1900s and Maharaja Vijaysinhji
The golden period of Rajpipla during the modern era began when Maharana Gambhirsinhji's son Maharana Chhatrasinhji, the 35th Gohil Raja of Rajpipla came to the gadi in 1897 AD. Rajpipla witnessed rapid progress over the next half-century. Knighthood was conferred on Maharana Chhatrasinhji (KCIE) as a result of his efficient administration which included the laying of the 40-mile (64 kilometres) Ankleshwar-Rajpipla railway line, initiated in the first year of his reign, and massive famine relief during the period 1899-1902. But the builder of modern and affluent Rajpipla was his son, Maharana Vijaysinhji, who ascended the gadi in 1915 AD, and proved to be a great administrator, assisted by his karbhari Rasikbhai Dubla. Knighthood was also conferred on Maharaja Vijaysinhji (KCSI), and he received the hereditary title of Maharaja. The gun salute for the ruler of Rajpipla was increased from 11 to 13.
Maharaja Sir Vijaysinhji introduced free primary education and scholarships, and only nominal high school fees were charged. He built a civil hospital, five dispensaries and a veterinary hospital in the State. A criminal-and-civil court was established, pensions were paid to public servants, and the salaries of the police and military were increased. Maharaja Vijaysinhji ordered the laying out of extensive public works and good motorable roads He added the Jhagadia-Netrang section to the 40-mile (64 kilometres) railway line, laid during his father's reign, which connected Rajpipla to Ankleshwar, a junction on the Dehli-Ahmedabad-Bombay line. He also set up a 19-mile (31 kilometres) steam railroad and tramway connecting the towns along the river Narmada with villages in the interior, and a power house supplying electricity and water to Rajpipla town. Even though taxes were reduced in terms of percentage, the revenue of the State increased from Rupees 1,300,000 to Rupees 2,700,000 per annum in the period 1915-1930, and peaked at Rupees 3,600,000 in 1948 when the State merged with the Indian Union. Maharaja Vijaysinhji regularised the land revenue system, and his relief efforts during droughts and floods drew wide appreciation. He had a keen interest in agriculture and improved the quality of cotton, grains and fruits grown in his territory. His town planning in 1927 was far-sighted, and builders were given permission to construct, conditional to leaving 3 to 4 feet (about 1 metre) space for future widening of roads. The designs of new buildings were well integrated and in harmony with the surroundings.
Sports were Maharaja Vijaysinhji's passion. He was a keen horseman and maintained one of the finest stables of race horses in India and England, marked by quality and not quantity. Maharaja Vijaysinhji won the first Indian Derby in 1919 when his horse Tipster led the pack at the finish. His horse Embargo won the Irish Derby in 1926 and Grand Prix in Belgium in 1927. Other horses, like Melesigenes, won him nearly all the big prizes in races at Bombay, Poona and other Indian courses, and in 1932-33 he topped the racing events in India. But, doubtlessly, his best horse was Windsor Lad, that won the coveted Epsom Derby of England in 1934. Maharaja Vijaysinhji is still the only Indian owner to have bagged the English Derby, considered the greatest horse race in the world, cheered on by an estimated half a million people on the course that day. King George V and Queen Mary of Britain, who watched the race along with other members of the Royal Family, invited Maharaja Vijaysinhji to the Royal Box and felicitated him on this brilliant victory. In the process the Maharaja completed a brilliant hat-trick of Derby wins: the first-ever Indian Derby, the Irish Derby and the coveted English Derby, making him arguably the greatest Indian racehorse owner.
Maharaja Vijaysinhji spent much of the sporting season in England, and returned to India in the winter when he encouraged outdoor sports like cricket, football and hockey. Sports were made compulsory for students of Rajpipla State. He equipped Rajpipla with a polo ground and gymkhana club. A unique feature of the Rajpipla royal family was its polo team comprising Maharaja Vijaysinhji and his three sons Yuvraj Rajendra Singhji, Maharajkumar Pramod Singhji and Maharajkumar Indrajeet Singhji.
One of Maharaja Vijaysinhji's dreams for Rajpipla, a 150-acre (0.61 km2) aerodrome, never saw fruition as he had to give up his powers in 1948 AD. But he did lay out an airstrip where aircraft landed in the 1930s and 1940s. He also had plans to build a dam across the river Narmada to facilitate irrigation and generate electricity, and was in the process of working out the investment for it. This was the precursor of the present-day gigantic Sardar Sarovar project.
Surprisingly, Maharaja Vijaysinhji who was known for his long sojourns in Europe and his loyalty to the British crown, started a nationalist movement in Rajpipla in the 1940s. Along with his fellow Gohil Rajput rulers of Udaipur and Bhavnagar, he was one of the first rulers to hand over his State to the Indian democracy in 1948 along with Rupees 2,800,000 (Rs.28 lakhs) that were deposited in the State treasury. He urged other Indian rulers to give up their States in the cause of a united nation at a meeting held at Palm Beach, his Napeansea Road residence in Bombay. The state was merged with the Indian Union on 10 June 1948, bringing to an end the 600-year rule of the Gohils over Rajpipla. Maharaja Vijaysinhji died at his estate at Old Windsor in England in 1951 AD, and was cremated at Rampura on the banks of the holy river Narmada, 18 kilometres from his former capital.
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