Saurashtra, also known as United State of Kathiawar, was a

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

that existed between 1948 and 1956,States of India since 1947
/ref> on Saurashtra alias Kathiawar peninsula, with Rajkot as its capital,

History

Formation as United State of Kathiawar

Saurashtra State was originally named the United State of Kathiawar. It was formed on 15 February 1948, from approximately 200 large and small

Princely States A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...

of the colonial

Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency The Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency was an agency of the Indian Empire, managing the relations of the Provincial Government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of princely states. The political agent in charge of the a ...

of the

British raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

territory under direct colonial rule. The name of State was given after the

Kathiawar Kathiawar () is a peninsula, near the far north of India's west coast, of about bordering the Arabian Sea. It is bounded by the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest and by the Gulf of Khambhat (Gulf of Cambay) in the east. In the northeast, it is ...

and

Saurashtra region Saurashtra, also known as Sorath or Kathiawar, is a peninsular region of Gujarat, India, located on the Arabian Sea coast. It covers about a third of Gujarat state, notably 11 districts of Gujarat, including Rajkot District. It was formerly a s ...

, both of which generally denote the same geographical region of lands on the main peninsula of Gujarat. The persuasions of

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar, was an Indian lawyer, influential political leader, barrister and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of I ...

and the influence of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

are credited for persuading most of the States of Kathiawar to join the Union of India and sign the Instrument of Accession. Patel met and managed to convince the local princes and petty subas, totaling 222 in

alone. Among these in Kathiawar Agency were 14 Salute states, 17 minor and 191 petty Non-salute Princely States and 46 Estates (Jagir-level). Most of the native rulers of the Kathiawar States entered into a Covenant for the formation of the United States of Kathiawar on 24 January 1948.Indian Philately
/ref> The large Kathiawar peninsula included some prominent princely states of India, notably salute state : * the vast Baroda State, title Maharaja Gaekwar, Hereditary salute of 21-guns (highest native rank in colonial India) *

Idar Idar may refer to: People * Idar Andersen (born 1999), Norwegian road racing cyclist * Idar Kreutzer (born 1962), Norwegian businessperson * Idar Kristiansen (1932–1985), Norwegian poet, novelist, short story writer and non-fiction writer * ...

, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 15-guns *

Bhavnagar State Bhavnagar State was a princely state with 13 Gun Salutes during the British Raj. It was part of Kathiawar Agency in Saurashtra. The State of Bhavnagar covered an area of 2,961 sq. miles and had a population of 618,429 in 1941. Its ruler ...

, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 13-guns (15-guns local) * Navanagar, title Maharaja Jam Sahib, Hereditary salute of 13-guns (15-guns local) * Dhrangadhra(-Halvad), title Maharaja Raj Sahib, Hereditary salute of 13-guns * Porbandar, title Maharaja Rana Sahib, Hereditary salute of 13-guns * Rajpipla State, title Rajpipla, Hereditary salute of 13-guns *

Cambay Cambay, Kambay or Khambhat was a princely state in India during the British Raj. The City of Khambat (Cambay) in present-day Gujarat was its capital. The state was bounded in the north by the Kaira district and in the south by the Gulf of C ...

, title Nawab, Hereditary salute of 11-guns * Gondal, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns *

Morvi Morbi or Morvi is a city in the Morbi district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is situated on the Kathiawar peninsula. , the city's population was determined to be 194,947. The city is on the Machhu River, from the sea and from Rajkot. H ...

, title Maharan, Hereditary salute of 11-guns *

Wankaner Wankaner is a city and a municipality in Morbi district in the State of Gujarat. Until 2013, Wankaner was part of the Rajkot district. Etymology The city was named after its location on the Machhu River, "Wankaner" translating to "riverbend" ( ...

, title Maharana Raj Sahib, Hereditary salute of 11-guns * Baria, title Maharaol, Hereditary salute of 9-guns (11-guns personal) * Dharampur, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 9-guns (11-guns personal) * Dhrol, title Thakore Sahib, Hereditary salute of 9-guns *

Limbdi Limbdi is a taluka in Surendranagar district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. History The area formed a part of the 9-gun salute state during the British Raj, when it was governed by members of a Jhala (clan), Jh ...

, title Thakore Sahib, Hereditary salute of 9-guns *

Palitana Pālītāṇā is a city in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre ("shashwat tirth") for Jains. It is first of the two vegetarian cities in the world. Histo ...

, title Thakore Sahib, Hereditary salute of 9-guns * Rajkot, title Thakore Sahib, Hereditary salute of 9-guns * Sachin, title Nawab, Hereditary salute of 9-guns *

Wadhwan Wadhwan, also spelled Vadhwan, is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located on the banks of the Bhogavo River, around 3 km from Surendranagar and 111 km from Ahmedabad, Wadhwan is a ...

, title Maharana, Hereditary salute of 9-guns and many smaller non-salute-states, including petty (e)states, often not more than one or two villages, making the peninsula the most fragmented of feudal age India. Among the States of Kathiawar, Baroda State -which was the third largest Princely state of India, having its territories scattered over

Dwarka Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...

in West of Kathiawar to

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

in South- did not sign the covenant for the formation of the United States of Kathiawar. Instead the erstwhile Gaekwar Maharaja of Baroda, Pratap Singh Gaekwad declared a full responsible Government on 4 September 1948, under

Jivraj Narayan Mehta Jivraj Narayan Mehta (29 August 1887 – 7 November 1978) was an Indian politician and the first Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also served as the first "Dewan" (Prime Minister) of the erstwhile Baroda state, and Indian high commissioner to the ...

