Sayajirao Gaekwad III

Group portrait with sister Tara Bai and adoptive mother Jamna Bai (Circa 1880)

Sayajirao was born in a Suryavanshi 96k Maratha family in the village of Kavlana in Malegaon taluka of Nashik district, as Gopalrao Gaekwad, second son of Kashirao Bhikajirao Dada Sahib Gaekwad (1832–1877) and Ummabai. 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.

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 Robert Phayre of Malharrao's gross tyranny and cruelty. Malharrao further attempted to cover up his deeds by attempting to poison Phayre 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.

Maharani Chimnabai by Raja Ravi Varma

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, Anandrao (1857–1917), Gopalrao (1863–1939) 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".

H H Gaekwar of Baroda in 1889

Gopalrao was selected by the British 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 on 28 December 1881. During his minority he was extensively tutored in administrative skills by Raja Sir T. Madhava Rao who groomed his young protégé into being a person with foresight and with a will to provide welfare to his people. In this period Madhava Rao restored the state to its normal conditions following the chaos in which it had been left by Malharrao. 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.

Maharaja Sayaji Rao, portrait by Raja Ravi Varma.

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, and his educational and social reforms included among others, a ban on child marriage, legislation of divorce, removal of untouchability, spread of education, development of Sanskrit, ideological studies and religious education as well as the encouragement of the fine arts.[2]

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 Gujarati diaspora.

Fully aware of the fact that he was a Maratha ruler of Gujarat, he identified himself with the people and shaped 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.[2]

To commemorate his vision and administrative skills, Baroda Management Association has instituted Sayaji Ratna Award in 2013, named after him.

Though a prince of a native state, he guarded his rights and status even as this brought him into dispute with the Indian government. Sayajirao was often in conflict with them on matters of principle and governance, having continuous and longstanding verbal and written disputes with the Residents as well as with the Viceroy and officials in the Government of India. He was granted the title of Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia on 29 December 1876. He attended the Delhi Durbars of 1877, 1903 and 1911; it was at the 1911 Delhi Durbar that an incident occurred that proved to have far-reaching ramifications for Sayajirao's relations with the Raj.

Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, built in 1890 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad 3

Dehli Durbar 1911

Sayajirao with Sir Richard Temple, the Governor of Bombay and other members of the court. c. 1880

At the grand and historic Delhi Durbar of 1911, attended by George V— the first time that a reigning British monarch had travelled to India, each Indian prince was expected to perform proper obeisance to the King-Emperor by bowing three times before him, then backing away without turning their back on the monarch.[2][3]

As the third-most prestigious Indian ruler, Sayajirao was third in line to approach the King-Emperor; already, he had caused consternation among the British officials by refusing to wear his full regalia of jewels and honours (it was expected that the rulers on formal occasions would present themselves in full regalia). While some accounts state that he refused to bow, Sayajirao actually did bow, albeit perfunctorily and only once before turning his back on the King-Emperor.[2] According to his granddaughter Gayatri Devi, she states in her autobiography that due to some reason he had been unable to attend the rehearsals and didn't know how to greet The King-Emperor. Other eyewitness reports state he walked away "laughing".[4]

For several years already, Sayajirao had angered the British by his open support for the Indian National Congress and its leaders; the incident before the King-Emperor proved to be the last straw. The British never fully trusted Sayajirao again, although he was openly forgiven when he was awarded a GCIE in 1919.[2]

He recognised talent from among his people. He supported education and training of persons who in his opinion would shine in life. Those persons whom he patronised included Dr. Babasaheb Alies Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, later the head of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution that came to force in 1950; 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. He also sent his Agriculture Commissioner Chintaman Vishnu Sane to The United States of America for research in that field. He appointed V. T. Krishnamachari as the Diwan of Vadodara.

Sayajirao 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-old Sri Aurobindo whom he immediately offered a job at Baroda College. Sri Aurobindo returned to India in 1893 to join the Baroda service. Another Bengali gen Syed Mujtaba Ali also taught there.

In 1895 the Maharaja is claimed to have witnessed the successful flight of an unmanned aircraft constructed by S. B. Talpade, which happened eight years before the Wright brothers took to the skies.[5]

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Kala Ghoda Statue at Vadodara

Gaekwad in Chicago, United States in 1906.

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 spent substantial periods of time at his court.

Maharaja Sayajirao initially married Chimnabai of Tanjore (Chimnabai I) (1864–1884) on 6 January 1880, by whom he had a son and two daughters:

• 1. Shrimant Maharajkumari Bajubai Gaekwad (1881–1883)
• 2. Shrimant Maharajkumari Putlabai Gaekwad (1882–1885)
• 3. Lieutenant-Colonel Shrimant Yuvaraja Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad, Yuvaraj Sahib of Baroda (3 August 1883 – 14 September 1908). He died young, having had a son and two daughters, including:
  • Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad, who succeeded to the throne in 1939 as Maharaja of Baroda.

His first wife died young from tuberculosis, and Sayajirao married on 28 December 1885 another Maratha lady from Dewas, Shrimant Lakshmibai Mohite (1871–1958), who became Chimnabai II upon her wedding. A strong proponent of rights for Indian women, she proved every bit as willful and capable as her husband for the 53 years of their marriage, becoming equally well known throughout India. They had several sons and one daughter:

• 1. Shrimant Maharajkumar Jaisinghrao Gaekwad (12 May 1888 – 27 August 1923); no children
• 2. Shrimant Maharajkumar Shivajirao Gaekwad (31 July 1890 – 24 November 1919); had two sons and one daughter.
• 3. Maharani Indira Devi, Maharani and Maharani Regent of Cooch Behar (Indiraraje) (19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968). Married Jitendra Narayan of Cooch Bihar in 1911; had issue. Her descendants include the models Riya Sen and Raima Sen. She became a Maharani Regent of Cooch Behar and the mother of Gayatri Devi of Jaipur.
• 4. Lieutenant-Colonel Shrimant Maharajkumar Dhairyashilrao Gaekwad (31 August 1893 – 5 April 1940); had three sons and two daughters.

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 6 February 1939, one month shy of 76. His grandson and heir, Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad, became the next Maharaja of Baroda.

• 1863–1875: Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad
• 1875–1876: His Highness Shrimant Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda
• 1876–1887: His Highness Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Shrimant Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, Maharaja of Baroda
• 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
• 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

• Prince of Wales's Gold Medal-1875
• Empress of India Gold Medal-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

• Atlas the Barbary lion versus the Bengal tiger of Simla
• Bank of Baroda
• Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery
• Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library (Central Library), BHU
• Princely State
• Maratha Empire
• Sayaji Ratna Award

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sayajirao Gaekwad III.

• Official Website of the Gaekwads of Baroda
• Sayajirao Gaekwad III materials in the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)