Sardar Mahadik Of Gwalior

Sardar Mahadik, Gwalior
Family name
Region of origin	Maratha
Language(s) of origin	Marathi

The Sardar Mahadik family of Gwalior State are a Maratha family who once held noble rank. The family's roots lie with Yashwant Rao Mahadik, who accompanied Mahadji Scindia to Gwalior from the Deccan as one of his most trusted adherents.

Yashwant Rao Mahadik

Yashwant Rao Mahadik arrived in Gwalior with Mahadji Scindia in 1703. There he was appointed officer in charge of 1,200 cavalry. He fought many notable battles such as the one against the Rana of Ghad in the year 1703.

In 1706, Yashwant Rao was given the title of Sardar Mahadik and a jaghir. He was also assigned a seat of honour on the right in the durbar. At that time the emperor of Delhi was imprisoned by Ghulam Quadir and it was Scindia, accompanied by Yashwant Rao, who went to Delhi to capture Quadir.

Yashwant Rao Mahadik was killed in a battle at Ramghur in 1788. On hearing of the death of, Scindia went to the sardar's tent and appointed his son Jan Rao Mahadik to succeed him, allowing Jan Rao Mahadik all his fathers rights and privileges.

Sardar Jan Rao Mahadik

Sardar Jan Rao Mahadik went to the Deccan with Scindia to visit the peshwa. When Scindia died, being succeeded by Daulat Rao Scindia, Jan Rao Mahadik vacated his Sardarship in favour of his son Hanumant Rao Mahadik. Jan Rao retired to the Deccan, where he died in 1854.

Sardar Hanumant Rao Mahadik

Born in 1816 Sardar Hanumant Rao Mahadik was the sardar in the court of Jankoji Rao Scindia. He died in 1886 and was succeeded by his son Daulat Rao Mahadik.

Sardar Daulat Rao Mahadik

Sardar Daulat Rao Mahadik

Sardar Daulat Rao Mahadik was born in 1760 in the village of Ninam, in Satara. On accession to the Sardarship, the then Scindia ruler granted him a pearl necklace and a sarpaitch. Daulat Rao's forces were responsible to protect the borders of the state and he possessed one of the largest army and jaghir among his peers.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sardar Krishna Rao Mahadik

Sardar Krishna Rao Mahadik

^[1] Lt. Col. Sardar Krishna Rao Mahadik was born on 12 June 1902 in Gwalior. He studied in Sardar school, now known as Scindia school, in Gwalior and then did his diploma course from Mayo College, Ajmer. After his return he was married to Gunwantabai Mahadik the younger sister of Maharani Gajraraje Scindia, wife of Madhav Rao Scindia (Senior) from the Rane family of Goa.

Gunwantabai Mahadik, Wife of Sardar Krishna Rao Mahadik

. His first assignment was collector of Guna of

Gwalior state. After that he became the General Manager of Gwalior power house and later on appointed in Gwalior and British army in Artillery section after training as Lieutenant colonel. Later on he became Commerce, Industries and communication minister of Gwalior State at the time of Maharaja Jivaji Rao Scindia during merger of Gwalior state into the union of India. He was finance minister and went to America for negotiation with the President and took part in the princely conference representing Maharaja Gwalior during the merger.

As a minister of Gwalior state he wrote a book titled Economic Planning for Gwalior.^[2] Later on in his old age he was involved in a court case involving a land dispute in Poona. He died in 1967 before the case was resolved, leaving five daughters and a son, Sadashiv Rao Mahadik.

References

1. Vijayaraje Scindia; Manohar Malgonkar (1 November 1987). The last Maharani of Gwalior: an autobiography. SUNY Press. pp. 62–. ISBN 9780887066597. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
2. http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10143002