Western India States Agency

Agency of British India

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1924–1944

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Map of the area of the Western India States Agency and the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency during the British Raj

History

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Established

1924

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Formation of the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency

1944

Area

•

1941

16,558 km²(6,393 sq mi)

Population

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1941

5,220,011

Density

315.3 /km² (816.5 /sq mi)

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

The Western India States Agency (WISA) was one of the agencies of British India. This agency was formed on October 10, 1924 as a part of the implementation of the Montague Chelmsford report on constitutional reforms. It was formed by merging the areas under the erstwhile Kathiawar, Cutch [covering only Kutch state] and Palanpur agencies.

At one time or another between 1924 and 1944, 435 princely states were included in this agency, roughly covering the present Gujarat state, but only eighteen out of these were salute states, most petty (e)states, some no larger than a town or village.

The divisions of the Western India States Agency were :

The city of Rajkot became the headquarters of this new agency and C.C. Watson became its first political agent to the Governor General of British India. Its boundary was modified twice, in 1933 and 1943. On November 5, 1944 it was merged with the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency to form the larger Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency.

In 1924, Palanpur Agency was merged into the Western India States Agency and placed under the political control of the Government of India. The designation of Palanpur Agency was changed to Banas Kantha Agency in 1925 and Palanpur State was transferred to the Rajputana Agency in 1933. Also in 1933, the states of the Mahi Kantha Agency, except for Danta were included in this agency.

In 1941, the area covered by this agency was 39,688 square miles (102,800 km²) and the population was 52,20,011.

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