Does any one have good info about Dafle of Jath State ( Maharashtra)!!! ----- Original Message ----- From: "akshay chavan" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 2:20 AM Subject: [INDIA-ROYALTY] Kolhapur Adoption - the real story Part-2 > In first part of my post I wrote about the first > unpopular kolhapur adoption. But the story was to > continue. > As soon as Chhatrapati Shahaji nee > vikramsinh puar became maharaja of kolhapur, he > started the revenge campaign. All those who had > opposed his adoption were denied royal pension and > prevliges. He also began systematically liquidating > the wealth of the royal family. An alcoholic , he > began selling of royal assets by pittance. Fabulous > royal jewels , gold throne of kolhapur state > everything was just sold off. Taking advantage of this > , royal retainers helped themselves with antiques > lands and mansions. I personally know few people who > were butlers and servants of the family , who now own > enormous mansions belonging to the royal family. > Here the sad and tragic story of princess > padmaraje comes into the picture. Earlier an attempt > had been made to make padmaraje the maharani with her > mother as regent . This was something which Puars had > not forgotten. With her mother an drug addict, the > little princess was at the mercy her wicked adopted > brother. Soon she would be given "Cindrella like" > treatment. While her step nieces shaliniraje, > vijayaraje and urmilaraje was given finest education, > poor padmaraje was given only basic education. > People still talk about the little princess > almost in rags, playing in the palace with the > children of the servants. She could not eat with the > royal family but eat with the staff . Padmaraje was > known to be very sweet and pretty. I dont know if this > kind of upbringing crushed her. > But the puars did not stop at this. In order > to ensure no rival claimants they decided to get > padmaraje married. shahaji's own daughters married > into the royal houses of nagpur, sandur and ankli . > But Padmaraje was deliberately married to sardar > raghojirao kadambande of torkhed , a minor landowner . > This was done deliberately so that her son could have > no claim to the gaddi. > When shahaji announced the adoption of his > nagpur grandson , all hell broke loose. People wanted > padmaraje's son to succeed the throne. As grandson to > the chhatrapati , he had greater claim to throne than > nagpur grandson of dewas ruler. There was a big hue > and cry . It became a big election issue. > Maharani Vijayamala , the second wife of > Chhatrapati Rajaram decided to make hay in the > sunshine. She stood for lok sabha elections from > kolhapur. The adoption was the main issue in the > campaign. Princess Padmaraje was used as a pawn in the > whole game. She was used to campaign in the elections. > soon maharani Vijayamala was elected to lok sabha and > then padmaraje was dumped. The protest continued for a > long time and then fizzeled out. > Today Dilipsingh Bhonsle eka > Chhatrapati Shahu is the maharaja , but has no respect > in eyes of the people. Most of the wealth of kolhapur > house has vanished. Most amazingly, when i visited the > kolhapur palace museum , maharaja's own retainers > confided in me their dislike of the maharaja. On my > every visit to the museum i find more valuables and > paintings "MISSING". What happens to them is anyone's > guess. Maharaja has stood several times for elections > and has lost. > Princess Padmaraje died in 1997. I dont have > much info about her son. This is the tragic story of > second kolhapur adoption.What is really sad is house > of chhatrapati , most highly respected maratha family > and descendants of Shivaji have come to this. Once > their status was equivalent to that of Maharana of > Mewar. Even Gwalior and Baroda with higher gun salutes > had to bow before the Chhatrapati. > ____________________________________________________ > I wrote this because there are some > things which history books don't tell us. Only human > experiences are avaliable. If u read "PUARS OF DEWAS" > or "CHHATRAPATIS OF KOLHAPUR" then it is filled with > praise about vikramsinh puar as Greatest ruler of > dewas and kolhapur. But the truth is both these books > were commisioned and financed by Puar himself for self > glorification. > I would encourage other members to write > about stories they know but have been never told. I > would also like to receive your comments, feedback or > any questions that you may have. > > Thanks > akshay > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. > http://messenger.yahoo.com/ > > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >