Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III

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See also Gaekwad.

Sayajirao Gaekwad III (Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad; 10 March 1863 – 6 February 1939), was the Maharaja of Baroda from 1875 to 1939, and is notably remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Matters of Succession 3 Ascending the Throne 4 Rule & Modernization 5 Heritage & Views 6 Public works 6.1 Railways and waterworks 6.2 Parks & Universities 7 Patronage 8 Cultural and material interests 8.1 Jewellery 8.2 Classical Music 8.3 Dance 9 Family 10 Titles 11 Honours 12 Further reading 13 External links

[edit] Early life

Sayajirao was born at Kavlana on the 10 March 1863 as Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad, second son of Meherban Shrimant Kashirao Bhikajirao [Dada Sahib] Gaekwad (1832-1877) and Shrimant Akhand Soubhagyavati Ummabai Sahib Patel. His branch of the Gaekwad dynasty was a cadet branch descended from a morganatic marriage of the first Raja of Baroda and so was not expected to succeed to the throne.

[edit] Matters of Succession

Following the death of Sir Khanderao Gaekwad (1828-1870), the popular Maharaja of Baroda, in 1870, it was expected that his brother, Malharrao (1831-1882), would succeed him. However, Malharrao had already proven himself to be of the vilest character and had been imprisoned earlier for conspiring to assassinate Khanderao. As Khanderao's widow, Maharani Jamnabai (1853-1898) was already pregnant with a posthumous child, the succession was delayed until the gender of the child could be proven. The child proved to be a daughter, and so upon her birth on 5 July 1871, Malharrao ascended the throne.

Malharrao spent money liberally, nearly emptying the Baroda coffers (he commissioned a pair of solid gold cannon and a carpet of pearls,among other expenses) and soon reports reached the Resident of Malharrao's gross tyranny and cruelty. Malharrao further attempted to cover up his deeds by poisoning the Resident with a compound of arsenic. By order of the Secretary of State for India, Lord Salisbury, Malharrao was deposed on 10 April 1875 and exiled to Madras, where he died in obscurity in 1882.

[edit] Ascending the Throne

With the throne of Baroda now vacant, Maharani Jamnabai called on the heads of the extended branches of the dynasty to come to Baroda and present themselves and their sons in order to decide upon a successor.

Kashirao and his three sons, Anandao (1857-1917), Gopalrao (1863-1938) and Sampatrao (1865-1934) walked to Baroda from Kavlana-a distance of some 600 kilometers-to present themselves to Jamnabai. It is reported that when each son was asked the purported reason for presenting themselves at Baroda, Gopalrao unhesitatingly stated:

"I have come here to rule"

He was selected by the British Government as successor and was accordingly adopted by Maharani Jamnabai, on 27 May 1875. He was also given a new name, Sayajirao. He ascended the gadi (throne) at Baroda, 16 June 1875 but being a minor reigned under a Council of Regency until he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers, 28th December 1881. During his minority he was extensively tutored in administrative skills by Raja Sir T. Madhava Rao who groomed his young protege into being a ruler with foresight and with a will to provide welfare to his people. In this period Sir T. Madhava Rao restored the State to its normal conditions from the chaos in which it was left by the predecessor of Sayajirao. Not a little credit for what the Maharaja achieved during his life in every sphere of human activity must be given to F. A. H. Elliot. The learning which Sayajirao acquired under Mr. Eliot's able guidance made him a great statesman, educator, and ruler. It is acknowledged that the Maharaja Sayajirao was a prince among the educators and an educator among the princes.

[edit] Rule & Modernization

On assuming the reins of Government, some of his first tasks included education of his subjects, uplifting of the downtrodden, and judicial, agricultural and social reforms, . He played a key role in the development of Baroda's textile industry. His educational and social reforms included, along others, ban on child marriage, legislation of divorce, removal of untouchability, spread of education, development of Sanskrit and ideological studies, religious education, encouragement of fine arts.

