he was the son of a nationalist zamindar of the erstwhile united provinces, and a former dewan of alwar. a topper throughout school and college, he was an alumnus of st johns college, agra which is affiliated to agra university where he received a bachelor's degree in history, sanskrit and hindi. he attended the agra university and received a master's degree in history and an llb degree. thereafter he read persian and international law at trinity college, cambridge..