Abhijit at 07:49, 8 May 2026

2026-05-08T07:49:54Z

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{{Short description|Thakore of Limbdi from 1907 to 1940}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Daulatsinhji
| title = [[Maharana]]
| succession = [[Thakur (title)|Thakore]] of [[Limbdi State|Limbdi]]
| reign = 15 April 1907{{Sndash}}{{Avoid wrap|30 September 1940}}
| predecessor = Jaswantsinhji
| successor = [[Digvijaysinhji]]
| birth_name = Dadbha Muluji
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1868|07|11}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1940|09|30|1868|07|11|df=yes}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Baluba|1883}}
| issue = {{ubl|[[Digvijaysinhji]]|Pratapsinhji|Fatehsinhji|[[Ghanshyamsinhji Daulatsinhji Jhala|Ghanshyamsinhji]]|Rupaliba|Pratapba}}
| issue-link = #Early_life,_family,_and_education
| father = Muluji
| mother = Jijiba
}}
'''Daulatsinhji''' (Dadbha Muluji; 11 July 1868{{Sndash}}30 September 1940) was [[Thakur (title)|Thakore]] of [[Limbdi State|Limbdi]] from 15 April 1907 until his death in 1940.

== Early life, family, and education ==
Daulatsinhji was born as Dadbha in Bodi on 11 July 1868 as the seventh child of Muluji and his wife Jijiba.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Sharpe |first=Elizabeth |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.csl.5186 |title=Thakore Sahib Sir Daulat Singh of Limbdi, Kathiawar: A Biography |date=1931 |publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] |location=London |pages=19–20,85}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Soszynski |first=Henry |title=LIMBDI |url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/l/limbdi.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925121427/http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/l/limbdi.html |archive-date=2017-09-25 |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=members.iinet.net.au}}</ref> He received his preliminary education in Bodi from a [[Brahmin]], following which, he was educated at Jamnagar High School.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=State) |first=Bombay (India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kNhNAAAAMAAJ |title=Annual Report of the Administration |date=1925 |publisher=Government Central Press |pages=xxiv |language=en}}</ref> He received his military training at [[Pune]], [[Deesa]], [[Shimla]], [[Mathura]] and [[Meerut]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Vadivelu |first=A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LfoxAQAAMAAJ |title=The Ruling Chiefs, Nobles and Zamindars of India |date=1915 |publisher=G.C. Loganadham |pages=358–359 |language=en}}</ref> Since his paternal family was very closely related to the royal house of [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]], he spent a portion of his life there.<ref name=":7" /> In Nawanagar, he was entrusted to organise that state's [[Imperial Service Troops|Imperial Service]] [[Imperial Service Troops|Troops]], and served as its commanding oficer.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last1=Solomon |first1=R. V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47sfj8DUwNgC |title=Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey |last2=Bond |first2=J. W. |date=2006 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-1965-4 |pages=683 |language=en}}</ref> He was among the select officers and men from the [[British Indian Army]] and the Imperial Service Troops who were sent to [[Australia]] by the [[British government of India|Government of India]] for the opening of the [[Parliament of Australia]] in 1901 by Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York, later [[George V|King George V]].<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ld5AAQAAMAAJ |title=Who's who in India |date=1911 |publisher=Newul Kishore Press |pages=26–27 |language=en}}</ref> During the minority of Jaswantsinhji Vibhaji, he served as an advisor to Mr. Kennedy, the political agent stationed in Nawanagar, who was supervising the administration of the state.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" /> When Jaswantsinhji came of age and was invested with full administrative powers, Daulatsinhji, due to a difference of opinion with him, resigned and joined the service of ruler of [[Porbandar State|Porbandar]].<ref name=":7" /> While in Porbandar, he served as the [[commander-in-chief]].<ref name=":5" /> He married in 1883 to Baluba, a daughter of Jadeja Jetiji of Panchasara.<ref name=":6" /> He also had an English mistress.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jhala |first=Jayasinhji |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Marriage_Hierarchy_and_Identity_in_Ideol/EANuAAAAMAAJ |title=Marriage, Hierarchy and Identity in Ideology and Practice: An Anthropological Study of Jhālā Rājpūt Society in Western India, Against a Historical Background, 1090-1990 A.D. |date=1991 |publisher=Harvard University |pages=56 |language=en}}</ref> He had four sons: [[Digvijaysinhji]], Pratapsinhji, Fatehsinhji and [[Ghanshyamsinhji Daulatsinhji Jhala|Ghanshyamsinhji]], and two daughters: Rupaliba and Pratapba.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Khosla |first1=K.R. |url=http://archive.org/details/TwiK_his-imperial-majesty-king-george-5-and-the-princes-of-india-and-the-indian-empir |title=His Imperial Majesty King George V and the Princes of India and the Indian Empire (Historical-Biographical) |last2=Chatterjee |first2=R.P. |publisher=The Imperial Publishing Co |year=1937 |location=Lahore |pages=132}}</ref>