His economic development initiatives included the establishment of a railroad (see below) and the founding in 1908 of the Bank of Baroda, which still exists and is one of India's leading banks, with numerous operations abroad in support of the Gujerati diaspora.

Fully aware of the fact that he was a Maratha ruler of Gujarat, he identified himself with the people and developed their cosmopolitan attitude and progressive, reformist zeal. His rich library became the nucleus of today's Central Library of Baroda with a network of libraries in all the towns and villages in his state. He was the first Indian Ruler to introduce, in 1906, compulsory and free primary education in his State, placing his territory far in advance of contemporary British India.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Heritage & Views

Though a prince of a native state, an admirer of the English people and in many respects of the English rule in India, he jealously guarded his rights and status even at the cost of annoyance to the British Indian Government. Sayajirao was often in conflict with the British on matters of principle and governance, having continuous and longstanding verbal and written disputes with the British Residents. He was granted the title of Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, 29th December 1876. He attended the Delhi Durbars of 1877, 1903, 1911. It was at the 1911 Delhi Durbar that Sir Sayajirao did not bow to the King Emperor; the British considered this disrespect to the throne and almost derecognised him, which would have cost him throne.

[edit] Public works

[edit] Railways and waterworks

During his reign a large narrow gauge railway network was set up in Baroda State with Dabhoi at its focal point, a network that still is the largest narrow gauge railway network in the world.

Sayajirao envisioned a water supply scheme for Baroda in 1892 at Ajwa that would use gravity to supply drinking water to the people of Baroda. To this day a large portion of Vadodara City gets its drinking water from this source.

[edit] Parks & Universities

The large public park originally called Kamati Baug and now called Sayaji Baug were his gift to the City of Baroda. On the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee of accession to the throne, he set apart large funds out of his personal as well as the state funds for setting up a University in Baroda for the benefit of students from the rural areas of his state...... a task which was ultimately completed by his grandson Sir Pratapsinghrao Gaekwad who founded the Maharaja Sayajirao University and settled the trust as desired by his grandfather. This Trust known as Sir Sayajirao Diamond Jubilee and Memorial Trust exists today also and caters to the educational and other needs of the people of the former state of Baroda.

[edit] Patronage

He recognised talent from among his people. He supported education and training of persons who in his opinion would shine in life. Such persons whom he patronised included Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution; Dadabhai Naoroji, who started his public life as the Dewan (Minister) to the Maharaja in 1874 and thereafter went on to become the first Asian Member of the British House of Commons where he made no secret of the fact that he would also be representing 250 million of his fellow subjects in India.

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda used to visit England every year to select outstanding young people to join his service and in one of such visits he met 20-year Sri Aurobindo whom he immediately offered a job in the Baroda College. Sri Aurobindo returned to India in 1893 to join the Baroda service.

Maharaja supported and witnessed successful flying of an unmanned aircraft constructed by Dr.Talpade in 1895. This happened eight years before Wright brothers' experiment in 1903.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Cultural and material interests

The Maharaja was a noted patron of the arts. During his reign, Baroda became a hub for artists and scholars. The celebrated painter, Raja Ravi Varma, was among those who spend substantial periods of time at his court.

[edit] Jewellery

Maharaja Sayajirao had a splendid collection of jewels and jewellery. This included the 262 carat (52.4 g) "Star of the South" diamond, the "Akbar Shah" diamond and the "Princess Eugenie" diamond.

[edit] Classical Music

Maharaja Sayajirao Rao Gakewad was also a patron of Indian Classical Music. Ustad Moula Bux, founded the Academy of Indian Music under the patronage of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad. This Academy later became the Music College and is now the Faculty of Performing Arts of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara. Apart from Ustad Moula Bux, Sayajirao’s Court boasted of great artistes like Ustad Inayat Khan and Ustad Faiyyaz Khan. It was during the reign of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad that the first all India Music Conference was held in 1914 in Baroda.

