Baroda and Gujarat States Agency

Agency of British India

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1937–1944

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Map of the area of the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency. The territories of Baroda State are in violet and those of other states in green.

History

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Merger of Baroda, Rewa Kantha, Surat and other minor agencies

1937

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Formation of the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency

1944

Area

•

1931

42,267 km²(16,319 sq mi)

Population

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1931

3,760,800

Density

89 /km² (230.4 /sq mi)

"A collection of treaties, engagements, and sunnuds relating to India and neighbouring countries"

Baroda and Gujarat States Agency was a political agency of British India, managing the relations of the British government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of princely states.

The political agent, who was also Collector of the British District of the Panchmahal, resided at Baroda (Vadodara).

In 1937, the great Gaekwar Baroda State and other princely states of the Baroda Agency were merged with those of the agencies adjacent to the northern part of the Bombay Presidency, Rewa Kantha Agency, Surat Agency, Nasik Agency, Kaira Agency and Thana Agency, in order to form the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency.

On November 5, 1944 the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency was merged with the Western India States Agency (WISA) to form a larger Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency. At Indian Independence, this would merge into Bombay State, ending up at its split in present Gujarat.

The process of the 'attachment scheme' began from 1940 onwards in order to integrate the smallest princely states, estates and thanas. Baroda State was one of the main beneficiaries of this measure by being able to add about 15,000 km² and half a million inhabitants to the state. The merged states were Pethapur on 1 February 1940, the Katosan Thana, with Deloli, Kalsapura, Maguna, Memadpura, Rampura, Ranipura, Tejpura, Varsora, the Palaj Taluka and both Ijpura States between June and July 1940. These were followed on 10 July 1943 by the states of Ambliara, Ghorasar, Ilol, Katosan, Khadal, Patdi, Punadra, Ranasan, Wasoda and Wao Also many small Talukas of the region were merged. On 24 July 1943 Sachodar State and a few small places that had no own jurisdiction were annexed. Finally, by December the small states of Bajana, Bhilka, Malpur, Mansa and Vadia followed suit.

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