Gaekwads (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: ''Gāyakavāḍa''), a Hindu

Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...

dynasty of the former

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

and its subsequent (erstwhile) princely state of

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of western states of India, Republic of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative divisions of India, Adminis ...

from the early 18th century until 1947. The ruling prince was known as the

Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...

Gaekwad of Baroda. With the city of

(

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

) as its capital, during the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

its relations with the British were managed by the

Baroda Residency The Baroda Residency was one of the residencies of British India, managing the relations of the British with Baroda State between 1806 and the 1930s. Baroda was an Indian princely state, ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty from its formation in 172 ...

. It was one of the largest and wealthiest princely states of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

, with its wealth coming from the lucrative cotton business as well as rice, wheat and sugar production. Baroda Lvp

Early history

The Gaekwad rule of

began when the

general Pilaji Rao Gaekwad conquered the city from the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

in 1721. The Gaekwads were granted the city as a

Jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...

Chhatrapati Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of '' chhatra'' ('' parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and '' pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). This title was used by the Ho ...

Shahu I Shahu I (Shivaji Sambhaji Raje Bhonsale; ; 18 May 1682 – 15 December 1749) was the fifth Chhatrapati or head of state of the Maratha Empire founded by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shivaji I. He was born into the House of B ...

, the head of state of the

Maratha Confederacy The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states under the nominal leadership of the former. ...

. In their early years, the Gaekwads served as subordinates of the

Dabhade Dabhade (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, ̪abʱaːɖe surname signifies Maratha clan, Maratha and Koli people, Koli clans found largely in Maharashtra, India. The Maratha clan, Maratha Dabhades were originally centered on Talegaon Dabhade ( ...

family, who were the Maratha chiefs of Gujarat and holders of the ''senapati'' (commander-in-chief) title. When

Umabai Dabhade Umabai Dabhade (died 1753) was a prominent member of the Maratha Dabhade clan. The members of her family held the hereditary title ''senapati'' (commander-in-chief), and controlled several territories in Gujarat. After the deaths of her husband ...

joined

Tarabai Maharani Tarabai Bhonsle ( Marathi: ̪aːɾabaːi; ; 1675 – 9 December 1761) was the regent of the Maratha Empire from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram I, and daughter-in-law of the kingdom's founder Shivaji I. She is acclaim ...

's side against

Balaji Baji Rao Balaji Baji Rao (8 December 1720 – 23 June 1761), often referred to as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his father, Peshwa Bajirao I. During his tenure, the Chhatra ...

, Pilaji's son

Damaji Rao Gaekwad Damaji Rao Gaekwad was the second Maharaja of Baroda reigning from 14 May 1732 until his death on 18 August 1768. Early life Damaji, also known as Damaji II, was the third son of Pilaji Rao Gaekwad. His father Pilaji was an adopted son o ...

commanded the Dabhade force. He was defeated, and remained in Peshwa's custody from May 1751 to March 1752. In 1752, he was released after agreeing to abandon the Dabhades and accept the Peshwa's suzerainty. In return, Damaji was made the Maratha chief of Gujarat, and the Peshwa helped him expel the Mughals from Gujarat. Damaji subsequently fought alongside Sadashiv Rao, Vishwas Rao,

Malhar Rao Holkar Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1693 – 20 May 1766) was a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He was one of the early officers along with Ranoji Scindia, appointed by Peshwa Bajirao I to help spread the Maratha rule to nort ...

, Jankoji Scindia, Sidhoji Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) and

Mahadji Shinde Mahadaji Shinde (23 December 1730 – 13 February 1794), later known as Mahadji Scindia or Madhava Rao Scindia, was a Maratha statesman and general who served as the Maharaja of Gwalior from 1768 to 1794. He was the fifth and the youngest son o ...

in the

Third Battle of Panipat The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha Empire and the invading army of the Durrani Empire. The battle took place in and around the city of Panipat, approximately north of Delhi. The Afghan (ethnonym), Af ...

