Shahu of Kolhapur

Shahu (26 June 1874 – 6 May 1922), also known as Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu or Shahu IV, was the ruler of the princely state of Kolhapur in British India from 1894 to 1922. Born Yeshwantrao Ghatge into the Ghatge Maratha family of Kagal, he was adopted by the Kolhapur royal family on 17 March 1884 following the death of the childless Maharaja Shivaji VI. He received his education at Rajkumar College in Rajkot and was tutored in administrative affairs by Sir Stuart Fraser before ascending to the throne on 2 April 1894. During his 28-year reign, Shahu implemented social and educational reforms aimed at improving conditions for lower-caste communities. His administration issued a reservation order on 26 July 1902 that provided 50% reservation in government jobs and education for backward classes, establishing one of India's earliest affirmative action policies. He established numerous educational institutions including hostels for various caste and religious communities, and made primary education compulsory and free in his state in 1917. In recognition of his educational initiatives, the University of Cambridge conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on 10 June 1903.

Shahu's government enacted several pieces of social legislation addressing caste and gender discrimination. These included laws permitting widow remarriage (1 January 1917), legalizing inter-caste and inter-religious marriages (12 July 1919), and prohibiting the Devadasi system (11 November 1920). He pursued economic development through the establishment of cooperative societies, textile mills including the Shahu Chhatrapati Spinning and Weaving Mill (1906), and agricultural institutions. A major infrastructure project undertaken during his reign was the Radhanagari Dam on the Bhogawati River, initiated in 1907 and completed posthumously in 1935, which enabled irrigation of approximately 15,000 hectares of land. He maintained an association with B. R. Ambedkar between 1917 and 1921, providing financial support for Ambedkar's newspaper Mooknayak and collaborating on issues of caste discrimination. A patron of traditional wrestling, Shahu established numerous training facilities throughout Kolhapur and built Khasbag Stadium.