Rajput Princely States
Gun Salutes
A salute state was a princely state under the British Raj during the time of British rule which had been granted a gun salute by the British Crown (as paramount ruler); i.e., the protocolary privilege for its ruler to be greeted—originally by Royal Navy ships, later also on land—with a number of cannon shots, in graduations of two salutes from three to 21, as recognition of the state’s relative status. The gun-salute system of recognition was first instituted during the time of the East India Company in the late 18th century, and was continued under direct Crown rule from 1858.| Salutes | Provinces |
|---|---|
| 21 | Baroda, Gwalior, Jammu And Kashmir, Mysore |
| 19 | Indore, Kolhapur, Udaipur |
| 17 | Bikaner, Bundi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Karauli, Kotah, Kutch, Rewah |
| 15 | Alwar, Banswara, Datia, Dewas Senior, Dhar, Dungarpur, Idar, Jaisalmer, Kishangarh, Orchha, Pratapgarh, Sirohi |
| 13 | Bhavnagar, Cooch Behar, Dhrangadhra, Jhalawar, Nawanagar, Porbandar, Rajpipla, Ratlam |
| 11 | Ajaigarh, Ali Rajpur, Barwani, Bijawar, Bilaspur, Chamba, Charkhari, Chhatarpur, Gondal, Jhabua, Mandi, Morvi, Narsinghgarh, Panna, Rajgarh, Sailana, Samthar, Sirmur, Sitamau, Tehri Garhwal, Wankaner |
| 9 | Bansda, Baria, Chhota Udaipur, Danta, Dharampur, Dhrol, Kalahandi, Khilchipur, Limbdi, Lunawada, Maihar, Mayurbhanj, Mudhol, Nagod, Palitana, Patna, Rajkot, Sant, Savantvadi, Shahpura, Sonepur, Wadhwan |
Agencies
By the time of the departure of the British in 1947, only four of the largest of the states still had their own British Resident, a diplomatic title for advisors present in the states’ capitals, while most of the others were grouped together into Agencies, such as the Central India Agency, the Deccan States Agency, Rajputana Agency, etc. Eastern States Agencies was a political office of the Bengal Presidency of the British Indian Empire and consisted of Orissa States Agency, Chhattisgarh States Agency and Bengal States Agency. Baroda and Gujarat States Agency was a political agency of British India, managing the relations of the British government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of princely states. Mahi Kantha was a political agency within the Gujarat Division of Bombay Presidency. The Rajputana Agency was a political office of the British Indian Empire dealing with a collection of states northwestern India, under the political charge of an Agent reporting directly to the Governor-General of India and residing at Mount Abu in the Aravalli Range. For administrative purposes Rajputana Agency (Area 330,330 km2) was subdivided into nine groups of states, consisting of three residencies and six agencies:- Mewar Residency (Area 12,691mi2), with headquarters at Udaipur, dealt with Mewar State (Udaipur).
- Western Rajputana States Agency, which included the states of Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh. This agency was part of Mewar Residency until 1906, when it was separated.
- Jaipur Residency (Area 15,579mi2), with headquarters at Jaipur, dealt with the states of Jaipur and Kishangarh, as well as the estate of Lawa.
- Western Rajputana States Residency (Area 34,963mi2), with its headquarters at Jodhpur, dealt with the states of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Sirohi.
- Bikaner Agency (Area 23,311mi2), with headquarters at Bikaner, dealt with the state of Bikaner.
- Alwar Agency, with headquarters at Alwar, dealt with the state of Alwar.
- Eastern Rajputana States Agency, with headquarters at Bharatpur, dealt with the states of Bharatpur, Dholpur, and Karauli.
- Haraoti-Tonk Agency, with headquarters at Deoli, dealt with the states of Tonk, Bundi and Shahpura.
- Kotah-Jhalawar Agency, with headquarters at Kota, dealt with the states of Kota and Jhalawar.