(1761). After the Maratha defeat at Panipat, the central rule of the Peshwas was weakened. As a result, the Gaekwads, along with several other powerful Maratha clans, established themselves as virtually independent rulers, while recognizing the nominal authority of the Peshwas and suzerainty of the

Bhonsle The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of India. History Earliest members The earliest accepted members of the Bhonsles are Mudhoji Bhonsle and his kin Rupaji Bhonsle, who were the vi ...

Maharaja of Satara.

British suzerainty

The Gaekwads, together with several

chieftains, fought the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

in the

First Anglo-Maratha War The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) was the first conflict fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. As per the treaty, th ...

. On 15 March 1802, the British intervened to defend the Gaekwad Maharaja, Anand Rao Gaekwad, who had recently inherited the throne against rival claimants, and the Gaekwads concluded the Treaty of Cambey with the British that recognized their independence from the

and guaranteed the

s of Baroda local autonomy in return for recognizing British suzerainty, though it was a result of an inability to overpower them. Maharaja Sayaji Rao III, who took the throne in 1875, did much to modernize Baroda, establishing compulsory primary education, a library system and the

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, formerly Baroda College, is a public university in the city of Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a public university on April 30, 1949 and was renamed after ...

. He also encouraged the setting up of

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

factories, which helped create Baroda's textile industry. He is well known for offering

B. R. Ambedkar Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Bhīmrāo Rāmjī Āmbēḍkar; 14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on t ...

a scholarship to study at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Upon

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

attaining its independence in 1947, the last ruling Maharaja of

, Pratapsinhrao, acceded to India. Baroda was eventually merged with

Bombay State Bombay State was a large Indian state created in 1950 from the erstwhile Bombay Province, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Province (in British India roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Mah ...

, which was later divided, based on linguistic principle, into the

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

and

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

in 1960. Gaekwad or Gayakwad also survives as a fairly common Maratha

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

, found mainly in the Indian state of

Gaikwad Maharajas of Baroda

* Nandaji Rao Gaikwad, died May 1721 ** Kerojirao *** Jhingojirao **** Pilaji Rao Gaikwad, reigned from 1721, died 14 May 1732 ***** I. Damaji Rao, reigned from 1732, died 18 August 1768 ****** II. Sayaji Rao I, reigned 1768–1778, died 1792 ****** III. Fateh Singh Rao I, born before April 1751, reigned from 1778, died 26 December 1789 ****** IV. Manaji Rao, born before April 1751, reigned from 1789, died 27 July 1793 ****** V. Govind Rao, born 175?, reigned from 1793, died 19 September 1800 ******* VI. Anand Rao, born 179?, reigned from 1800, died 2 October 1819 ******* VI. Sayajirao II, born 3 May 1800, reigned from 1819, died 28 December 1847 ******** VII. Ganpat Rao, born 1816, reigned from 1847, died 1856 ******** VIII. Khanderao II

GCSI The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India, GCSI) # K ...

, born 1828, reigned from 1856, died 14 June 1870 ******** IX. Malhar Rao, born 1831, reigned 1870 – 19 April 1875, died in obscurity in 1882 ***** Prataprao (d. 1737 Kavlana branch) ****** Kalojirao ******* Gabajirao ******** Bhikajirao ********* Kashirao (1832-1877) ********** X. Sayajirao III

GCIE The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander ( GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) Appoint ...

, born 10 March 1863, reigned from 1875, died 6 February 1939 *********** ''Yuvraja'' Fatehsinhrao (1883-1908) ************ XI. Pratap Singh Rao

, born 29 June 1908, reigned from 1939, titular Maharaja from 1949, deposed 1951, died 19 July 1968 ************* XII. Fatehsinhrao II, born 2 April 1930, titular Maharaja 1951–1971, family head: 1971–1988, died 1 September 1988 ************* XIII.

Ranjitsinh Ranjitsinh is an Indian people, Indian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ranjitsinh Disale, Indian teacher * MK Ranjitsinh Jhala, Indian author * Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil, Indian politician * Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad ...

, born 8 May 1938, family head from 1988, died 9 May 2012 ************** XIV. Samarjitsinh, born 25 April 1967, family head since 2012

Family tree

References

External links