PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE: The Raja Saheb of Wanaparthi (Ramsagar Palace, Wanaparthy, Hyderabad State, India)

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The Rajas of the Samasthans were closely associated with the Qutb Shahi kings. The early Rajas of Wanaparthi kept an army of 2,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry. For administrative purposes the Samasthan was divided into two taluqas namely "Sugar" and "Kesampet" under two Tahsildars. The family trust runs the Sivananda Rehabilitation Centre and RamDev Rao Memorial hospital in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The Rajas of the samasthan also founded the African Cavalry Guards, after which the current A. C. Guards region (near Masab Tank) in Hyderabad is named. Rulers and Estate holders were...

• Raja VEERA KRISHNA REDDY, 1st Raja of Wanaparthi 1512/1540

• Raja VENKAT REDDY, 2nd Raja of Wanaparthi 1540/1566

• Raja RAMA KRISHNA REDDY, 3rd Raja of Wanaparthi 1566/1592

• Raja PEDDA VENKAT REDDY, 4th Raja of Wanaparthi 1592/1625

• Raja INUNIDI VENKAT REDDY, 5th Raja of Wanaparthi 1625/1648

• Raja GOPAL RAO, 6th Raja of Wanaparthi 1648/1676

• Raja BAHIRI GOPAL RAO I, 7th Raja of Wanaparthi 1676/1691

• Raja VENKAT REDDY, 8th Raja of Wanaparthi 1691/1719

• Raja BAHIRI GOPAL RAO II, 9th Raja of Wanaparthi 1719/1746

• Raja SAWAI VENKAT REDDY, 10th Raja of Wanaparthi 1746/1763

• Raja BAHIRI GOPAL RAO III, 11th Raja of Wanaparthi 1763/-

REGENT Rani Janamma, 12th Rani of Wanaparthi -/1781

REGENT Rani B. Janamma, 13th Rani of Wanaparthi 1781/1807

• Raja RAMKRISHNA RAO I, 14th Raja of Wanaparthi 1807/1822

• Raja RAMESHWAR RAO I, 15th Raja of Wanaparthi 1822/1866, on 17th March 1843, the title of "Balwant" was conferred on the Raja as a mark of honour by Nizam Sikander Jah; married 1stly, Rani Janamma Rao, married 2ndly, Rani Shankaramma Rao, and had issue, as well as adoptive issue. He died spm in 1866.

  • Rani Krishnamma, married and had issue.

    • Rani (name unknown), she married the Patel of eight villages in Hyderabad, he died about 1874, and had issue. She died 25th August 1869.

      • Raja Bahadur Venkata Rama Reddy, born 22nd August 1869 at Rayampet in Wanaparthy Samasthan of Mahbubnagar district of erstwhile Nizam State, educated in his village and then at Wanaparthy, he was brought up by his uncle, after his parents died prematurely, and had a great passion for education, which made him pursue further studies, in 1887 he entered the Police Service as Sub Inspector of police, and was posted in various districts and because of his diligence rose gradually, he was appointed head of the district police in 1901 and rose to the position of Commissioner of Police of Hyderabad, remaining in office from 19th March 1920 to 1st July 1943; he was Secretary of the Wanaparthy Estate at the request of the Raja; he established the Reddy Hostel through donations, the Reddy Women's School and a number of other educational and philanthropic institutions; as a member of the State Legislature, he supported the bills for the eradication of child marriage and for widow remarriage; married 1stly, unknown, she died a few months after the birth of his son, married 2ndly, and had issue. He died 1956.

        • Ranga Reddy (by 1st wife), became commissioner of excise and because of the job, was known as Abkari Ranga Reddy. A bachelor, he adopted Madhusudan Reddy as his son. Now going on seventy, this charming gentleman, lives in Banjara Hills. He is the sole surviving descendant of the last and great Kotwal of the city.

        • Narsamma (by 2nd wife), was married to a contractor who built Pathergatti.

        • Laxma Reddy (by 2nd wife), did Bar-at Law, married two English ladies one after another and became a judge of the High Court; and had issue, three sons and a daughter. [NOTE: The children of the second wife, may have been by her first husband.]

    • William Wahab, he served in the Hyderabad Police Force, and brought up his nephew till 1885. He died suddenly about 1885 while serving at Raichur.