, as Prime Minister of the State, as per scheme envisioned by Sardar Patel. The Baroda State later merged itself into Bombay State on 1 May 1949.Baroda State
/ref> Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel inaugurated the United State of Kathiawar on 15 February 1948. On this occasion he paid tribute to Jam Sahib and the other rulers of erstwhile Princely States of Kathiawar, saying :- The Jam Sahib K. S. Digvijaysinhji of

Nawanagar State Nawanagar was an Indian princely state in the historical Halar region, located on the southern shores of the Gulf of Kutch. It was ruled by the Jadeja Rajput dynasty and became the part of newly formed India. The city is now known as Jamnagar. ...

one of the chief negotiator from the side of rulers of Kathiawar in his reply observed and said :-

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

described the event as a great step forward and one of the most notable in contemporary Indian history. He further commended the statesmanship of Sardar Patel and further wrote in his letter to provincial chief ministers on 20 February 1948 :- Upon formation of United State of Kathiawar, Lord Mountbatten also congratulated Sardar Patel, saying :- However, it was sad that Mahatma Gandhi was not alive by that time to see his dream of whole of Kathiawar getting united under one umbrella. Even after creation of United States of Kathiawar, there were some patches of lands in Kathiawar belonging to princely states of

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally ...

, Mangrol, Manavadar and others, which did not join the convention and were wishing to join

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. It was later after

violent Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

integration of Junagadh into Union of India that a referendum was held and Junagadh, Mangrol, Manavadar,

Babariawad Babariawad was a small principality under suzerainty of the Princely State of Junagadh. During British India, was the easternmost district of Princely State of Junagadh, in south central Kathiawar. It consisted then of some 51 villages and city o ...

and others became ''a legal part of India''. However, due to some technicalities, these territories even after the referendum remained under an Executive Council of popular representatives of Junagadh led by

Samaldas Gandhi Samaldas Gandhi (1897-1953) was a journalist and Indian independence activist who headed the ''Aarzi Hakumat'' or ''Provisional Government'' of the erstwhile princely state of Junagadh. He was a nephew of Mahatma Gandhi. Early life Samaldas ...

, for some time, who assisted the administrator appointed by Government of India in managing affairs of these states.

Renamed Saurashtra

In November 1948, the United State of Kathiawar was renamed the United State of Saurashtra or Saurashtra State, when a supplementary covenant was negotiated and executed by the native rulers of the princely states merged into United State of Kathiawar. Once the Saurashtra Union came into existence, a second supplementary covenant was executed in January 1949, providing the integration of Junagadh with Saurashtra. A few days later on 20 February 1949, the administration of Junagadh State (another major salute state) and also that of Mangrol, Manavadar,

Bantva Bantva or Bantwa, is a small town in Saurashtra region of the state of Gujarat in India. Geography Bantva is located at an altitude of 20 meters. Nearby towns are Nanadiya, Limbuda, Nakara Manavadar, Vanthali, Junagadh, Keshod, Visavadar, ...

and Sardargarh were officially handed over to Saurashtra Government.

Dissolution

On 1 November 1956 Saurashtra State ceased to exist as a State and became a part of Bombay State, the territory of which was enlarged on that day to include Kutch State, Saurashtra State,

Marathwada Marathwada () is a proposed state and geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. I ...

Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: �id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the east of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a proposed state of central India, comprising the state's Amravati and Nagpur divisions. Amravati Division's former name is Ber ...

, while a southern portion was excluded, which went to

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. Following Mahagujarat Movement, the Bombay State was again dissolved to be carved into two separate states of Maharashtra and

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

created on linguistic basis on 1 May 1960 With this, the area of Saurashtra State again became a geographically defined region, Saurashtra, within the State of Gujarat.

Chief officers

Rajpramukhs

The following princes of salute states served as

Rajpramukh Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India which existed from India's independence in 1947 until 1956. Rajpramukhs were the appointed governors of certain Indian provinces and states. Background The British Indian Empire, which inclu ...

(premier Prince), i.e. Head of the State : * Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavsinhji (b. 1912 - d. 1965), the last ruler of

, was acting Rajpramukh. * Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, last ruler of Nawanagar, was Rajpramukh from 1948 until 31 October 1956 ** Mayurdwajsinhji Meghrajji III, the last ruler of Dhrangadhra State, was appointed as Upa-Rajpramukh alias Deputy Rajapramukh, to serve as acting Rajpramukh during the absence of Rajpramukh. He worked as Uprajpramukh from 1948 till 1956.

Chief Ministers

* Uchharangray Navalshankar Dhebar acted as Chief Minister of State from 1948 till December 1954 (b. 1905 - d. 1977) INC . * Rasiklal Umedchand Parikh was second and last Chief Minister of State from 19 December 1954 till 1956 (b. 1910 - d. 1982) INC .

References

Sources and external links

WorldStatesmen - India - States post 1947
{{Authority control Former states and territories of India History of Gujarat (1947–present) Political integration of India Vallabhbhai Patel 1956 disestablishments in India States and territories established in 1948 1948 establishments in India States and territories disestablished in 1956