Scion of the cursed dynasty?

Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia, the rightful heir to the throne of the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas was born with a golden spoon and lived a grandiose life that was lavish and splendid. But as is often said "all that glitters is not gold."

Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia of the Kingdom of Gwalior (c.1920s). Painted by Unknown; Image Source: Vervemagazine.in

A man whose stature stood as tall as the length of his titles, ‘Lieutenant-General, Mukhtar-ul-Mulk, Azim-ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan, Wala Shikoh, Mohra-Sham-i-Dauram, Umdat-ul-Umra, Maharaja dhiraj, Alijah, Hisam-us-Sultanat, His Highness Sir George Jivajirao Scindia Bahadur, Srinath Mansur-i-Zamanfidwi-Hazrat-i-Mali-Muazzam-i-Rafiud-Darjat-i-Inglisia G.C.I.E., G.C.I.S.”, or, simply Jiwajirao

Scindia, a scion of the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas, served as the last reigning Maharaja of Gwalior, a princely state in British colonial India and also as the first Rajpramukh or governor of Madhya Pradesh in independent India.

The Scindias belonged to the privileged category of the ‘Five Premieres’ in British India who were entitled to the honour of a 21 gun salute on their official visits, also known as the ‘twenty-one gunners’. These were the princely states of Hyderabad (Nizams), Mysore, Baroda (Gaekwads), Jammu and Kashmir, and Gwalior (Scindias).

Born on 26 June 1916, Jiwaji had to take on the responsibilities of his kingdom at an early age due to the untimely demise of his father and former Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia in 1925.

However, the spoon-feeding by the Council of Regency that was assembled by his mother to aid the young prince and later the British attempts at manipulating his claim to power, it was not until November 1936 that he was invested with full powers to rule his kingdom of Gwalior.

A Maharaja in his own right, Jiwaji’s hobbies were a reflection of his life of opulence and grandeur. His ardent passion towards horses, music, and hunting, are well known. The royals ate in gold dinnerware and wore garments that were embedded with threads of gold and precious stones. Vijaya Raje Scindia, Jiwaji’s wife, recounts in her autobiography that the Maharaja never carried any cash around and would also never ask for the price of anything before making a purchase as that was deemed to be an ‘unprincely gesture’. The purchase would then be settled by his ADC who accompanied him as part of the King’s grand entourage.

Resident Colonel Bannerman is said to have described the jewellery vault or ‘jamdarkhana’ (the treasury where all royal jewellery was kept) as “Aladdin’s Store”- which amassed an impressive collection of one of the world’s largest diamonds, rubies, pearls, and emeralds.

The Scindias weren’t for no reason referred to as the ‘Motiwalas’ or the ‘Pearl Kings’.

Politics and leadership run in the genes of the Scindia family.

Today, the Scindia dynasty continues to hold a name amongst the political bigwigs, if not as Maharajas and Maharanis, but as democratically elected leaders. Among the five children of Jiwaji, three of them have made a mark in the politics of the nation. It was, however, Maharaja’s wife, Vijaya Raje Scindia who pioneered the entry of the Scindias into politics in 1962. Madhav Rao Scindia, Vasundhara Raje, and Yashodhara Raje are known names in contemporary politics as is Jyotiraditya Scindia, grandson of Jiwaji and son of Madhav Rao. The other two daughters of Jiwaji and Vijaya Raje- Padmavati Raje 'Akkasaheb' Burman and Usha Raje Rana, were respectively wed into the royal families of Tripura and Nepal.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, a name which has been doing rounds in the political news recently, son of Madhavrao Scindia, is the current namesake titular Maharaja of the Scindia dynasty, and also the Minister of Civil Aviation in Narendra Modi’s Cabinet.

As all royal histories do, a popular legend has also come to be associated with the royal family of the Scindias. It pertains to a certain curse that has been looming over the Scindia family for ages. According to which, the male ruling head of the family is said to die a young premature death, leaving behind only one male successor to the throne. If it is a mere coincidence or a curse indeed we leave for you to decide. While Madho Rao Scindia died at the age of 49 and was succeeded by Jiwajirao Scindia, the only male heir to the kingdom of Gwalior; Jiwaji Rao, too died an untimely death at the young age of 43 on July 16, 1961 and passed on the title to Madhavrao Scindia, his only son. This curse however did not end with the end of the monarchy but Madhav Rao Scindia, although, now only a nominal ruler, too died at the age of 56, which is, unfortunately, the longest a Scindia ruler had ever lived in a long time.

Vijaya Raje notes how at the time of Jiwaji's death, the people of Gwalior mourned in grief as though they had lost a family member.

Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, the traditional royal abode of the Scindias, is known to house the world’s largest chandelier and also boasts of a model toy train made of silver installed in the dining hall of the magnificent palace that was used to serve condiments to its esteemed guests. A major portion of this palace was converted into the “Jiwajirao Scindia Museum” that was opened to the public in 1964. Said to be one of the largest residences globally, a part of the 19th-century palace continues to be inhabited by the descendants of the Scindia family.