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Padmanabh Singh, 13, inherits title of ‘first amongst the rajas of India’ but faces feud over £400m fortune and his own lineage By the time the sun sets over the fabled “pink city” of Jaipur on Wednesday, India will have a new king. The heir to the once independent Rajasthani city and its desert dominions will have succeeded to his throne – and to his heritage of lawsuits, snobbery and palace intrigues – at the age of 13. Maharaja Padmanabh Singh’s title is not recognised by law since such feudal remnants were swept away by legislation in the early 1970s, but it still inspires respect in this deeply hierarchical country where the aristocracy is venerated despite rapid social change. However, pending a court decision, the young royal’s wealth and power will be somewhat less magnificent than that of his illustrious predecessors who invited British royalty on tiger hunts. The estimated £400m family fortune is tied up in lawsuits and the teenage ruler will only be able to control the city palace – though its 30 acres, thousands of rooms, suites, courtyards, museum and elephant stables will bring in ample income. Many other royal palaces and forts were given or leased to the state government of Rajasthan for token amounts in the aftermath of India’s independence from Britain in 1947. The new monarch was adopted as heir in 2002 by his grandfather His Highness, First Amongst the Rajas of India, Lord of Princes, Great Prince over Princes, Lieutenant-General Sir Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur the Second, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India, Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, Maharaja of Jaipur. The late maharaja died last week aged 79. His heir, currently studying at an exclusive Indian public school, lit his funeral pyre after a funeral attended by tens of thousands. Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur was a flamboyant polo-playing friend of Prince Charles. Known as “bubbles” because of the quantity of champagne consumed to celebrate his birth, his choice of successor was a controversial one as the young crown prince’s father had been a member of the household staff, a clerk according to some reports. The decision was opposed by the late maharajah’s two step brothers, sparking the ongoing family rift. Hugely complex and drawn out legal manoeuvres have consumed vast sums in lawyers’ fees. “The step family’s not happy when he was made the heir. But [the maharaja] adopted Padmanabh in front of everyone, with a really big ceremony, after completing all the needful legal formalities so there is no way [they] can challenge it now,” said Ramesh Sharma, advocate of the late maharaja. According to Aman Nath, co-founder of a chain of heritage hotels which include several palaces and forts, the fortunes of India’s hundreds of aristocratic dynasties have been variable, with many struggling to adapt to the changes sweeping the country in recent decades. “Some royals command respect because of their personal conduct – though it is not easy to play yesterday’s role with relatively empty pockets. Other’s have gone under, with their burdens or bad habits,” Nath told the Times of India newspaper. In today’s India, where social climbing, ostentation and snobbery are key attributes of the newly wealthy middle-classes, titles still retain prestige, though not always the right titles for the right reasons. The biggest attraction in Jaipur these days is even younger than its new ruler: it is the three-year-old Indian Premier League cricket team the Rajasthan Royals, complete with lycra-clad cheerleaders and who play with highly paid imported stars. India Jason Burke guardian.co.uk