This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Gaekwad dynasty" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Gaekwad dynasty
Flag (1936–1949)
Country	Baroda State
Place of origin	Maharashtra, India
Founded	1721
Founder	Pilaji Rao Gaekwad
Current head	Samarjitsinh Gaekwad
Final ruler	Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad (Baroda) Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad (Rajpramukh)
Titles	Raja ofBaroda Rajpramukh of Baroda
Deposition	1949
Website	https://gaekwadsofbaroda.in/

Gaekwads (also spelled asGaikwads,Guicowars,Gaekwars) (IAST:Gāyakavāḍa), a HinduMaratha dynasty of the formerMaratha Empire and its subsequent (erstwhile)princely state ofBaroda inwestern India from the early 18th century until 1947.^[1][2] The ruling prince was known as theMaharaja Gaekwad of Baroda. With the city ofBaroda (Vadodara) as its capital, during theBritish Raj its relations with the British were managed by theBaroda Residency. It was one of the largest and wealthiest princely states ofBritish India, with its wealth coming from the lucrative cotton business as well as rice, wheat and sugar production.^[3]

The Gaekwad rule ofBaroda began when theMaratha generalPilaji Rao Gaekwad conquered the city from theMughal Empire in 1721. The Gaekwads were granted the city as aJagir byChhatrapatiShahu I, the head of state of theMaratha Confederacy.

In their early years, the Gaekwads served as subordinates of theDabhade family, who were the Maratha chiefs of Gujarat and holders of thesenapati (commander-in-chief) title. WhenUmabai Dabhade joinedTarabai's side againstBalaji Baji Rao, Pilaji's sonDamaji Rao Gaekwad commanded the Dabhade force. He was defeated, and remained in Peshwa's custody from May 1751 to March 1752. In 1752, he was released after agreeing to abandon the Dabhades and accept the Peshwa's suzerainty. In return, Damaji was made the Maratha chief of Gujarat, and the Peshwa helped him expel the Mughals from Gujarat.^[4]

Damaji subsequently fought alongsideSadashiv Rao,Vishwas Rao,Malhar Rao Holkar,Jankoji Scindia, SidhojiGharge-Desai (Deshmukh) andMahadji Shinde in theThird Battle of Panipat (1761). After the Maratha defeat at Panipat, the central rule of the Peshwas was weakened. As a result, the Gaekwads, along with several other powerful Maratha clans, established themselves as virtually independent rulers, while recognizing the nominal authority of the Peshwas and suzerainty of theBhonsle Maharaja ofSatara.

The Gaekwads, together with severalMaratha chieftains, fought theBritish in theFirst Anglo-Maratha War.

On 15 March 1802, the British intervened to defend the Gaekwad Maharaja,Anand Rao Gaekwad, who had recently inherited the throne against rival claimants, and the Gaekwads concluded the Treaty of Cambey with the British that recognized their independence from theMaratha Confederacy and guaranteed theMaharajas of Baroda local autonomy in return for recognizing British suzerainty, though it was a result of an inability to overpower them.

Maharaja Sayaji Rao III, who took the throne in 1875, did much to modernize Baroda, establishing compulsory primary education, a library system and theMaharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He also encouraged the setting up oftextile factories, which helped create Baroda's textile industry. He is known for offeringB. R. Ambedkar a scholarship to study atColumbia University.

UponIndia attaining its independence in 1947, the last ruling Maharaja ofBaroda, Pratapsinhrao, acceded to India. Baroda was eventually merged withBombay State, which was later divided, based on linguistic principle, into thestates ofGujarat andMaharashtra in 1960.

Gaekwad or Gayakwad also survives as a fairly common Marathasurname, found mainly in the Indian state ofMaharashtra.

This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• List of Maratha dynasties and states
• Bhonsle
• Scindia
• Holkar

Wikimedia Commons has media related toGaekwad.

• Official Website of the Gaekwads of Baroda

• Gaekwad dynasty
• History of Vadodara
• Hindu dynasties
• Maratha clans
• Maratha Empire
• 1721 establishments in India

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles needing additional references from August 2020
• All articles needing additional references
• Use dmy dates from September 2020
• Articles needing additional references from July 2020
• Commons category link is on Wikidata