HH Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III was born as Gopalrao Gaekwad to Shrimant kashirao Gakewad of kavlana on 11 March 1863. He was adopted by Maharani Jamnabai Sahib of Baroda. At the Age of 12 He ascended to the Gadi of Baroda on 16 June 1875. Thus as the minor, he reigned under a Council of Regency untill he came of a age and was invested with full Ruling powers only when he became 19 years old, on dec 28 1881 .
He was tutored by Sir Elliot and Raja T. Madhavrao.
His Major Social Reforms included, ban on child marriage, legislation of divorce, removal of untouchability, development of sanskriti, ideological studies and Religious Education. Along with this in 1906 he made primary education free and compulsory in all the regions of his state. He Set up the first Public Library of India in Baroda. This library was called the Central Library of baroda was Started in 1931 with the Mahrajas personal collection and nucleus. He also founded Bank of Baroda in 1908, Which Still Exists and is one of the India's Leading Banks.
To Connect far fulng region of his vast empire he expanded the already existing narrow gauge railway network, as the Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway, Even to this day, this remains the largest narrow gauge railway network in the world. Baroda College of Science, the foundation of this college was laid by the Maharaja in 1881. After about a 68 years of being established as a college, it was given the status of a university. The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda as we know today was established in the year 1949, and ever since it continues to be one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
Some of the Famous philosophers and reformists of india who were patronised by the Maharaja included Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Dadabhai Naorojiaa and sri Aurobindo Gosh. 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. He also sent his Agriculture Commissioner Chintaman Vishnu Sane to The United States of America for research in that field.
He gave donation for the establishment of Central Library in the Banaras Hindu University. 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.
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 ruler 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.
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.
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.
Maharaja firstly Married to Chimanbai I of Tanjore , he had two daughter and a son Fatehsinhrao. Both the daughter from 1st queen passed way at an early age. Maharani Chimnabai I too passed away just after five years of marriage. In dec 1885 The Maharaja married to Chimnabai II. They had three sons and one daughter together, who were jaisinhrao, Shivajirao, Dhairyashilrao and Indra devi.
He was Succeeded by Pratapsinhrao the Grandson of Mahraja and son of Fatehsinhrao.
Reference:
Wikipedia.org
historyofvadodra. in
