VADPADRAKA - VADODARA

The new township refered to earlier came to be known as “ Vadpadraka”. Possibly due to the profuse presence of the banyan trees. The township later on came to be known as Vadodara. This township occupied an area of 5 sq. kms. Vadodara then passed in to the hands of the imperial Guptas who ruled till the end of the 5th century. After a short rule of chalukyas, Vadodara passed in to the hands of the Rastrakutas who had established an independent branch in Gujarat. During the rule of the Rastrakuta, Ankotakka was the district head quarter. However, by the end of the 10th century, Vadodara became more important then ankotakka. The administrative division under the succeeding chalukyas was known as ‘Vatpadravishya’.

The next era in the cultural history of Vadodara, and generally of Gujarat, was a golden period. Under the ages of the Solankis, Gujarat acquired political and cultural unity. Under their patronage, the art, literature, trade and commerce flourished as never before. Vadodara too shared the new prosperity and became a great commercial center.

After the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate over Gujarat in 1298 A.D., Vadodara became a district town playing its own role in the political turmoils of the sultans of Delhi. In 1451, the sultan of Malwa looted Vadodara. In 1511 A.D. Vadodara was given as jagir by muhamad Begda to his son prince khalilkhan. It is said that he founded a new town and named it quila-e-daulatabad, after he became sultan mazaffar shah II in 1511 A.D. It seems that prince Khalilkhan built the modern fort of Vadodara occupying an area of 0.6 sq. km. one and a half mile east of Vadodara. This newly built citadel was strong and well-built and the inhabitants of the near by villages came and settled here taking in to consideration the safety aspects. This fortified town in time grew large and drew all the trade of Vadodara. All these contributed to the gradual impoverishment of Vadpadraka so much so that it could no longer be termed a town.

After the construction of the fort, several lakes were constructed towards the north and the east of the fort for the supply of water to the fort. The population of the fortified city grew so much that the area of the fort increased towards the east and the south. Within the next two centuries, the area adjacent to the fort also became inhabited. The development continued with the fort as the nucles.

THE GAEKWADS

The extraordinary configuration of Vadodara territory and its diversity is the legacy of two centuries of military exploits, internecine wars and financial and administrative complications. When pilajirao, the founder of the fortunes of the Gaekwads captured songadh, the hill fortress which commands the southern approaches to Gujarat, he laid the foundation of a new power, on the rules of a moghul empire. This resulted in the end of the mughal rule over Vadodara in 1732.

The establishment of a principality at songadh, its extension to include the territory which formed the Vadodara district, and the defeat of the other Maratha chieftains who disputed the supremacy of the Gaekwad’s power, was the work of pilauirao during his brief career of eleven years between 1721 and 1732. The achievements of his successor, the able and energetic Damajirao (1732-1768) were equally brilliant. He completed the conquest of Gujarat, extended the Maratha power in to kathiawad and so strengthened his position that he was able to offer resistance to the peshwas who were governing the Maratha empire in the name of Satara kings, descendants of the great Shivaji, and with whom Damajirao had his differences. Damajirao ceded to the peshwas half of Gujarat and of all future conquests. In the course of the next half century, the ceded territory passed in to the hands of the British.

The fifty years, 1768-1818, following the death of Damajirao, was a period of wars and quarrels of succession which followed the death of almost every Gaekwad and gave occasions to the rising powers of the East India company to establish political relations with Vadodara.

Important names of rulers such as those of sayajirao II, Ganpatrao and khanderao may be mentioned in the line of Gaekwad rulers. In 1802,1805 and 1817 Vadodara entered in to an offensive and defensive alliance with the British Government and it continued till independence.

During thirty years of his rule, sayajirao II was much respected by his people for his courtly and considerate behavior, his tenacity of purpose, his vigour and self assertion.

In Ganpatrao’s reign, 1847-56, infanticide was prohibited and land for the B.B.& C.I. railway was ceded to the British Government. Khanderao’s reign (1856-70) is memorable for the service he rendered to the British at the time of the mutiny in 1857, for a number of public buildings, for the construction of the first railway line in the state between miyagam and Dabhoi and for reforms which brouhgt regularity in the administration of justice and of land revenue. But rapid deterioration set in during the short period of five years of Malhar Rao’s rule from 1870 to 1875.

