The Eastern States Agency was an agency or grouping of princely states in eastern India, during the latter years of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. It was created in 1933, by the unification of the former Chhattisgarh States Agency and the Orissa States Agency; the agencies remained intact within the grouping. In 1936, the Bengal States Agency was added.

History

Since the 19th century the princely states and the

tributary state A tributary state is a pre-modern state in a particular type of subordinate relationship to a more powerful state which involved the sending of a regular token of submission, or tribute, to the superior power (the suzerain). This token often ...

s of

Orissa Odisha (), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is a state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the thir ...

and

Chhota Nagpur Chota Nagpur may refer to: *Chota Nagpur Plateau, in eastern India *Chota Nagpur Division, a division of British India *Chota Nagpur Tributary States, a collection of princely states of British India (historic) *North Chotanagpur division, one of t ...

were not part of Bengal, but British relations with them were managed by its government through the

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal until 1937, later the Bengal Province, was the largest of all three presidencies of British India during Company rule in India, Company rule and later a Provinces o ...

. The Eastern States Agency was created on 1 April 1933. This agency dealt with 42 princely states in eastern India, located in the present-day Indian states of

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...

, Jharkhand,

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

, West Bengal and

Tripura Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...

. Before the creation of the Eastern States Agency in 1933, 23 native states of the former

Orissa Tributary States The Orissa Tributary States, also known as the Gadajats (ଗଡ଼ଜାତ) or the Orissa Feudatory States, were a group of princely states of British India now part of the present-day Indian state of Odisha. The Orissa Tributary States were ...

and Chhota Nagpur States were under the

suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...

of the British provinces of

Bihar and Orissa Bihar and Orissa was a province of British India, which included the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Odisha. The territories were conquered by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries, and were governed by the then ...

and 16 under that of the

Central Provinces The Central Provinces was a province of British India. It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Nagpur was the primary ...

The Agent reported to the

Governor General of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...

and two Political Agents under his supervision were posted at

Sambalpur Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Samb ...

and

Raipur Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chh ...

Cooch Behar Cooch Behar (), also known as Koch Bihar, is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal and it stands on bank of the Torsa river. The city is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. During the British Raj, Cooch Behar was the seat of the ...

and

were transferred from Bengal Province to the Eastern States Agency on 1 November 1936. On 1 December 1944, the status of this agency was raised to that of a first-class

residency Residency may refer to: * Artist-in-residence, a program to sponsor the residence and work of visual artists, writers, musicians, etc. * Concert residency, a series of concerts performed at one venue * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or m ...

. These states were grouped into three political agencies, under the "Resident" in

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

. The headquarters of the Orissa States Agency was at

, the headquarters of the Chhattisgarh States Agency was at

and the headquarters of the Bengal States Agency was at Calcutta. After the withdrawal of the British from India in 1947, the states acceded to the new

Union of India Union of India or Indian Union may refer to: * The country of India * Dominion of India (1947–1950), which was also known as the Union of India * The Government of India, which "may sue or be sued by the name" of ''Union of India'', as per Articl ...

and some of the states formed the

Eastern States Union The Eastern States Union was a short-lived (1947–48) union of princely states in newly independent India that gathered most of the princely states of the former Orissa Tributary States and Chhattisgarh States Agency in order to fill the vacu ...

, an organisation that failed. Later they were integrated into the Indian states of

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

, Bihar,

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

and

.Amalgamation of Princely States
/ref> The eastern portion of Madhya Pradesh and the southern portion of Bihar became the states of

and

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

, respectively, in November 2000.
Link to the Map of Eastern States Agency

Princely states of the Eastern States Agency

Orissa States Agency

Salute state A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Scouting ...

s, by precedence : *

Kalahandi Kalahandi district (Pron: Kaḷāhāṇḍi) is a district of Odisha in India. It was a princely state in British India and in post-independence period it merged with Odisha state in India as Kalahandi district comprising current Kalahandi d ...

, title HH Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 9-guns *

Mayurbhanj Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in eastern India and the largest in the state by area, nearly equivalent to Tripura. The district's headquarters is located in Baripada, with other major towns including Rairangp ...

, title HH Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 9-guns *

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

, title HH Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 9-guns *

Sonepur Sonepur or Sonapur may refer to: ;India * Sonapur, Alipurduar, village in West Bengal, India * Sonapur, Assam, town ** Sonapur College * Sonapur, Bhandup, urban area of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India * Sonpur, Bihar, town in Bihar, India ** Sonpur c ...

, title HH Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 9-guns Non-salute states, alphabetically : * Athgarh, title Raja * Athmallik, title Raja *

Bamra Bamra State or Bamanda State, covering an area of 5,149 km2, was one of the princely states of India during the British Raj. Its capital was in Debagarh (Deogarh). Bamra State acceded to India in 1948. The state was located in a hilly a ...

, title Raja *

Baramba Baramba is a village and administrative centre (''chef-lieu'') of the commune of Nampé in the Cercle of Koutiala in the Sikasso Region of southern Mali.. The village is 25 km north of Koutiala. The French explorer René Caillié stopped ...

, title Rawat * Baudh, title Raja * Bonai, title Raja *

Daspalla Dashapalla, also known as Daspalla, is an archaeologically important site situated in Nayagarh district, Odisha, India. History Available records, writings, books reveal that at first there was no such place known as Daspalla. Rather it was a ...

