dc.description.abstract | During the British Raj, over five hundred nominally independent princely states dotted the
Indian landscape. Their rulers were as different in their outlooks as in their eccentricities.
While many among them were deeply traditional, relying on their feudal rights to appropriate
vast personal fortunes, others were far more progressive. Many princes initiated social and
economic reforms in their small kingdoms. There were many driving forces behind the
enactment of these reforms, and the process was far less complex when contrasted with
modern legislative processes in India. Education reforms in Baroda and Travancore along
with banking reforms in Baroda have been focused on in this project, with a subsequent
discussion on possible lessons for modern Indian states. An interview with the present
Rajmata of Baroda covering these themes and representing the views of the erstwhile ruling
families on the reform process has been has been included at the end. | en_US |