Western India States Agency


The Western India States Agency was one of the agencies of British India. This agency was formed on 10 October 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 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. Some 163 Talukas and Estates were included in this Agency: these were mostly petty states, some no larger than 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 Agent to the Governor General of British India. Its boundary was modified twice, in 1933 and 1943. On 5 November 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 and the population was 52,20,011.

Chief officers

Agent to the Governor-General and Resident, Western States

  • 10 Oct 1924 – 15 July 1926 Charles Cuningham Watson
  • 16 July 1926 – Nov 1926 A.D. Macpherson
  • 21 Nov 1926 – 17 October 1927 Sir Charles Watson
  • 18 Oct 1927 – 18 May 1928 Edward Herbert Kealy
  • 19 May 1928 – Apr 1929 H.S. Strong
  • 3 April 1929 – 23 October 1929 Terence Humphrey Keyes
  • 24 Oct 1929 – Aug 1931 Edward Herbert Kealy
  • 15 Aug 1931 – Aug 1932 A.H.E. Mosse
  • 17 Aug 1932 – 26 May 1933 J. Courtenay Latimer
  • 27 May 1933 – 13 October 1933 J.C. Tate
  • 14 Oct 1933 – 5 June 1936 Courtenay Latimer
  • 6 June 1936 – 1 April 1937 J. de la Hay Gordon
  • 1 November 1936 – 31 March 1937 Sir Courtenay Latimer

Residents for the Western India States Agency

  • 1 April 1937 – 10 October 1937 Sir Courtenay Latimer
  • 11 Oct 1937 – 31 January 1941 Edmund Currey Gibson
  • 1 February 1941 – 14 March 1941 G.B. Williams
  • 15 Mar 1941 – 3 April 1942 M.C. Sinclair
  • 4 April 1942 – 14 April 1942 R.W. Parkes
  • April 1942 – Nov 1942 Edmund Currey Gibson
  • 2 November 1942 – 5 September 1944 Philip Gaisford
  • 6 September 1944 – 5 November 1944 Cyril Percy Hancock