The Deccan States Agency, also known as the Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency, was a political agency of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, managing the relations of the British government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of

princely states A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...

and jagirs (feudal 'vassal' estates) in western India.

History

The agency was created 1933 with the merger of the Kolhapur Agency (Kolhapur Residency), Poona Agency, Bijapur Agency, Dharwar Agency and Kolaba Agency. It was composed of a number of princely states and jagirs in Western India, located in the present-day Indian states of Maharashtra and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, six of which were Salute states. The princely states included in the agency were under the suzerainty, but not the control, of the British authorities of the Bombay Presidency. After Indian Independence in 1947, the states all acceded to the

Dominion of India The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...

, and were integrated into the Indian state of

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

. In 1956 the

Kannada language Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native ...

speaking southern portion of Bombay state, which included the former states of the Southern Maratha Country, was transferred to

Mysore State Mysore State, colloquially Old Mysore, was a state within the Dominion of India and the later India, Republic of India from 1947 until 1956. The state was formed by renaming the Kingdom of Mysore, and Bangalore replaced Mysore as the state's c ...

(later renamed

). Bombay State was divided into the new states of Maharashtra and

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

in 1960. Ramachandra Guha, '' India after Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy.'' HarperCollins, 2007

Princely (e)states

States of the former Kolhapur Agency

Salute states, by precedence : *

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is ...

, title Maharaja; Hereditary 19-guns salute * Janjira, title Nawab; Hereditary 11-guns (13-guns local): *

Sangli Sangli () is a city and the district headquarters of Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra, in western India. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli is situated on the banks ...

, title Raja; Hereditary 9-guns (11-guns personal) *

Mudhol Mudhol is a city previously known as "'Muduvolalu"' in the Bagalkote District in the northern part of the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is about from the district headquarters of Bagalkot and from subdivision of Jamakhandi. It is famous ...

, title Raja; Hereditary 9-guns Non-salute states, alphabetically : * Akalkot, title Raja * Aundh, title Pant Pratinidhi * Jamkhandi, title Raja *

Kurundwad Junior Kurundvad Junior, also spelt as 'Kurundwad', was of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj: 'Kurundvad Senior' and Kurundvad Junior. The two states separated in 1854 and less than a century later, on 8 March 1948, both states acceded ...

, title Rao * Kurundwad Senior, title Rao *

Miraj Junior Miraj Junior was one of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj: 'Miraj Senior' and Miraj Junior. The two states separated in 1820. It was under the southern division of the Bombay Presidency, forming part of the southern Maharashtra, M ...

, title Rao *

Miraj Senior Miraj Senior was one of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj: 'Miraj Junior' and Miraj Senior. The two states separated in 1820. It was under the southern division of the Bombay Presidency, forming part of the southern Mahratta Jag ...

, title Rao * Nimsod State, title Raja *

Phaltan Phaltan () is a town, a tehsil, and a municipal council in the Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The town is about northeast of the city of Satara and about 110 km from Pune. History Phaltan was one of the non-salu ...

, title Naik * Ramdurg, title Raja

Jagirs of the former Kolhapur Agency

* Bavda estate * Gajendragad (Gajendragarh) *? Nesri *? Himmat Bahadur * Ichalkaranji estate * Kagal Junior *

Kagal Senior Kagal is a town in Kolhapur district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. History During the rule of the Marathas and British raj, the town was the seat of a noble Ghatge Maratha family who were among the most important in princely state of ...

* Kapshi estate * Latur estate * Sar Lashkar Khardekar * Torgal Jagir * Vishalgad estate

States of the other former colonial agencies

Former Bijapur Agency, both non-salute : * Daphlapur (Daflepur), title Deshmukh (1917 incorporated in Jath, below) * Jath (Joth), title Raja (till 1936 Deshmukh) Former Kolaba Agency: * Sawantwadi (Savantwadi), title title Raja Bahadur; Hereditary salute of 9-guns (11-guns local) Former Dharwar Agency : non-salute : * Savanur, title Nawab Former Poona Agency : * Bhor, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 9-guns

References