Dhrangadhra State

Dhrangadhra State ધ્રાંગધ્રા રિયાસત ध्रांगध्रा रियासत
Princely State of British India
1742–1948 →
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Dhragandhra State in Saurashtra
History
•	Established	1742
•	Indian independence	1948
Area
•	1892	3,023 km2 (1,167 sq mi)
Population
•	1892	100,000
	Density	33.1 /km2  (85.7 /sq mi)
Today part of		India
Princely States of India

Dhrangadhra State was a princely state during the British Raj.^[1] The town of Dhrangadhra served as its capital. It was also known as Halvad-Dhrangadhra State. Halvad once had been the capital of this state.^[2] In 1735, Dhrangadhra was founded as its new capital.

History

The state was founded as Jhalawad in 1090 by Harpal Dev Makwana, also founding father of the Jhala Rajput dynasty of Wankaner State. In 1742 Dhrangadhra, a new capital, was founded and the state was renamed after it. Among the earlier names were Kuwa and Halwad; the state is still sometimes styled Halwad(-Dhrangadhra).

Dhrangadhra State was ruled by Rajputs belonging to the Jhala dynasty.^[3] The rulers of the state bore the title Raj Sahib,^[4] until 1918 when the style Maharaja Shri Raj Sahib was adopted.

Under the British raj, the colonial Eastern Kathiawar Agency was in charge of Dhrangadhra, which was a salute state entitled to a Hereditary salute of 13-guns. The state had a population of 100,000 in 1892 on 3,023 Square Kilometers km². The privy purse was fixed at 380,000 Rupees when it ceased to exist by accession to recently independent India's western state Saurashtra (now in Gujarat) on 15 February 1948.

Rulers

Raj Sahibs of Dhrangadhra

H.H. Man Singh, Raja of Dhrangadhra, c. 1870s

• Raisinhji II Pratapsinhji, 36th Raja 1730 see above, first at Dhrangadhra
• Gajsinhji II Raisinhji, firstborn of the above, 37th Raj Sahib of Dhrangadhra 1744?45 - death 1782, married 15 wives
• Jashwantsinhji II Gajsinhji, born 17.. firstborn of the above, 38th Raja 1782 - death 1801; already ruled nominally in opposition in Halwad from 1758
• Raniji Jijibai Kunverba - 1758 - 1782 female Regent for above (minor?) son Jashwantsinhji II; in opposition in Halwad
• Raisinhji III Jashwantsinhji, born 1761 son of the above, 39th Raja 1801 - death 1804
• Amarsinhji II Raisinhji, born 1782 firstborn of the above, 40th Raj Sahib 1804 - death 9 April 1843
• Ranmalsinhji Amarsinhji (from 24 May 1866, Sir Ranmalsinhji Amarsinhji as K.C.S.I., granted a permanent salute of 11 guns in 1867), born 20 July 1809 as first son of the above, 41st Raj Sahib 9 April 1843 – death 16 October 1869
  • second son Kumar Shri Maheramji Ranmalji (by 3rd wife), received Ganjela as his share of the patrimony, married and had issue.
  • fifth son Kumar Shri Raghunathsinhji Ranmalji (by 1st wife, but 5th son), received the village of Hampur
• Mansinhji II Ranmalsinhji, born 1837 as son of the above, 42st Raja 16 Oct 1869 - 2 Dec 1900 (from 1 Jan 1877, Sir Mansinhji II Ranmalsinhji), K.C.S.I., was granted a personal salute of 15 guns in 1877, founded the English School (now the High School) and Gujarati schools in principal villages of the State, built the Prince of Wales Hospital at his capital, reorganised the judiciary and established one of the first cotton ginning factories in Saurashtra
• 2 Dec 1900 - 8 Feb 1911 Ajitsinhji Jashwantsinhji (b. 1872 son the above's eldest son Rajkumar Jaswantsinhji Mansinhji - d. 1911) (from 1 Jan 1909, Sir Ajitsinhji Jashwantsinhji); he built new roads and planted trees in Dhrangadhra town, built many buildings including the Ajitniewas Palace and the Jaswantsinhji Library and made primary and secondary education free in the State.
• TO BE FURTHER ELABORATED
• 8 Feb 1911 - 1 Jan 1918 Ganshyamsinhji Ajitsinhji (b. 1889 - d. 1942) (from 1 Jan 1917, Sir Ganshyamsinhji Ajitsinhji)

See also

• Jhalawar State

References

External links

• IndianRajputs - Dhrangadhra State

Coordinates: 22°59′N 71°28′E / 22.98°N 71.47°E / 22.98; 71.47