Editing Gaurishankar Udayshankar (section)

== Life and career ==
He was born into a family of Vadnagara [[Nagar Brahmins|Nagar]] [[Brahmin]]s from [[Ghogha]] near Bhavnagar.<ref name="QRHS">{{cite book|title=The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies|publisher=Calcutta, Institute of Historical Studies|year=1982–1983 |volume=22 |page=32 |issn=0033-5800|oclc=1774418|orig-year=1961}}</ref>

He rose from being a revenue officer to state minister in 1847. On the death of the reigning chief, in 1870, he was appointed joint administrator in concert with a British official.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911 |wstitle=Vodeyshankar, Gowrishankar |volume=28 |page=170 |inline=1}}</ref>

During his tenure, many improvements were introduced. The land revenue was based on a cash system, the fiscal and customs systems were remodelled and tree planting was encouraged. The Gowrishankar Waterworks was completed in Bhavnagar, on which six lakhs of rupees were spent. The Bhavnagar state began construction of a network of railway lines over the peninsula of Kathiawar. The British government acknowledged Gowrishankar's many services with the distinction of [[Order of the Star of India]] in 1877.<ref name="EB1911" />