Maharaja Damaji Rao Gaekwad, also known as Damaji II, was the second son of Maharaja Pilaji Rao Gaekwad. He ascended to power in 1732 following the assassination of his father by the allies of Abhay Singh, a Mughal officer of Ahmedabad. Revenge and RecoveryUpon taking control, Damaji Rao’s first action was to seek revenge against Abhay Singh. His initial attempts…
Maharaja
Perched on a high pedestal near Sir Sayajirao General (SSG) Hospital stands the statue of Yuvraj Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad I. Titled “Lieutenant-Colonel Shrimant Yuvaraj Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad, Yuvaraj Sahib of Baroda,” Fatehsinhrao I was the eldest son of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Born on August 3, 1883, he tragically passed away at the young age of 25 on September 14, 1908. The…
This elaborately embroidered uniform was made for Maharaja Khanderao Gaekwad II of Baroda. Sarah Glenn, textile conservator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, explains how she prepared the work for display in the Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts exhibition. This exhibition was on view at the Asian Art Museum from October 21, 2011 through April 8, 2012, and…
Shrimant Maharaja Sir Khanderao II Gaekwad, Sena Khas Khel Shamsher Bahadur, GCSI (1828–1870) was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 12th December 1856 to 20th November 1870. He was the second son of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad II and succeeded to the throne, when his eldest brother and the king Maharaja Ganpatrao Gaekwad passed away in the year 1856. This king…
Maharaja Ranjitsinhrao Gaekwad served as the titular Maharaja of Baroda from 1988 to 2012. He succeeded his elder brother Fatehsinhrao II, who passed away without an heir. Ranjitsinhrao completed his education at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU), where he earned a post-graduate degree in fine arts. His artistic journey took him to the Royal Academy of Arts in…
Born on 2 April 1930 in Baroda, Fatehsinghrao Prataprao Gaekwad was the son of Pratap Singh Gaekwad, the last ruling Maharaja of Baroda, and Maharani Shantadevi Sahib Gaekwad. He became the titular Maharaja of Baroda in 1951 after his father’s deposition by the Government of India. Political CareerFatehsinghrao’s political career was distinguished and multifaceted. He served as a Member of…
Maharaja Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad (29 June 1908 – 19 July 1968) succeded to the throne in 1939 after the demise of his grandfather Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. He ruled for a period of ten years, from 1939 to 1949, until the assimilation of Baroda State into the Indian Union. After that, he held the role of titular Maharaja until 1951, when…
The sprawling cities that we see growing around us nowadays, are actually the results of a long process of evolution, evolution of culture, people, landscape and dynasties. The Baroda that we see today, the cultural capital of Gujarat, is just one example of these processes. Every place passes through the hands of many kings and dynasties, but every so often…
Pilaji Rao Gaekwad, who died on May 14, 1732, was a distinguished Maratha general and the founder of the Gaekwad Dynasty of Baroda. He succeeded his uncle, Damajirao Gaekwad I, who was second in command to the Senapati for the Peshwa. Appointed by the Peshwa, the effective ruler of the Maratha Empire, to collect revenues from Gujarat, Pilaji Rao established…