>From: akshay chavan <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [INDIA-ROYALTY] Kolhapur Adoption - the real story Part-2 >Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 23:20:45 -0700 (PDT) > >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 > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Messenger: converse com os seus amigos online. http://messenger.msn.com.br