On Ranjitsinhji's 143rd Birth Anniversary, Here's How Cricket Helped Save Its First Superstar

Ranjitsinhji, ruler of Nawanagar between 1907-1933, had a disputed succession. Born in 1872 to a Jadeja family of Sarodar, Ranji had no legal claim to the throne. The Jam Vibhaji, ruler of Nawanagar, made him heir apparent to the throne after he decided to disinherit his son, Kalubha, on charges of misdemeanor.

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Having no other son, Vibhaji adopted Ranji, son of a distant relative, in 1878. However, when the Jam had a son in 1882, Ranji's claim to the throne was annulled. Under pressure from members of his zenana, Vibhaji appealed to the British government to accept Jaswantsinhji, the newborn, as the future ruler. The appeal was accepted and Ranji was disinherited in 1884.

Despite having been disinherited, Ranji did eventually become Jam in 1907. His succession to the throne would have been impossible had Ranji not turned out to be one of the world's best cricketers. His cricket skills endeared him to the British administrators many of who wanted him to be crowned Jam, though knowing well that he had no legal claim to the throne. From the late 1890s to 1920, Ranji scored close to 25,000 first-class runs at an average of 56 in 500 innings including 72 hundreds and 109 fifties. He played 15 Tests for England and on his debut vs Australia at Old Trafford, hit 62 and 150 not out. He was known to have invented the leg glance and the late cut.

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The British's unequivocal support for Ranji was evident when, after Jaswantsinhji's death, the British resident accepted Ranji's claim to the throne in 1907. With Jaswantsinhji's death in 1906, Ranji had an opportunity to stake his claim to the gadi. Of the claimants who presented their cases before the government for consideration, Lakhuba, son of Kalubha, the disinherited son of Jaswantsinhji, and Ranji were the most influential. Though Jaswantsinhji's queens claimed a right to rule, it was quickly brushed aside making it a contest between the two strongest incumbents. Leading British newspapers came out to support Ranji, and, 'On 13 November an unsigned article appeared in The Times which argued at length his claim to the Nawanagar throne.'

A comparative analysis of the petitions submitted by both, Ranji and Lakhuba, to the British resident reflects that Lakhuba's claim to the throne was legal and just. In his petition, submitted to the Governor and President of the Bombay council, Lakhuba asserted that he was the only surviving descendant of Jam Vibhaji and hence was the rightful heir to the throne. He mentioned that after the recognition of Jaswantsinhji as heir in 1884, Vibhaji had assigned to Lakhuba the status of a 'fataya' meaning 'cadet' or 'heir presumptive' and established him in that position through various rituals and ceremonies. His position entitled him to a giras grant of twelve villages.

Wiki

He concluded saying that the above facts proved beyond doubt:

That it was the fixed determination of my grandfather to establish me in the position of a fataya or heir presumptive, so that I might succeed to the gadi in the contingency which has now happened, viz, the death of Jaswantsinhji without a male issue and that in that event of Jaswantsinhji leaving no male issue surviving him, in their default, myself and my male descendants should succeed to the gadi.

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His observations about Ranji's petition also point to the validity of his claims:

Another most important point in connection with Ranjitsinhji's pretensions is that he was never in fact adopted, the adoption ceremonies having, in his case, been intentionally omitted by Jam Shri Vibhaji. The latter always asserted and maintained that although he had obtained the sanction of the government to adopt Ranjitsinhji he had never in fact adopted him. My grandfather deliberately refrained from performing the requisite ceremonies. It appears that in the case of Umedsinhji (Ranji's brother who died prematurely) the ceremonies had been performed whereupon he was given a new name, Raisinhji. The fact that Ranjitsinhji's name was never changed confirms what Jam Vibhaji used to maintain viz. that he had never in fact adopted Ranjitsinhji.

He summed up his case against Ranji arguing that the adoption of Ranjitsinhji was illegal:

Though justified, and stronger than Ranji's, his claims were summarily rejected and the government on 20 February 1907 announced Ranji as Jaswantsinhji's successor to the Nawanagar throne. Once crowned, Ranji consolidated his position over the Nawanagar gadi and continued to rule till his death in 1933 doing much to improve the economic condition of Nawanagar in these years.

(Originally published in TOI blogs)