Baroda State

Origins

Pilaji Rao Gaekwad, a commander serving the Dabhade family and the Maratha state, seized Songadh in 1721 and used it as a base for raids into Mughal Gujarat. His son Damaji Rao II took Baroda (Vadodara) and much of the province, and the Gaekwads became one of the great Maratha houses alongside the Peshwas, Holkars and Scindias.

Rule and society

After disputed successions, Baroda entered a subsidiary alliance with the East India Company in 1802–05. In 1875 the British deposed Malhar Rao for an alleged attempt to poison the Resident. His adopted successor Sayajirao Gaekwad III (1875–1939) introduced compulsory primary education, a state library network, courts and railways, banned child marriage and funded scholars including B. R. Ambedkar. The state ranked among the few with a 21-gun salute.

Decline and legacy

Pratapsinh Gaekwad acceded to India in 1947, and on 1 May 1949 Baroda was merged into Bombay State; since 1960 it has been part of Gujarat. The Lakshmi Vilas Palace and the Maharaja Sayajirao University are its best-known legacies.