a poor population. His wrote:

Publications

Honours

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Indian Biographical Dictionary. Rao, C. Hayavadana. 1915. 23. Pillar & Co.. Madras.
  2. Book: Somerset Playne . J. W. Bond . Arnold Wright . Southern India: its history, people, commerce, and industrial resources. Asian Educational Services. 1914. 2004. 372 .
  3. Book: Achyutha Menon, C. Cochin State Manual. Cochin State. 1911 .
  4. Parasher . Tejas . 2022 . Federalism, Representation, and Direct Democracy in 1920s India . Modern Intellectual History . en . 19 . 2 . 444–472 . 10.1017/S1479244320000578 . 1479-2443.