Located in Ahmedabad, the Gaekwadi Haveli stands as a testament to the expansion efforts of the Gaekwads and Peshwas. Constructed in the late 1730s, it served as a key residence and administrative center during the Maratha rule.
Fall of Ahmedabad & Rise of Gaekwads
After capturing the Baroda State in 1734 from the Badi Nawabs, Damajirao Gaekwad expanded his territory. In 1737, with the help of Momin Khan, the new Mughal viceroy of Gujarat, he ousted Ratan Singh from Ahmedabad. Ratan Singh had been an ally of Abhay Singh, the previous viceroy who had assassinated Damajirao’s father. This move established a joint Maratha-Mughal rule over Ahmedabad, during which the Gaekwadi Haveli was built.
The joint rule ended in 1753 when Damaji Gaekwad and Peshwa Raghunathrao defeated the Mughals and secured control of Gujarat. The Gaekwads maintained their grip on Ahmedabad, except for a brief period from January 1757 to February 1758 when Momin Khan briefly recaptured the city.
The Haveli
The haveli was constructed at the Jamalpur gate, one of the eleven gates of the city, and served as a citadel. It was enclosed by a large, irregularly built wall with heavy gates and was divided into three main sections. The northern part was originally a garden that featured a Persian wheel for irrigation. The central and rear portions formed the core of the citadel. The southern portion was added around 1814 by Keshoba Pandit.
The infamous Maratha and a saying
In the late 18th century, Aba Shelukar, appointed as the “Sarsuba” (revenue officer) of Ahmedabad for the Peshwa, became notorious for his oppressive rule. He committed numerous atrocities to extract money from the civilians and even attempted to seize full control of the city, including the Gaekwadi Haveli.
In 1799, the Peshwa sent an army to reclaim the city from Shelukar. The army captured Bhadra Fort, and Shelukar was detained and imprisoned in Pune for seven years. This incident has been immortalized in a Gujarati saying: “Haath Ma Dando, Bagal Ma Moi, Haveli Leta Gujarat Khoi,” meaning “as soon as he took the haveli, he lost Gujarat.” A Garba song in the “Farbus Gujarati Sabha” also recounts this story:
Pune thi Shelukar aavio re, Garba karva Ahmedabad na raj rea;
aavyiyo tyare posla odhi, gayo tyare chadar odhia
(English: Shelukar arrived from Pune in an expensive shawl but had to leave Ahmedabad hiding under a cheap blanket.)
Later Years and Present Use
Following British control of Ahmedabad in 1817, the haveli was used as barracks for the garrison until 1824, then as an arsenal for the Northern Division of the Army in 1833, and later as an ordnance depot in 1863 after the railway between Ahmedabad and Bombay opened.
Since 1969, the haveli has housed the Crime Branch HQ. In October 2014, the façade was restored, and the watchtower was converted into a police museum.
The Gaekwadi Haveli remains a prominent landmark in Ahmedabad, symbolizing the early efforts of the Gaekwad dynasty in consolidating and expanding their state.
Partial Sources: Times of India & DivyaBhaskar
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