Scindia Dynasty

House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak was a Maratha royal house that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. They are from a small village Kanherkhed located in Satara region of Maratha Deccan. Their ancestors were Patil (sarpanch) of Kanherkhed. Members of the royal family joined the Maratha army under Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his sons Sambhaji and Rajaram, serving with bravery and dedication in several battles. Later Changoji Scindia the grandfather of Ranoji Scindia married his daughter named Ambikabai Scindia II to Chatrapati ShahuI Maharaja of Satara. The Scindia dynasty rose to prominence in the 18th century and went on to dominate central and north India as one of the most prominent powers due to their influential presence in Delhi, robust tax collection system (Chauth) from neighboring rulers and their highly modernized army. During the reign of Mahadji, the Scindia dynasty reached its zenith, his territory extended right upto Lahore in the north to Ahmednagar in the south and stretching from Bharuch in the west to the border of Prayagraj in the east along with several dependent states from whom they use to collect taxes (Chauth). Ranoji Scindia was the first ruler of the dynasty who rose as a prominent military commander under PeshwaBajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants, played a leading role during the Maratha ascendancy in northern India in the 18th century. The Gwalior State became a princely state during the British Raj in the 19th and the 20th centuries. After India's independence in 1947 and the abolition of princely states, several members of the Scindia Dynasty went on to enter Indian politics.