[Pratap Singh, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.] Autograph Signature ‘Pratap Singh / Maharaja’ on fragment of letter.

Singh was deposed by the British in 1889, with accusations of misgovernment, disloyal dealings with the Russian Empire, and a plot to murder his brothers and the British Resident, but as this was deemed contrary to the 1846 Treaty of Amritsar he was reinstated, but with a new ruling council was forced upon him, under the supervision of the Resident. Two slips of paper cut from a letter for display in an album. Both somewhat discoloured and a little ruckled. All the writing is in the same ink, but it is not clear whether the text of the letter is in a secretarial hand. The first slip (5.5 x 10 cm) carries the valediction, with Singh’s sprawling signature: ‘Your most sincere friend / Pratap Singh / Maharaja’. On the other side: ‘My dear Friend, / I have [...] / Whenever your kind [...] / the 5th instant, [...] / that you intend [...]’. The other slip (7.5 x 5 cm) carries the armorial letterhead and date ‘The 8th June 1893’. On the other side: ‘I trust that you [...] / enjoying the last of [...] / With kindest regards an[...] / I rem[...]’.