Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-24
dined at the New Willard. where the party
attracted a great deal of attention.
The Royal Visitor.


The Royal Visitor.
His highness the Maharajah. Gaekwar OF
Baroda Sir Sayaji Rao III. Sena khas
Khel, Sam sher Bahadur. Franzand-I-
asi-Dowlat-I-Inglishia first in rank OF
the Hindoo princes and second in all India.
is here to see the United States. study the
people and to try to. learn the secret OF
their success
The maharajah, besides other things. is
the owner of a. collection of jewels that
Is famous the world over. In spite OF all
this, his highness attracts marked attention
by simplicity that makes him conspfcu-
GUS wherever he goes He looks ike an
ordinary tourist who had been bronzed by
a tropical sun. He Is not much over nve
feet tall but stockily built
The ma haraJah traces his ancestry back
to Sirayi the founder OF the maharatta
power in India. His occupation OF the
throne is due to an indiscretion committed
by his predecessor. the princes foster faith
er. who cit such capers in 1915 that his
wife fled for protection to the home of
Col Phayre. the English resident. His
foster father was a picturesque Individual
known as Malaha- Rao-Gaekwar, who, &C
cording to history, was as oriental as any
man could be- He was of the old regime.
and II there was anything due him In the
way of power or pleasure he saw tnat
he got II or there was trouble throughout
Baroda state. He did not like the British,
which dislike he yelled with true oriental
politeness. One time. however, after din
uer at his palace. Col. Phayre and some
other EngIishmen then in India became
very III The coroner diagnosed 1t as poison,
and the result was that Maiaha- Rao-Gaek-
war lost his crown. The British govern
ment then decided to go in for safe and
administration, and chose the present
ruler. who at the time was a young man
of good habits.
1t IS said that some of the enthusiastic
subjects Of the maharajah, which means
in his language great king" are fond of
tracing resemblance between him and the
great rulers of the world. The. Gaekwar of
Baroda has of course. all of those things
which have thrown glamor and romance
around the Indian princes. but he does not
care for them very much. He has the
sacred elephants and other animals, the
sacred cows. the arena for wild beasts, the
Imperial huntsmen, but he does not use any
of these things, and retains them only be-
cause his people would say that he was
allowing the other rajahs to get ahead of
him II he gave them up.
Baroda is third in Importance of the In
dian principaities under the protection of
the British empire. 1t is in the western
part and it measures about $500 square
miles. Its capital Is Baroda, one of the
most progressive cities of the empire
The maharajah's family. as stated in yes
terday,s Star has held the rule of the state
since 1890 although it was important be-
fore The battle of Balpore attracted at
tention to It, and by that 1t obtained an
independent SONefeiSHty- II 1t aIteT
that and experienced the ups and downs
of all Indian states before the British ag-
gresSion.
An Enormous Income.
The income of Gaekwar of Baroda is es-
timated at from $1,000. coo to 81. 100000 a
year. The Scindhia of Gwalior, with 49,
100000 a year, Is said to be the richest of
the Indian princes. Beside his annual in
come, gaelwar owns jewels which have
been valued as high as $40. 1000 900. In or
binary circumstances this wonderful col
lection lies in the Major Bal on exhibition.
But on state occasions there is no Indian
prince who Is more brilliantly arrayed
When out on parade the maharajah wears
a diamond-trimmed cap and jeweled gloves.
Besides these things he has gold and silver
cannon,-which are drawn on special occa-
sions by bullocks with magnificent trap
pings. story Is current to the effect that
there were four of these cannon, two gold
ones and two silver ones, but not very long
ago one of each was melted down and the
proceeds turned into the state treasury for
the purpose, 1t is said, of relieving famine
conditions in Baroda
Her highness. the maharam, is quite
young. She is the gaekwar's second wife.
She is received a court in England In the
same rank as the royal prncesses. She is
almost chiidltke In appearance. In the CEN
ter of her forehead, little above the arch
OF the nose, Is the customary kumkuma
mark of the Hindoo woman, who is not
widowed 1t is made with pinkish lead
and 1t measures about three-fourths of an
inch in diameter.