Gaekwads (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) (IAST: Gāyakavāḍa), a Hindu Maratha dynasty of the former Maratha Empire and its subsequent (erstwhile) princely state of Baroda in western India from the early 18th century until 1947.[1][2] The ruling prince was known as the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda. With the city of Baroda (Vadodara) as its capital, during the British Raj its relations with the British were managed by the Baroda Residency. It was one of the largest and wealthiest princely states existing alongside British India, with wealth coming from the lucrative cotton business as well as rice, wheat and sugar production.[3]
In their early years, the Gaekwads served as subordinates of the Dabhade family, who were the Maratha chiefs of Gujarat and holders of the senapati (commander-in-chief) title. When Umabai Dabhade joined Tarabai's side against Balaji Baji Rao, Pilaji's son Damaji Rao Gaekwad commanded the Dabhade force. He was defeated, and remained under Peshwa's arrest 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.[4]
Damaji subsequently fought alongside Sadashiv Rao, Vishwas Rao, Malhar Rao Holkar, Jankoji Scindia, Sidhoji Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) and Mahadji Shinde in the Third Battle of Panipat (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 Maharaja of Satara.
British suzerainty
Sayajirao with Richard Temple, the Governor of Bombay and other members of the court. Circa 1880
On 15 March 1802, the British intervened to defend a 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 Maratha empire and guaranteed the Maharajas of Baroda local autonomy in return for recognizing British suzerainty.
Upon India attaining its independence in 1947, the last ruling Maharaja of Baroda, Pratapsinhrao, acceded to India. Baroda was eventually merged with Bombay State, which was later divided, based on linguistic principle, into the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960.
Gaekwad or Gayakwad also survives as a fairly common Maratha surname, found mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
^Ramusack, Barbara N. (2004). The Indian Princes and their States. The New Cambridge History of India. Cambridge University Press. p. 35&36. ISBN9781139449083.
^Streefkerk, Hein (1985). Industrial Transition in Rural India: Artisans, Traders, and Tribals in South Gujarat. Popular Prakashan. p. 111. ISBN9780861320677.
^. Hartford Courant. 16 August 1927. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
Official Website of the Gaekwads of Baroda 23 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine
May 07, 2023
gaekwad, dynasty, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, august, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Gaekwad dynasty news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Gaekwads also spelled as Gaikwads Guicowars Gaekwars IAST Gayakavaḍa a Hindu Maratha dynasty of the former Maratha Empire and its subsequent erstwhile princely state of Baroda in western India from the early 18th century until 1947 1 2 The ruling prince was known as the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda With the city of Baroda Vadodara as its capital during the British Raj its relations with the British were managed by the Baroda Residency It was one of the largest and wealthiest princely states existing alongside British India with wealth coming from the lucrative cotton business as well as rice wheat and sugar production 3 Gaekwad dynastyFormer Monarchy1721 1947FlagBaroda state in 1909HistoryHistory Established1721 Accession to India1947Succeeded byIndia Laxmi Vilas Palace of the Gaekwad dynasty Contents 1 Early history 2 British suzerainty 3 Gaikwad Maharajas of Baroda 4 Family tree 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksEarly history Edit A print of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad The Gaekwad 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 Jagir by Chhatrapati Shahu I the Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire In their early years the Gaekwads served as subordinates of the Dabhade family who were the Maratha chiefs of Gujarat and holders of the senapati commander in chief title When Umabai Dabhade joined Tarabai s side against Balaji Baji Rao Pilaji s son Damaji Rao Gaekwad commanded the Dabhade force He was defeated and remained under Peshwa s arrest 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 4 Damaji subsequently fought alongside Sadashiv Rao Vishwas Rao Malhar Rao Holkar Jankoji Scindia Sidhoji Gharge Desai Deshmukh and Mahadji Shinde in the Third Battle of Panipat 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 Maharaja of Satara British suzerainty Edit Sayajirao with Richard Temple the Governor of Bombay and other members of the court Circa 1880 The Gaekwads together with several Maratha chieftains fought the British in the First Anglo Maratha War On 15 March 1802 the British intervened to defend a 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 Maratha empire and guaranteed the Maharajas of Baroda local autonomy in return for recognizing British suzerainty 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 He also encouraged the setting up of textile factories which helped create Baroda s textile industry He is well known for offering B R Ambedkar a scholarship to study at Columbia University Upon India attaining its independence in 1947 the last ruling Maharaja of Baroda Pratapsinhrao acceded to India Baroda was eventually merged with Bombay State which was later divided based on linguistic principle into the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960 Gaekwad or Gayakwad also survives as a fairly common Maratha surname found mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra Gaikwad Maharajas of Baroda Edit Pilaji Rao the founder of the dynasty This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 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 GCSI GCIE born 10 March 1863 reigned from 1875 died 6 February 1939 Yuvraja Fatehsinhrao 1883 1908 XI Pratap Singh Rao GCIE 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 born 8 May 1938 family head from 1988 died 9 May 2012 XIV Samarjitsinh born 25 April 1967 family head since 2012Family tree EditGaekwad dynasty and the Family tree of the Maharajas of BarodaPilaji Rao 1 r 1721 1732Damaji Rao 2 r 1732 1768Pratap RaoSayajiRao I 3 r 1768 1778FatehSingh Rao 4 r 1778 1789Govind Rao 6 r 1793 1800Manaji Rao 5 r 1789 1793Kaloji RaoAnand Rao 7 r 1800 1819SayajiRao II 8 r 1819 1847Gabaji RaoGanpat Rao 9 r 1847 1856Khande Rao 10 r 1856 1870Malhar Rao 11 r 1870 1875Bhikaji RaoKashi RaoSayajiRao III 12 r 1875 1939Fateh SinghRaoPratapSingh Rao 13 r 1939 1949 Titular r 1949 1951FatehSinghRao II 14 Titular r 1951 1971Head ofthe Family1971 1988RanjitSingh Rao 15 Head ofthe Family1988 2012SamarjitSingh 16 Head ofthe Family2012 presentSee also EditList of Maratha dynasties and states Bhonsle Scindia HolkarReferences Edit Ramusack Barbara N 2004 The Indian Princes and their States The New Cambridge History of India Cambridge University Press p 35 amp 36 ISBN 9781139449083 Streefkerk Hein 1985 Industrial Transition in Rural India Artisans Traders and Tribals in South Gujarat Popular Prakashan p 111 ISBN 9780861320677 India Has Rich State in Baroda Hartford Courant 16 August 1927 Archived from the original on 4 November 2012 Retrieved 6 July 2017 Charles Augustus Kincaid Dattatray Balwant Parasnis 1918 A History of the Maratha People Volume 3 Oxford University Press pp 2 10 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gaekwad Official Website of the Gaekwads of Baroda Archived 23 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gaekwad dynasty amp oldid 1153063194, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
