Rajpipla is the headquarters of Narmada district in the state of Gujarat, in India. Narmada is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat in India. ... Gujarat (ગુજરાત in Gujarati) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ...

HISTORY OF RAJPIPLA

The princely state of Rajpipla was prettily situated in the foothills of the Satpura range, between 2 important rivers of western India-the Narmada and the Tapti. Spanning an area of over 1600 sq miles, of which 600 were forests and the rest fertile agricultural plains and river valleys, it grew to be one of the most prosperous princely states in Gujarat, second only to Baroda in south eastern Gujarat, with a salute of 13 guns. Chokrana, a Parmar Rajput prince of Ujjain in Malwa(now the western part of the state of Madya Pradesh), following disputes with his father settled in Pipla town. His daughter was married to the Gohil Rajput king Mokhadaji of Ghogha, whose descendants are the rulers of Bhavnagar, and when he died heir-less, Samarsinhji, the son of Mokhadaji succeeded to the throne and changed his name to Arjun Sinhji. Since then Nandad(Rajpipla) was ruled by the Gohil Rajput dynasty. The times were turbulent and it was not easy for the Gohils to retain their territory. They had to face severe invasions from the sultans of Ahmedabad, the Mughal emperors and finally the Marathas, each time coming back to power by joining forces with the hill tribes and making guerilla attacks. The golden period of Rajpipla began when His highness Chatra Sinhji came to the throne and began the progressive trend of Rajpipla in the late-19th century . But the builder of modern and affluent Rajpipla was his son, Vijay Sinhji, who came to the throne in 1915 AD, and proved to be a great administrator. He was confered the Knight commander title, the heriditary title of Maharajah and the gun salutes for the ruler of Rajpipla were increased from 11 to 13.

 He introduced free Primary education, nominal high school fees, scholarships, a hospital, 5 dispensaries and a veterinary hospital in the state, good public works, a criminal-and-civil court, good motorable roads, a 40 mile railway line connecting Rajpipla to Ankleshwar, a junction on the Dehli-Ahmedabad-Bombay line, and a 19 mile steam rail-road & tramway connecting the towns along the river Narmada with villages in the interior and a power house supplying water and electricity to the town. The revenue of the state increased from 13 lakhs to 27 lakhs per annum between 1915-1930 and is said to have reached 36 lakhs in 1948, though taxes were reduced in terms of percentage! He regularised the land revenue systems, introduced pensions for public servants and increased the salary of the police and military. His relief efforts during droughts and floods were appreciated. He took an interest in agriculture and improved the quality of cotton, grains and fruits grown in his territory.Town planning in 1927 was far sighted, and builders were given permission conditional to leaving 3 to 4 ft space for widening roads. The design of new buildings were well integrated and harmonized. Sports were Maharajah Vijay Sinhji's passion. He was a keen horseman, and maintained one of the finest stables of race horses in India. His horse, Embargo won the Irish Derby in 1926 and Grad prix in Belgium in 1927, and another horse, Windsor Lad, won the Epson Derby in 1934. Other horses, like Melesigenes, won him almost every prize worth it's name in races at Bombay, Pune and other Indian courses, and in 1932-33 he topped the racing events in India. Even the king and queen of Britain felicated him on his victory on the English turf. He spent much of the sporting season in England, and returned to India in winter when he encouraged outdoor sports like Football, Hockey and Cricket. Sports were made compulsory for students of Rajpipla state. He equipped Rajpipla with a polo ground and gymkhana club. One of Maharajah's dreams for Rajpipla, a 150 acre aerodrome, never saw it's inception as the powers were lost in 1948 AD. 

Surprisingly, Maharajah Vijay Sinhji who was known for his long sojourns to Europe and his loyalty to the British crown, started a nationalist movement in the 1940s and like his fellow Gohil Rajput rulers of Bhavnagar and Udaipur, was one of the first rulers to hand over his state to the Indian democracy in 1948 along with Rs.28 lakhs lying in the state treasury. He urged other Rajputs to give up their states in the cause of a united nation at a meeting in his Nepean Sea road residence in Bombay. He died at one of his European villas in 1951 AD but was cremated on the banks of the river Narmada, 18 kms from his former capital.