Western India States Agency

Western India States Agency
Agency of British India

 

 

 

1924–1944
Map of the area of the Western India States Agency and the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency during the British Raj
History
  Established 1924
  Formation of the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency 1944
Area
  1941 16,558 km2 (6,393 sq mi)
Population
  1941 5,220,011 
Density 315.3 /km2  (816.5 /sq mi)
Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "article name needed". 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.[1]

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 then a town or village.

Agencies

The divisions of the Western India States Agency were :

History

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 a 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.[3]

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

Chief officers

Agents to the Governor-General for Western India States Agency

Residents for the Western India States Agency

See also

References

  1. Great Britain India Office. The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908
  2. List of Princely States of India
  3. William Lee-Warner, The Native States Of India (1910)
  4. Provinces of British India

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