Sayajirao Gaekwad, also known as Maharaja Sayajirao III Gaekwad, was a prominent ruler of the Gaekwad dynasty and the Maharaja of the princely state of Baroda (now Vadodara) in present-day Gujarat, India. He reigned from 1875 to 1939 and is widely regarded as one of the most progressive and visionary rulers in the history of India.