| Mahi Kantha Agency | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency of British India | |||||||
| 1820–1933 | |||||||
 Mahi Kantha Agency in Gujarat | |||||||
| Capital | Sadra | ||||||
| Area | |||||||
• 1901 | 8,094 km2 (3,125 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 1901 | 361,545 | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 1820 | ||||||
• Formation of theWestern India States Agency | 1933 | ||||||
| |||||||
Mahi Kantha was a political agency or collection ofprincely states inBritish India, within theGujarat Division ofBombay Presidency. In 1933, the states of the Mahi Kantha Agency, except forDanta, were included in theWestern India States Agency.[1] The total area of the agency was 8,094 km2 (3,125 sq mi); the population in 1901 was 361,545.
The states came within the British sphere of influence after theSecond Anglo-Maratha War of 1803–1805. In 1811, when the Maratha power was declining, the British Government stipulated to collect and pay over to the ruler of Baroda the yearly tribute of the Mahi Kantha states. In 1820 they finally took over the management of the whole territory, agreeing to collect and pay over the tribute free of expense to Baroda, while Baroda was pledged not to send troops into the country, or in any way to interfere with the administration. After a few disturbances in the 1830s, in 1857-58 and 1867, peace remained unbroken in the region until 1881, when theBhils of Pol rose against their chief and extorted from him a settlement of their claims.[2][better source needed]
In 1933 the agencies of Mahi Kantha andBanas Kantha, known asPalanpur Agency until 1925, were merged. HoweverPalanpur State was transferred to theRajputana Agency and was thus not part of the newly created agency.
After theindependence of India in 1947, the rulers of the Mahi Kantha states acceded to theGovernment of India, and the area was reorganized into districts ofBombay State. In 1960, Bombay State was split along linguistic lines, and the area of Mahi Kantha became part of the new state ofGujarat.
The states were classified in the following manner:
The agency included as well a large number of estates belonging toRajput or [chuvad 16.gam s.stet Thakur Sahab i people|Thakur saheb]] formerly feudatories ofBaroda; several of the states paid tribute to Baroda, and some, being classed as non-jurisdictional thalukdars, were under British administration.[3]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Mahi Kantha".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 396.