Sayajirao Gaekwad III

Sayajirao was born into a Maratha family in the village of Kaulane in Malegaon taluka of Nashik district, as Gopalrao Gaekwad, second son of Kashirao Bhikajirao (Dada Sahib) Gaekwad (1832–1877) and Ummabai. He belonged to a cadet branch of the Gaekwad dynasty, descended from a morganatic marriage of the first Raja of Baroda, and so was not expected to succeed to the throne.

Maharaja Sayajirao initially married Shrimant Lakshmibai Mohite of Tanjore (Chimnabai I) (1864–1884) on 6 January 1880, by whom he had a son and two daughters:

Shrimant Maharajkumari Bajubai Gaekwad (1881–1883)

Shrimant Maharajkumari Putlabai Gaekwad (1882–1885)

Lieutenant-Colonel Shrimant Yuvaraja Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad, Yuvaraj Sahib of Baroda (3 August 1883 – 14 September 1908). He died young, having had a son and two daughters, including Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad, who succeeded to the throne in 1939 as Maharaja of Baroda.

His first wife died young from tuberculosis, and Sayajirao married on 28 December 1885 another Maratha lady from Dewas, Shrimant Gajrabai (1871–1958), who became Chimnabai II upon her wedding. A strong proponent of rights for Indian women, she proved every bit as willful and capable as her husband for the 53 years of their marriage, becoming equally well known throughout India. They had several sons and one daughter:

Shrimant Maharajkumar Jaisinghrao Gaekwad (12 May 1888 – 27 August 1923); no children

Shrimant Maharajkumar Shivajirao Gaekwad (31 July 1890 – 24 November 1919); had two sons and one daughter.

Maharani Indira Devi, Maharani and Maharani Regent of Cooch Behar (Indiraraje) (19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968). Married Jitendra Narayan of Cooch Bihar in 1911; had issue. Her descendants include the models Riya Sen and Raima Sen. She became a Maharani Regent of Cooch Behar and the mother of Gayatri Devi of Jaipur.

Lieutenant-Colonel Shrimant Maharajkumar Dhairyashilrao Gaekwad (31 August 1893 – 5 April 1940); had three sons and two daughters.

Other descendants of Sayajirao would wed the rulers of Kolhapur, Sawantwadi, Akkalkot, Jath, Dewas Jr., Kota, Dhar, Jasdan, Sandur and Gwalior.