Prant

A prant is a historical district in India, and a native British Raj age term for a colonial district. The same name can thus have different meanings depending on the period.

Pre-colonial

Some prants are traditional names for parts of historical regions, such as the original ten regions of Kathiawad on Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat: Jhalawar in the north, Machhukantha west of it, Halar in the northwest, Okhamandal in the extreme west, Barda of Jethwar along the southwest coast, Sorath in the south, Babriawar in the hilly southeast, Kathiawar proper, Undsarviya along Shetrunji river and then finally Gohelwad, along the eastern Cambay coast and comminated by Gohel Rajputs.

Colonial

British

During the British Raj], the term is often applied to the colonial Districts of British India.
At the same time, the agency exercising indirect rule over the princely states in Kathiawar on Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat grouped them in four prants : Gohelwad, Halar, Jhalawar and Sorath.

Native

However a Raj-age prant can also still be a native term for a 'province' of a large princely state in a subsidiary alliance with the British. Thus, the Rajput Gaekwad Rajput dynasty organised its Baroda State into four administrative prants, equivalent to British Districts, namely Baroda itself, Kadi, Navsari and Amreli, the smallest.