num_pages: 140
description: “In 1947, when my father signed a piece of paper, along with the five hundred or so other rulers relinquishing their states, it was an act of great patriotism on their part to the newly formed Indian Union. It was not easy, but we bowed to the wishes of the people and gave up the scats of power which our families had held for centuries, without a single shot being fired or a single life being lost. We gave up a lot for relatively very little. “None of the ruling families of the former princely states ever faced a revolt in their long histories; on the contrary, our forefathers had a special, almost paternal bond with the people they ruled over, and this is still evident today. Hindu rulers with Muslim subjects or Muslim rulers with Hindu subjects, it did not matter. “You were bound to have had one or two rulers who abused their position, and, though only a handful, these inevitably attracted the greatest attention. It is important, however, that we do not forget all the good work done by the nation's Royal Families." -- HH Maharajah Pratap Sirth, May 1997
language: English
title: Royal Families and Palaces of Gujarat
titlecomplete: Royal Families and Palaces of Gujarat
ratings_count: 1
publisher: Scorpion Cavendish