Background
He was eldest son of Sir Takhtsinhji born on 26 April 1875. He earned name as a progressive ruler and continued the modernisation and development programmes of instituted by his father Sir Takhatsinhji.
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Bhavsinhji Bhavsinhji II
Edit ProfileEducation
He was educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot.
Career
He was attached 2nd Bombay Lancers and was Colonel of Bhavnagar State Forces 1894-1896 promoted Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in 1918. He was installed on the gadi (throne), at the Darvargadh Palace, Bhavnagar, 10 February 1896. During early part of his reign, his State faced the great famine of 1900 and he issued a famine code and personally visited the affected parts of his kingdom.
As a part of famine relief measure, he remitted all uncollected revenue and distributed tagari allowances as free gifts.
Also started construction of five filter-beds and a large service reservoir for future calamities. He was one of the first princely states to start self-governance to people and instituted People"s Representative Assembly, comprising farmers, tradesmen, municipal representatives and landholders.
Further, he started first Harijan School in 1912 for the upliftment of Dalit people of his State, and also instituted scholarships for further studies in England, America and Japan, particularly in the fields of medicine and science. As a measure of famine relief works, he founded the Bhavnagar Darbar Bank in 1902 to dispense loans to farmers, merchants and traders, and began a co-operative movement.
This bank founded by him and Prime Mister of Bhavnagar, Prabhashankar Pattani later grew in to State Bank of Saurashtra.
He was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India in 1904. An army of Bhavnagar was sent to assist British army in First World War. He distinguished scholar of varied interests.
He composed four parts of the Sangeet Mala, a treatise on the medicinal properties of Indian plants.
He also published the Manual of Indian Ayurvedic Pharmacy. Further, he published translation of Homer"s Iliad, a musical composition of Macaulay"s Horatius.
The introduction of the Tonic Sol-fa system of notation into Indian music was largely due to his efforts. Delhi Darbar Gold Medal - 1903.
Achievements
Membership
He was also member of management committee of Rajkumar College of Rajkot and authored The Forty Years of the Rajkumar College in seven volumes (1911).
