Gaekwad

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The Gaekwad (or Gaekwar, once rendered as Guicowar) (Gujarati: ગાયકવાડ ; Marathi: गायकवाड) was a Maratha dynasty that ruled the princely state of Baroda in western India from the mid-eighteenth century until 1947.

Sir Syajirao Maharaj Gaykawad ,Badoda

1 Early history
2 British Suzerainty
3 Gaekwad Maharajas of Baroda
4 External links

[edit] Early history

Early history of Gaekwad name goes back in 12th Century AD when Turkish invader Khilji invated Nasik area when brave Gaekwad defended the city wealth of Cows (Cattle) which was confined into area selected by the invaders to feed their mercenary army! This area had a gate. This gate was opened by town leader, who was hailed and taken in procession as the leader who had opened the gate and hence the name Gae kawad. Gae literally means Gai(Cows) and 'Kawad' means 'Gate' hence the name Gaekwad! The same Khilji clan had destroyed 'Nalanda' University and looted 'Dev Giri'and carried away gold worth 280 tons. (Source:www.boloji.com) Gaekwad's rule of Baroda began when the Maratha general Pilaji Rao Gaekwad conquered the city from the Mughal empire in 1721. The Gaekwads were granted the city as a fief by the Peshwa, the de facto leader of the Maratha empire. After the Maratha confederacy was defeated by the Afghans at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, the Gaekwads, along with several powerful Maratha clans, established themselves as virtually independent rulers of the further regions of the empire, while recognizing the nominal authority of the Peshwas and suzerainty of the Bhonsle Maharaja of Satara

[edit] British Suzerainty

Sir Sayaji Rao Gaekwad with the Sir Richard Temple, the Governor of Bombay and other members of the court. Circa 1880

The Gaekwads, together with the other Maratha chieftains, fought the British in the First Anglo-Maratha War. In 1802, the British intervened to defend a Gaekwad Maharaja who had recently inherited the throne against rival claimants, and the Gaekwads concluded a treaty with the British that recognized their independence from the Maratha empire and guaranteed the Maharajas of Baroda local autonomy in return for recognizing British suzerainty.

Maharaja Sayyaji Rao III, who took the throne in 1875, did much to modernize Baroda, establishing compulsory primary education, a pioneering library system and the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He also encouraged the setting up of textile factories, which helped create Baroda's modern textile industry.

Upon India attaining its independence in 1947, the last ruling Maharaja of Baroda acceded to India. Baroda was eventually merged with Bombay State, which was later divided, based on linguistic principle, into the states of Gujarat and Maharastra in 1960.

Gaekwad, or Gayakwad, also survives as a fairly common Maratha surname, found mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra.