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Sayajirao Gaekwad
सयाजीराव गायकवाड
The reformer-Maharaja of Baroda — the model ruler of princely Bhārat
Years
1863 – 1939
Known as
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda
Birthplace
Baroda, Gujarat
Field
Kings & Strategists
“Education is the first duty of a ruler — an uneducated people cannot be a free people.”
— Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad
The Story
Born in 1863, Sayajirao was selected to the throne of Baroda in 1875 by the British, who little guessed that they had chosen one of the greatest reformers of the age. Educated and open-minded, he devoted his long reign of more than fifty years to the modernisation of his state.
His achievements were extraordinary: Baroda was the first state in Bhārat to make primary education free and compulsory; he abolished the forced labour of the peasants, freed the state from debt, built universities and institutions, and encouraged industry and agriculture. He supported the cause of the depressed classes and of women's education with funds and favour.
He was a friend of the national movement, supporting leaders like Gandhi and financing the education of the young B.R. Ambedkar. He died in 1939, remembered as the model ruler of princely Bhārat — a king who used his power entirely for the progress of his people.
Core Ideas
Compulsory Education
Baroda led Bhārat in universal primary schooling.
The People's Welfare
He freed his peasants from forced labour and debt.
The Friend of Reform
He supported the depressed classes and women's education.
The Patron of Ambedkar
He financed the education of the future constitution-maker.
The Model Ruler
Praised as the best of the princely rulers.
Why it matters today
Sayajirao Gaekwad is honoured as the model ruler of princely Bhārat — a king whose fifty-year reign was devoted entirely to the progress of his people. His educational reforms and his patronage changed the lives of millions, and his name remains a standard of enlightened kingship.