Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/288

THE IMPERIAL DURBAR ALBUM. 255 the widow of the deceased adopted a son, Vinayaka Rao, who was not destined to be the heir of his grandfather, since a son named Dhundi Rao was born to the latter in 1838 A.D. who eventually succeeded to the chief ship.

Chintaman Rao's loyalty to the British Government was strongly displayed from time to time. "In testimony of their respect for his high character and in acknowledge' ment of his unswerving fidelity to Government" a sword of honor was presented to him by the British Government with great ceremony at Belgaum in 1846 A.D. In 1851 A.D. Chintaman Rao died at the age of 77 and was succeeded by his son, Dhundi Rao, a minor, the State being administered by the British Government for him until 1859 A.D., when the latter was formally invested with powers. He, too, like his father rendered substantial services to the British Government during the Mutiny of 1857 A.D. and received the thanks of Government in an open Durbar.

Dhundi Rao died in 1900 A.D. without issue, and the State again came under British managememt. The duty of selecting an heir to the chiefship having devolved upon Government, they sanctioned that the chiefship should be conferred upon Vinayak Rao Bhausaheb, the minor great-grandson of the first mentioned Vinayak Rao, taken in adoption by the widowed daughter-in-law of Chintaman Rao, the first chief of Sangli, He was renamed as Chintaman Rao Appasaheb and was formally invested with full powers of administration on the 2nd June, 1910 A.D.

Sangli has a considerable export and import trade. The State owns a railway line of about six miles, constructed at its own cost, which connects Sangli with Miraj on the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway line. The construction of the Railway has demonstrated the truth of the principle that railway follows trade and the trade follows railway. New. factories are springing into existence in Sangli every year. A scheme of water works has been recently carried out at Sangli, the headquarter station. Primary education has been made free throughout the State and compulsory in select areas. A splendid programme of public works has been carried out throughout the State. A respresentative Ryot assembly pr Ryot Sabha lias been established, and the agriculturists are empowered to send in their representatives at State cost to sit in the assembly, and to ventilate their grievances, and to offer suggesstions for remedying them. The codes of law in force in British India have been- introduced in the State. Transit duties and other objectionable taxes have been abolished. The British Municipal and Local Board system has been introduced in the State and on the whole a very high degree of administrative efficiency is being attempted to be achieved by the intelligent and estimable young Chief of Sangli.

The area of the Sangli State is 1,112 square miles; its population 2,12,390 and its revenue over 1 1 J lacs of rupees.

The Chief maintains a military force of 54 cavalry, 433 infantry and 4 guns.