Committee : C.I.E. in 1887 : he was several times a Member of the Bombay Legislative Council : was made a Judge of the High Court in 1893, and filled that office with conspicuous ability and profound learning till his death, on Jan. 17, 1901 : he was a Brahmo of the Parthana Samaj, and took much interest in social reform.
RANJITSINHJI, KUMAR SRI (1872–)
Born in Kattiawar, India, Sep. 10, 1872 : descended from a line of the Jams, or rulers, of Jamnagar : adopted in 1880 as his son and heir by the Jam Vibhaji, who, on the birth of a son, induced the 'Government to set aside the adoption of Ranjitsinhji : an allowance was given to the latter : he was educated at the Rajkumar College, Rajkote, India, and Trinity College, Cambridge : attained great prowess in the cricket field as a batsman : played for Cambridge against Oxford in 1893, and a number of years for the County of Sussex, and for the Gentlemen against the Players : went to Australia with the All-England Eleven : has several times, as a batsman, obtained the highest average score for the year : wrote the Jubilee Book of Cricket.
RAO, BAJI (1775–1852)
The last Peshwa, son of Raghunath Rao : was invested as Peshwa in 1795, Nana Farnavis being his Minister, against and with whom and Daulat Rao Sindia he treacherously intrigued : in Oct. 1802, he was defeated at Poona by Jaswant Rao Holkar : fled to Bassein, where, on Dec. 31, 1802, he made a treaty with the British, thereby becoming a feudatory : though thus restored to power at Poona, he intrigued against the British and connived at the murder of Gangadhur Sastri,the Minister of the Gaekwar of Baroda : disregarded the Bassein treaty and the treaty of Poona of June, 1817 : deceived Sir John Malcolm : burnt the Residency at Poona, and, on Nov. 5, 1817, was defeated at the battle of Kirki : he fled from Poona : he was again defeated at Korygaum and Ashti, and surrendered to Malcolm in June, 1818 : was allowed to live at Bithur, near Cawnpur, on a pension of 8 lakhs a year : he died Dec. 1852 : the Nana Sahib (q.v.) was his adopted son.
RAO, RAJA SIR DINKAR (1819–1896)
A Mahratta Brahman : born Dec. 20, 1819, in the district of Ratnagiri : frequently resided at Agra and Cawnpur : his ancestors held a Subah in Gwalior territory : educated in Sanskrit and Persian, he did not learn English till he was nearly 40. He began life as an accountant in the Native State of Gwalior : succeeded his father as Subadar of a Division : in 1851 became Chief Minister of the State. He introduced numerous fiscal reforms, improved roads and public works, and published a Code of Regulations for the guidance of all subordinate officers. He rendered valuable services in the mutiny of 1857, loyally and sagaciously keeping the Maharaja Sindia of Gwalior to his allegiance to the British Government. For his services, Dinkar Rao obtained the grant of an estate in the Benares district. He resigned in Dec. 1859, his appointment at Gwalior, and later became Superintendent of the Dholpur State. In 1861 he became a Member of the Governor-General's Legislative Council : K.C.S.I. in 1866 : was member of the tribunal which tried the Gaekwar of Baroda, 1875. In 1877 the title of Raja was conferred on him and made hereditary in 1884 : he died Jan. 9, 1896.
RAO, MAHARAJA SIR GAJPATI (1828–)
Born Dec. 2, 1828 : educated at the Hindu College, Calcutta : a large landed proprietor in the Vizagapatam District, Madras Presidency, who has always interested himself in educational and social affairs : Member of the Madras Legislative Council, 1868–84 : Fellow of the Madras University : C.I.E., 1892 : K.C.I.E., 1903.
RAO HINDU ( ? –1855)
A Mahratta : brother of Bija, or Baiza Bai, the wife of Maharaja Daulat Rao Sindia. He had a claim to the Gwalior State, but failed to obtain it : was sent to Delhi, and lived there on a yearly pension of a lakh of rupees : was very hospitable to Europeans : he died in 1855 : his house, on the Ridge outside Delhi, was the main piquet of the British force during the siege of Delhi in 1857.
RAO, RAJA SIR MADHAVA (1828–1891)
A Mahratta Brahman: son of one and nephew of another Diwan of Travancore :