[edit] Dance

The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda—a city only two hours by train from Ahmedabad—had started the first dance programme in India in 1950. Over the centuries there had been many alliances and marriages between Baroda’s kings and distant princesses. Dancers were often part of the dowry as dancers, poets and musicians were status symbols for the royal courts and maharajas had as many artists as they could afford. In 1880 the Maharani Laksmi Bai(Chimnabai I) of Tanjore was married to Baroda’s Maharaja Sayajirao III Gopalrao Gaekwad, an enlightened prince who after ascending the throne established the Baroda College as one of his first public acts. It was later absorbed into the university that bears his name. Chimnabai I was knowledgeable in Bharatanatyam and carnatic music, and brought a troupe with her, comprising two dancers, two nattuvanars (leaders of Bharatanatyam concerts), and two teachers (Khandwani 2002). Others followed later: nattuvanar Appaswamy and his dancer wife Kantimati, who hadstudied with Kannusamy and Vadively, two members of the Tanjore Quartet. After the death of Appaswamy in 1939, Kantimati and their son, Kubernath Tanjorkar, left Baroda to teach in Lucknow, and then worked in film in South India until Maharaja Pratap Singhrao Gaekwad called the family back to Baroda in 1949, to teach in the Music Department in the Palace Kalavan which was later absorbed into the Maharaja Sayajirao University (Gaston 1996: 158-160). Later Guruvarya Shri Kubernath Tanjorkar established his own Institute namely Tanjore Dance Music & Art Research Centre at Baroda with his Son Guru Shri Ramesh Tanjorkar and Guru Smt.Leela R. Tanjorkar(Kubernath Tanjorkar's Family is devoted to Bharatnatyam dance now including their grandsons Rajesh Tanjorkar and Ashish Tanjorkar). So what we have here is a tradition of very distinguished Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers, members of a family considered an offshoot of the Tanjore Quartet bani (stylistic schools; Gaston 1996: 159), already established in Gujarat by the time Mrinalini sets up her own academy. Yet there is a sense that what she did was not new. For further details regarding Tanjorkar's family in Baroda you can visit www.bharatnatyamdance.com.

[edit] Family

Maharaja Sayajirao initially married Chimnabai of Tanjore, by whom he had a son and two daughters. His first wife died young, and Sayaji later married another maratha lady from Dewas, who also took the name Chimnabai upon her wedding. They had several sons and one daughter, Indiraraje. This daughter would become a maharani regent of Cooch Behar and the mother of Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. The models Riya Sen and Raima Sen are descendants of Sayajirao through his daughter Indiraraje. Other descendants of Sayajirao would wed the rulers of Kolhapur, Sawantwadi, Akkalkot, Jath, Dewas Jr., Kota, Dhar, Jasdan, Sandur and Gwalior.

After a long and eventful reign of 63 years, Sayajirao Gaekwad III died on 6th February 1939, one month shy of 76. His grandson and heir, Pratap Singh Gaekwar, became the next Maharaja of Baroda.

[edit] Titles

1863-1875: Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad

1875-1876: His Highness Shrimant Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda

1876-1877: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Shrimant Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda

1877-1887: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Shrimant Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda, Kaiser-i-Hind

1887-1919: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Shrimant Maharaja Sir Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda, GCSI, Kaiser-i-Hind

1919-1939: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Shrimant Maharaja Sir Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda, GCSI, GCIE, Kaiser-i-Hind

[edit] Honours

Prince of Wales's Gold Medal-1875

Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Medal (KIH)-1877

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1887

Delhi Durbar Gold Medal-1903

Delhi Durbar Gold Medal-1911

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1919

Hon. LLD (Benares Hindu University)-1924

Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John (GCStJ)-1932

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935

King George VI Coronation Medal-1937

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

• Group Portrait with Maharani Jamnabai
• Studio photograph taken few months after his accession
• Group portrait with the Governor of Bombay, Sir Richard Temple and various Indian and European officials
• A detailed genealogy and biography of the Gaekwad dynasty