, title Raja *

Dhenkanal Dhenkanal is a town and a municipality in Dhenkanal district in the state of Odisha, India. Geography Dhenkanal is at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres (262 feet). Demographics As per the 2011 India census, Dhenkanal had a p ...

, title Raja (from 1869 Maharaja) *

Gangpur Gangpur is a census town in Burdwan II CD Block in Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countr ...

, title Raja *

Hindol Hindol is a Hindustani classical music, Hindustani classical ''raga'' from the Kalyan Thaat. According to Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, Hindol is an ancient raga associated with the spring season and is sung during the first part of ...

, title Raja *

Keonjhar Kendujhar, also known as Keonjhar, is a town with municipality in Kendujhar District in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kendujhar district, and it is one of the fifth scheduled areas of Odisha ...

, title Raja * Khandpara, title Raja *

Kharsawan Kharsawan garh is a town and a notified area in the Seraikela Sadar subdivision of the Seraikela Kharsawan district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. History Kharsawan (also spelled as Kharsuan) was founded around 1650. It was one of the Ori ...

, title Thakur (from 1907 Raja) *

Nayagarh Nayagarh is both a town and the municipality headquarters of the Nayagarh District, Nayagarh district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Odisha. Geography Nayagarh is located at with an average elevation of 178 metres ( ...

, title Raja *

Narsinghpur Narsinghpur is a city in Madhya Pradesh in central India. It is a district under Jabalpur division. Narsinghpur has a large temple dedicated to Narasimha, Lord Narasimha. As of 2001, Narsinghpur is the most literate district of the state. Hist ...

, title Raja * Nilgiri, title Raja *

Pal Lahara Pal Lahara is a small town in Angul district of the state of Odisha and located on NH6, where it intersects with NH23, by road north of Angul. Not far from the banks of the Rengali Reservoir which is to the west, the Malayagiri Forest Range ...

, title Raja *

Rairakhol Redhakhol or Rairakhol is a town and a Notified Area Council in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Odisha. Redhakhol town, which is the Sub-Divisional headquarter of Rairakhol Sub-division surrounded by a green belt of reserve forest, ...

, title Raja * Ranpur, title Raja * Saraikela (Seraikela), title Kunwar (from 1884 Raja) *

Talcher Talcher, known as the "City Of Black Diamond" in Odisha, is a major industrial coal city and municipality. Talcher is one of the 4 sub-divisions of Angul district in the Indian state of Odisha. History During the British Raj Talcher was the c ...

, title Raja *

Tigiria Tigiria is a tehsil (block) of Cuttack district. There are 14 ''(Town Panchayat (T.P.), panchayats)'' with a total of 50 villages under the Tigiria administrative division. Tigiria is part of the Athagarh (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency), Athaga ...

, title Raja

Chhattisgarh States Agency

Only non-salute states : * Bastar, title Raja (from 1936 Maharaja) * Changbhakar (Chang Bhakar), title Raja (from 1865, Bhaiya) * Chhuikandan (Kondka), title Mahant *

Jashpur Jashpur District is a district of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh bordering Jharkhand and Odisha. Jashpur Nagar is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district was formerly a princely state before Independence. Highly ...

, title Raja * Kanker, title Maharajadhiraja *

Kawardha Kawardha is a town and a municipality in Kabirdham district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is the administrative headquarters of Kabirdham district. Kawardha is also known for the "Temple of Bhoramdeo." The Member of Legislative assem ...

, title Thakur *

Khairagarh Khairagarh is a city in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district. Formerly, it was the part of Rajnandgaon district. History Khairagarh State was a feudatory state of the former Central Provinces of British India. Pandadah (8 kilometer from ...

, title Raja *

Koriya Korea State, currently spelt as Koriya, was a Rajput princely state in the Empire of India. After Indian independence in 1947, the ruler of Korea acceded to the Union of India on 1 January 1948, and Koriya was made part of Surguja Distric ...

(Korea), title Raja * (Raj) Nandgaon, title Manhat *

Raigarh Raigarh is a city in northern Chhattisgarh known as the 'Cultural capital of Chhattisgarh'; Raigarh is famous for its dance form “SUWA” (as Raigarh Gharana) and classical music; Raigarh is also known as Sanskritidhani. It is also known for ...

, title Raja Bahadur * Sakti, title Rana *

Sarangarh Sarangarh is a new district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Chhattisgarh. History During the British Raj era, Sarangarh State was one of several princely states governed by the Raj Gond dynasty of Rajputs. It was origina ...

, title Raja * Surguja, title Raja (from 1820 HH Maharaja Bahadur) *

Udaipur State The Kingdom of Mewar was an independent Hindu Monarchy, kingdom that existed in the Rajputana region of the Indian subcontinent and later became a dominant state in medieval India. The kingdom was initially founded and ruled by the Guhila dyna ...

, title Raja Bahadur

Bengal States Agency

Salute states : *

, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 13-guns *

, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 13-guns

References

External links

WorldStatesmen – India – Princely States
{{Coord, 21, 22, N, 85, 15, E, region:IN_type:agency_source:kolossus-cawiki, display=title Agencies of British India History of Odisha History of Chhattisgarh 1933 establishments in India 1947 disestablishments in India Bengal Presidency

History

Princely states of the Eastern States Agency

Orissa States Agency

Chhattisgarh States Agency

Bengal States Agency

See also

References

External links