  • (A) Raja Rama Krishna Rao, he died aged 14 years.

  • (A) Raja Rameshwar Rao II (qv)

• Raja RAMKRISHNA RAO II, 16th Raja of Wanaparthi 1866/1880, born about 1840, died 1880.

• Raja RAMESHWAR RAO II, 17th Raja of Wanaparthi 1880/1922, born 1861, he was adopted from a family in Rangapuram that traditionally supplied adoptive heirs to the royal family; married and had issue. He died on 22nd November 1922, being survived by two sons.

  • Maharaja Krishna Deva Rao (qv)

  • Raja Ram Deva Rao, married Rani Kumudini Devi, she was the first female Mayor for the City of Hyderabad.

COURT OF WARDS 1922/1924

• Maharaja KRISHNA DEVA RAO, 18th Raja of Wanaparthi 1924/1924, born 1904, he was granted the title of Maharaja in 1924; married Rani Sarala Devi, and had issue. He died 1924.

  • Maharaja Rameshwar Rao III (qv)

COURT OF WARDS 1924/1944

• Raja RAMESHWAR RAO III M.A. (Hons.), 19th Raja of Wanaparthi 1944/1998, born 6th February 1923 ^(#1), educated at Jagirdars' College, Hyderabad, at Nizam's College, Hyderabad, and at Madras University, he was granted full administrative powers in 1944; he initiated Village Panchayat, democratic and land reforms in the Samasthan; enacted a new constitution based pn decentralised democracy; he joined the Foreign Service in 1950, and served in various capacities till 1957, including a posting as First Secretary, India's Commission in Nairobi December 1950 to August 1952; Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha 1957/1977; Member of the United Nations Conciliation Commission on the Congo 1960/1961; Chairman of Orient Longman 1964/1968; married Rani Shanta Rao, a much respected educationalist in the city of Hyderabad and the chairperson of publishing house Orient Blackswan; and had issue, one son and three daughters. He died 15th September 1998.

  • Rajkumar (name unknown) Rao, married and had issue.

    • Kiran Rao, born 7th September 1973 in Bangalore, educated at Loreto House, Kolkata, at Sophia College, Mumbai, graduating with a Major in Economics in 1995, and at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (graduating with a Master's Degree), she started her career as an assistant director in the epic film Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, six years later she started as a producer of a number of films, including her own film, Dhobi Ghat, in 2011, which she also scripted and directed; married in December 2005, Aamir Khan, and has issue, one son.

  • Rani Vidya Rao, married a son of Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, himself son of Sir Akbar Hydari, and has issue.

    • Aditi Rao Hydari, born 28th October 1986, Actress, educated at Lady Sriram College, Delhi; married Satyadeep Mishra.

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Unknown, married and had issue.

  • Rani Janamma Rao [Caroline], married (as his first wife), Raja Rameshwar Rao I, 15th Raja of Wanaparthi, and had issue.

  • Rani Shankaramma Rao, married (as his second wife), Raja Rameshwar Rao I, 15th Raja of Wanaparthi, and had adoptive issue.

  • Charles Wahab, married and had issue.

    • Rani Seethamma, married Bizzula Venkata Narashima Reddy (see below), and had issue.

    • Govind Reddy, married and had issue.

      • Rani Vimala Devi

• Bizzula Venkata Narashima Reddy, born 1850, married 1stly, Rani Seethamma, daughter of Charles Wahab (see above), married 2ndly, Rani Rama Lakshamma of Bijjinapalli, and had issue. He died 1913.

  • Bijjula Chandra Shekar Reddy (by Rani Seethamma), Jagirdar of Pallepad, married and had issue.

    • Padmanab Reddy

    • Goverdhan Reddy

    • Janardhan Reddy

  • Bijjula Rameshwar Reddy (by Rani Ramalakshamma), born 1907, married and had issue. He died 1995.

    • Rani Ruknamma, married into the Bijjinapalli family, and had issue.

      • Jaipal Reddy

    • Rani Sitamma [aka Mrs. Pramela Pingle], married Hon. Pingle Jagan Mohan Reddy, Supreme Court Judge, son of Pingle Venkataram Reddy of Warangal.