== Reign ==
When Jaswantsinhji Fatehsinhji died in 1907 without leaving behind any issue to succeed him as the Thakore of Limbdi, his widow Bama Bairajba Kunverba, per his desire, adopted Dadhba as the deceased's heir and successor on 6 May 1908.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=jordan |first=cris |date=2015-11-03 |title=FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA 1901 – THE INDIAN CONTINGENT |url=https://www.australianindianhistory.com/post/federation-of-australia-1901-the-indian-contingent |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=Australian Indian Hi |language=en}}</ref> This was disputed by another claimant for the vacant throne, but the Government of India acceded to the wishes of Jaswantsinhji and recognised him to the deceased's titles with effect from 15 April 1907.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":10" /> He on the occasion took the name of Daulatsinhji.<ref name=":9" /> He was invested with full administrative powers on 14 April 1908 by P. S. V. Fitzgerald, the then Agent in [[Kathiawar]] to the [[governor of Bombay]].<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" /> He had made education gratis throughout his state.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Khosla Brothers |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.03014 |title=The Imperial Coronation Durbar (Illustrated) |date=1911 |publisher=The Imperial Publishing Co |volume=I |location=Lahore |pages=153}}</ref> Besides that, he did much to encourage trade, especially that of cotton.<ref name=":3" /> In 1910, when Digvijaysinhji was married to Nand Kunverba, the only daughter of Keshrisinhji of [[Idar State|Idar]], he established several scholarships for the assistance of students who wanted to continue their studies.<ref name=":9" /> He replanned and rebuilt the city of Limbdi.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=H.E. Lord Willingdon |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.csl.3581 |title=Speeches by the Earl of Willingdon (From 29th June 1934 to 18th April 1936) |date=1937 |publisher=Manager, Government of India Press |pages=182–184|volume=II|location=Shimla}}</ref> He travelled in [[England]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Belgium]], [[Switzerland]], [[Austria]], [[Hungary]] and [[Germany]] in 1912.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.csl.8136 |title=The ruling princes, chiefs and leading personages in the western india states agency |date=1928 |publisher=Western India States Agency Press, Rajokt |pages=249}}</ref>

To mark the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne of Limbdi, he celebrated his [[silver jubilee]] on 10 April 1935.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Peter |first=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4BAbAAAAIAAJ |title=The Royal Coronation Number and Who's who in India, Burma and Ceylon |date=1937 |publisher=Sun Publishing House |pages=570 |language=en}}</ref> He only agreed to celebrate the occasion after he was assured that most of the jubilee contributions would be spent on building and equipping the Jubilee Memorial Hospital and the Baluba Maternity Home at Limbdi, and announced a number of boons for his subjects at the cost of Rs 10,00,000.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxcnAQAAIAAJ |title=The Feudatory and zemindari India |date=1935 |pages=534 |language=en}}</ref> His people presented him an address during the festivities and in it said:<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>You have been a veritable father to your subjects. A noble idealism guides Your Highness’ activities. The justification and success of monarchy lies in treating the subjects as one’s own family. Your Highness typifies this glorious ideal in your life and life-work.</blockquote>He in 1930-1931 helped the British to crush the [[civil disobedience]] movement.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=McLeod |first=John Edmond |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sovereignty_Power_Control/-uL7EAAAQBAJ |title=Sovereignty, Power, Control: Politics in the State of Western India, 1916-1947 |date=2023-07-31 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-64479-3 |pages=204–205 |language=en}}</ref> Following which an agent to the [[governor-general of India]] said this of his conduct:<ref name=":1" />.<blockquote>There are few rulers in India and certainly none in this agency more completely and whole-heartedly loyal to the British connection.</blockquote>He also built Shri Daulatsinhji Bridge on [[Bhogavo River|Bhogavo]] [[Bhogavo River|river]] that was opened on 15 January 1936 by the [[Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon|Marquess of Willingdon]].<ref name=":2" /> On the same date, the Marquess of Willingdon opened Ram Rajendrasinhji Hospital at Limbdi, which he had built in memory of his grandson.<ref name=":2" /> In late 1938, when an uprising arose against him over administrative abuses and lavish spending, he had to form a Praja Mandal in his state.<ref name=":1" /> In February 1939, thousands of his subjects fled en masse into [[British India]].<ref name=":1" /> When [[Vallabhbhai Patel]] organised a [[boycott]] of Limbdi's cotton, which was the main export of the state, he conceded minor administrative reforms, such as giving an advisory committee a role in running Limbdi town, and promised to establish village councils.<ref name=":1" /> That brought most émigrés back by July 1939.<ref name=":1" />

== Death ==
He died on 30 September 1940 and was succeeded by [[Digvijaysinhji]] to his title, rank, and dignity.<ref name=":6" />

== Honours ==
He was made [[Knight Commander]] of the [[Order of the Indian Empire]] on 1 January 1921 and [[Knight Commander]] of the [[Order of the Star of India]] on 1 January 1931.<ref name=":6" />

== References ==
<references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daulatsinhji}}
[[Category:1868 births]]
[[Category:1940 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:People from British India]]
[[Category:People from Gujarat]]

Daulatsinhji - Revision history

Abhijit at 07:49, 8 May 2026