The history of Jyotiraditya Scindia's family-the man currently making waves in the political world-is in some ways strongly linked to important moments in Indian history. In 1761, at the Third Battle of Panipat-fought between the Marathas and the Afghan Ahmed Shah Abdalli-the Scindia contingent of the Maratha army saw grievous losses, including the deaths of commanders like Tukoji Scindia and Jankoji Scindia. This battle involved what is considered one of the greatest massacres in the history of war, with perhaps 50,000 Maratha soldiers and non-combatants killed, alongside 20,000 Afghan soldiers.

The Past

A man who providentially escaped the battle field was the grievously injured Mahadji Scindia, possibly Jyotiraditya's most illustrious ancestor. He went on to be, in many ways, central to the resurgence of Maratha power after battle of 1761, becoming the arbitrator of Emperor Shah Alam's affairs in Delhi, leaving a rich legacy of diplomatic vision and bravery. Some rank him as the third most important hero in Maratha history, after Chattarapati Shivaji and Peshwa Bajirao. The great historian Jadunath described Mahadji as a colossus, whose bravery and farsighted diplomacy delayed British dominance over India by almost 20 years. In fact, some say his death in 1794 began the disintegration of the Maratha Empire and the dominance of the British.

Mahadji Scindia, as ruler of Gwalior, left a rich legacy. His tolerance and policies to manage Hindu-Muslim unity established a model that in many ways informs Indian society today. He is noted for welcoming moderate Muslims, but is also known to have been severe with their radical cousins. One reason credited for his policies was an experience on the battle field of Panipat-his life was saved by a Muslim, Rana Khan. The model of composite culture that Mahadji left behind was visible in Gwalior till princely rule ended in 1947. It included attempts to foster unity, like Hindus being requested to wear green clothes during Id and Muslims being encouraged to actively participate in key Hindu festivals.

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However, British rule in India also involved painful decisions for Indian rulers, some of which are still potent as accusations today. One such is the decision by another of Jyotiraditya's ancestors, Jayajirao. During the Indian revolt of 1857, Jayajirao Scindia, as ruler of Gwalior, sided with the British during the Indian revolt, helping to suppress it. However, what is also true is that he was not alone in his decision-many other Indian rulers also sided with the British, doing the same.

The Scindia family retained its importance after India's independence. Sardar Patel and the then ruler of Gwalior-Jyotiradita's grandfather, Jiwajirao-shared a brief but warm relationship between 1947 and 1950, when Patel died. During the merger of Princely States with the Indian Union, Sardar Patel held in high esteem those rulers who were found to have ruled their people well. Jiwajirao was one of those princes, in Patel's eyes. According to V.P. Menon, his manfriday during the enormous administrative exercise of the merger, Patel had found Gwalior's finances to be in excellent condition and had developed quite some respect for Jiwajirao and his administration, even noting the fact that the court of Gwalior had maintained a special fund, Gangajali, to help its poorer citizens get healthcare and other social benefits. The friendship that developed was strong enough that after Patel died, Jiwajirao had a painting of him commissioned and hung in Parliament, where it still hangs today.

Modern Politics

Jyotiraditya's decision to join the BJP, in some ways, brings the Scindia-BJP story full circle-though that story is also deeply woven with the Congress.

Jyotiraditya's grandmother, Vijaya Raje Scindia, entered politics with a Lok Sabha election win as a Congress MP the late 1950s. Later, perhaps feeling sidelined, she left the Congress in the mid 1960s, joining the Swatantra Party. Soon after, she joined the Jana Sangh, becoming in many ways the party's godmother, even supporting it financially. (It was at this time that her son, Madhavrao Scindia, Jyotiraditya's father, won the Gwalior seat in the 1972 Lok Sabha election on a Jana Sangh ticket, becoming the youngest MP at the age of 26.) During the Emergency, she was imprisoned with other political leaders on Mrs Gandhi's orders. Soon after, she became one of the founding members of the BJP, and remained a power centre in the party until her death in 2001. In 1989, she won the Guna Lok Sabha seat as a BJP MP and retained that seat until 1998, when she chose to retire from politics.

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However, in that time, she also clashed fiercely with her son Madhavrao, who chose a different political path. In 1980, after the Emergency had ended, he switched sides and joined the Congress, winning the Guna Lok Sabha seat that year. In 1984 Lok Sabha election after the death of Indira Gandhi, he shot to fame by defeating the BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the race for the Gwalior seat. He was made Minister for Railways that year, and is widely credited with doing great justice to the post, improving services and administration and even introducing the venerable Shatabdi service. Until his untimely death in 2001 in a plane crash, Mahdavrao maintained an unbroken string of victories, serving as a nine-time member of parliament. He remained a Congress member through his political life, barring a notable rebellion against the party around 1997.

In the by-election for the Guna Lok Sabha seat following his death, his son, Jyotiraditya Scindia, took up the mantle, going on to win the seat. He has since then maintained an impressive win record and has served as minister of state for power, commerce and industry, and communications and IT in Congress governments. And on March 11, 2020, after almost two decades as a Congress member, Jyotiraditya crossed the aisle and joined the BJP, marking yet another chapter in the Scindia family's turbulent political history.

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