Owing to misgovernment of state Malharrao had to be deposed in 1875 and Jamanabai, the widow of khanderao was invited to adopt a son who might ascend to Gadi and sir T. Madhavrao, one of the ablest administrators of those times was entrusted with the administration. Jamanabai adopted Gopalrao, a decendant of a brother of Damajirao. Later, Gopalrao was renamed Sayajirao.

Sayajirao ascended the throne at the age of 12 Unlike his foster father, he had the blessings of the British. However, because he was a minor, he was placed under the tutelage of a resident. F.A.H. Elliot was appointed to teach him and train in statesmanship. His Diwan was T. Madhavrao. His diligence in absorbing the training imparted to him was so zestful that though according to norms he was to be given full kingship only at the age of 21, Sayajirao became king at the age of 18, on 28th December, 1881.

SAYAJIRAO III & DEVELOPMENT OF VADODARA

The sixty four years that this remarkable ruler was on the throne is the Golden period in the history of Vadodara state. His achievements were numerous. In his achievements he was assisted by a succession of able ministers, but the inspiration was always his. Under the rule of sayajirao III Vadodara Flourished so much so that it ranked second only to the Hyerabad of Nizam among the princly states in India. To tone up administration, sayajirao constituted a council of expert officials and another council comprising five members including the Dewan, the deputy Dewan and one or two officers. He also formed an assembly of 30 members and named it the Dharmsabha. This in more than one way could be deemed the prototype of today’s legislative assembly. From what Alexender Klenox Forbes is 1875 described a city covered with dust, its streets narrow, houses unclean sayajirao built up a city with magnificient infrastructure. The socio-economic reforms introduced by him were manifold. To list a few of them:

• He implemented the land revenue system;
• He removed monopoly in administration;
• He regularized taxes for the benefit of farmers;
• He opened the survey settlement office;
• He made arrangements for electricity supply in the state;
• He introduced mechanization of manufacturing units;
• He introduced the co-operative movement;
• He provided education, improved health care and innovative methods of farming to the rural masses;
• He developed the Okha port with a view to boosting commerce,
• He introduced prohibition.

Sayajirao realised the role of education in societal development. There were no primery schools in villages then. Of couse, in some villages, the Brahmins were conducting private classes. This poor state of affairs changed radically, once Sayajirao began to focus his attention on the education scene in the state.

In 1881, he opened primery and secondery schools in each pranth. In 1936, there were one college, 2500 primery schools, 75 secondery schools and 26 high schools in Vadodara state.

It was Sayajirao III who introduced and appointed for the first time physical education teachers in the schools. He also encouraged private gymkhanas or vyayamshalas. He also opened a school for the blind, deaf and dumb. The most significant of Sayajirao’s contributions, apart from launching a massive library movement in 1911, was the extension of railway line. It was during his rule that the Vadodara-Navsari, Miyagam-Karjan and Dwarka-Amreli-Kodinar rail lines were laid.

In 1908, Sayajirao opened a separate department for the railways and by 1936 the state had 700 miles of railway lines.
It was Sayajirao who first decreed that girls be admitted to the B.Ed. colleges. In 1881, there were 1200 girls enrolled in various schools of the state. In 1887, he established the first Arts college for Arts, science, Agriculture and Law disciplines. Kalabhavan, the technical education institute was opened in 1890.

In 1835 the first railway track was laid down connecting Vadodara with Bombay and Delhi. In 1882 the Baroda college was built. With the expansion of Baroda college, buildings to house more educational departments and hostels were built.

The construction of Ajwa Lake another land mark of Vadodara was started in 1885 and completed in 1890. The sole propose of this lake was to supply drinking Water to Vadodara. In 1885, several small scale textile industries came in to existence on the western bank of Vishvamitri. It was during this year that the underground drainage system of the then existing Vadodara city was commissioned.

The construction of the building of Nyaya Mandir was completed in the year 1896. There was a large play ground to the west of the building which has now bean covered with building.

(That Vadodara today is on the cultural educational and economic map of the country is largely owing to Sayajirao III. Whatever heritage this city has is the legacy of the great ruler Sayajirao III. After an illustrious life spanning over 76 eventful years, Sayajirao passed away in 1939, without leaving an immediate heir. So his grandson Pratapsinh Rao came to throne on 7 February, 1939.)