He succeeded his elder brother,
Ram Singh, as the Maharaj-Rana of
Dholpur, following his death on 29 March 1911. The administration of the state was entrusted to G.H. Anderson, who acted as the Superintendent of the State and Guardian to the Maharaj-Rana. He was assisted by selected officials under the general direction of the Political Agent. From 1911 to 1913, Anderson presided over State Council meetings and directed the administration. However, on 1 January 1921, he was granted a
salute of 17 guns as a personal distinction. He was a delegate to the
Second Round Table Conference in
London in 1931 and stayed at the
May Fair Hotel. Singh challenged his cousin,
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of
Patiala, in the elections for the Chancellor of the
Chamber of Princes; however, despite having the support of the
British Raj's political departments, including that of the
British Residents in the Indian States, he lost to Bhupinder Singh. On 14 August 1947, he signed the
Instrument of Accession and
Standstill Agreement, through which he acceded his state to
India.
Louis Mountbatten, in his capacity as
Governor-General of India, accordingly accepted it on 16 August 1947. == Freemason ==