Kindly read the correspondence as was in the file, in order. / NAI

 

 

Contd from Part I.

 

 

Gen Watson, the agent to the Governor General of Baroda found that she is jealous of rights and privileges of those who have served the state and she is anxious that nothing should be drawn from treasury without her permission.

 

-     

    She wishes to be allowed to advise her son to remove dangerous or unpopular persons.

 

-     

    Now regarding Balasaheb Ghatge, there was a popular saying that Jamnabai had an amorous relationship with Ghatge where once they were caught in an intimate position. This was the very reason that Sayajirao Gaekwar had ordered his ouster from the limits of Baroda.

 

 

 

-      Jamnabai’s stature, character and power sometimes poses as a threat to Sayajirao. Watson found out that she had no reason to complain. She was allowed to stay freely like before. Her exercise to influence Gaekwar’s administration should be politely negative as it was Gaekwar’s responsibility.

 

-     

   Jamnabai still thought of herself as still entitled to an authoritative voice in matters of state and thinks of Gaekwar’s subjects as her own subjects though she forgot that Gaekwar is now a full responsible adult.

 

 

Both the parties, Jamnabai Gaekwar or the British Govt and Sayajirao were not satisfied of the situation. Sayajirao never forgot that his position as a ruler was owed to her for which, he always tried to maintain her respect, dignity and comfort at any cost. But regarding the popular rumours around Balasaheb Ghatge, Sayajirao was compelled to throw him out of Baroda. The same Jamnabai who was earlier was a doting mother, somewhere, under the influence of the company of people she kept, her affection for her adopted son went on to become further negative along with the loss of power, as if someone has cut her wings. That freedom and independence of exercising power was not there any more.

 

 

At the end, the British found nothing serious in her complaint which asserts that Sayajirao had faulted as a son or a ruler and her complaints and grievances were politely negative. Jamnabai Gaekwar died in the old Sarkarwada at the age of 45 years in 1898, a life of contrast, display of strength till she was regent but display of fickle mindedness when her regency got over.

 

 

 

 

 Correspondence file  / NAI