Idar State, 1908
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Idar State
Principal Rajput State of the Mahi Kantha Agency, Bombay, lying between 23° 6' and 24° 29' N. and 72° 45' and 73° 39' E., with an area of 1,669 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Sirohi and Udaipur ; on the east by Dungarpur ; and on the south and west by the Bombay Presidency and the territories of the Gaikwar of Baroda. In the south-west lies a level and sandy tract, but elsewhere the country is broken up by wild hills covered with an abundance of trees and brushwood. Except during the hot season the scenery is very beautiful. Idar is well drained by the SabarmatI, Hathmati, Meshwa, Majam, and Vatrak rivers.
Tradition relates that from 800 to 970 Idar was under Gahlot rule, and, after a period of Bhll independence, was subject to Paramara Rajputs (1000-1200). Amar Singh, the last Paramara ruler, left Idar in the hands of his servant Hathi Sord, a Koli, who held the country till his death, and was succeeded by his son Samalio Sord. The latter, a debauched and vicious man, roused so much discontent that his ministers conspired against him, and invited Rao Sonang of Sametra, the ancestor of the Raos of Pol, to their aid.
This chief killed Samalio Sord, and took possession of his territory. About twelve generations of this family are reckoned to the expulsion of Jagannath, the last Rao of Idar, in 1656, by Murad Baksh, at that time the Subahddr of Gujarat. A desai or deputy was afterwards placed in charge of Idar for some years. In 1728 Anand Singh and Rai Singh, two brothers of the Raja of Jodhpur, accompanied by a few horsemen from Vamo and Palanpur and the Kolis of Godwara, established them- selves in Idar without much difficulty. This family is the last that effected a settlement in Gujarat by conquest. They are said to have acted under an order from Delhi ; but the truth seems to be that they were tempted by the state of the country, and most likely assisted by the Jodhpur princes who at that period held the Siibahddri of Ahmadabad.
The Idar principality consisted of the districts of Idar, Ahmadnagar, Modasa, Bayad, Harsol, Parantij, and Vijapur, to which five other districts were rendered tributary. Some years after the conquest, at the instigation of the desai above mentioned, who appears to have been displaced, an officer in the service of Damaji Gaikwar, named Bachaji Duvaji, was dispatched on the part of the Peshwa to take possession of Idar. This he accomplished with the aid of the Rehwar Rajputs, the servants of the late Rao. Anand Singh was killed about 1753; and Bachaji, after leaving a detachment behind, returned to Ahmadabad. Rai Singh, however, collected a force, and again obtained possession of Idar. Shiv Singh, son of Anand Singh, now became ruler under the guardianship of his uncle Rai Singh, who died in 1766. During the rule of Shiv Singh the State was stripped, by the Peshwa, of Parantij, X'ijapur, and half of the three districts of Modasa, Bayad, and Harsol, -which districts were afterwards ceded by the Peshwa to the British Government. The other half of the Idar territories fell to the Gaikwar, who contented himself with the exaction of a share of the revenues, fixed in perpetuity by the settlement of 1812 at Rs. 24,000 for Idar, and Rs. 8,950 for Ahmadnagar.
Shiv Singh died in 1791, leaving five sons, the eldest of whom, Bhawan Singh, succeeded him, but died in a few days, leaving the State to his son GambhTr Singh, a boy of ten. Dissensions in the family now arose, which resulted in the temporary dismemberment of Idar. Sangram Singh, second son of Shiv Singh, who had received Ahmad- nagar from his father in feudal grant, assumed independence ; and with his assistance Zalim Singh and Amir Singh, two other sons of Shiv Singh, after a long struggle possessed themselves respectively of Modasa and Bayad during Gambhir Singh's minority. Indra Singh, the fifth son of Shiv Singh, who was blind, received Sur and three other villages for his support. Sangram Singh, chief of Ahmadnagar, died in 1798, and was succeeded by his son Karan Singh. Zalim Singh of Modasa died childless in 1806, and his apanage ought to have lapsed to Idar. His widow, however, was allowed by the Gaikwar to adopt Pratap Singh, Karan Singh's brother, on whose death in 1821 Modasa was united with Ahmadnagar. On the death of Amir Singh of Bayad without children, the reversion was claimed by both Idar and Ahmad- nagar. The chief of Ahmadnagar, Karan Singh, died in 1835, and was succeeded by his son Takht Singh, who was elected ruler of the State of Jodhpur in 1843. On his removal to Jodhpur, he still claimed the right to retain Ahmadnagar in his family; but in 1848 the British Government decided that Ahmadnagar should revert to Idar, and with it Modasa and Bayad. The chief, who is styled Maharaja, is a Rajput of the Rathor clan and of the Joda family. He holds a sanad granting the right of adoption and is entitled to a salute of 15 guns. The present Maharaja is Major-General Sir Pratap Singh, G.C.S.I., K.C.B., Aide-de-camp to His Majesty the King-Emperor.
The population of the State was 217,382 in 1872, 258,429 in 1881, 302,134 in 1891, and 168,557 in 1901. The decrease of 44 per cent, during the last decade is due to the severity of the famine of 1899-1900. The number of towns and villages was returned in 1901 as 884. The density of population is 101 persons per square mile. The chiet towns are Ahmadnagar (population, 3,200), the capital, Idar (7,085), and Vadali (4,611). Classified according to religion, Hindus num- bered 156,948, Muhammadans 8,200, and Jains 4,376. The majority of the population are Kolis, the remainder consisting of Rajputs, Brahmans, Banias, Kunbis, Bhils, &c.
The soil of the State is generally fertile; in some places it is of a light sandy nature, in others rich and black ; towards the north and north-eastern parts near the hills, poor and stony. Nearly 17 per cent, of the land is cultivated. The principal crops are grains, oilseeds, and sugar-cane. The jungle in some parts, particularly at the foot of the hills, is very thick and intersected with ravines. A small quantity of country soap is manufactured. There are quarries in the neighbour- hood of Ahmadnagar, and the stone is used for building purposes. The State suffered very severely in the famine of 1 899-1900.
The chief exercises first-class jurisdiction, having power to inflict capital punishment. Many relatives of the Maharaja, and feudal chiefs whose ancestors helped to secure the country for the present dynasty, now enjoy large estates on service tenures, and there are numerous petty chiefs or bhumids who have held considerable estates from the time of the Raos of Idar, or earlier, and are under no obligation of service. The revenues of the State are shared by the Maharaja with these feudal chiefs. In 1903-4, out of a total gross revenue of nearly 6 lakhs, it was estimated that only 4A lakhs was received by the central authority. The chief sources of revenue are the land, stamps, and special cesses known as dan^ khichadi, &c., and the chief heads of expenditure are classed under administration and darbar expenses. The Maharaja receives about Rs. 8,600 annually from several chiefs in Mahl Kantha, and pays Rs. 30,340 as tribute to the Gaikwar of Baroda through the British Government. Many chiefs subordinate to Idar, known locally as pattdwals, hold their estates on condition of military service, the quota being three horsemen for every 1,000 rupees of revenue ; but for many years this service has not been exacted and no military force is maintained at present. In 1903-4 the State con- tained 21 courts for criminal justice, and maintained a police force of 91 mounted men and 539 foot, at an annual cost of Rs. 76,000. Besides these, 36 mounted men and 150 foot are maintained at a cost of Rs. 10,800 in the territories of the bhumids. There were 49 schools in the same year with 2,473 pupils, of which 7 were girls' schools. The total expenditure on education, excluding schools in Sardars' villages, was Rs. 11,330. There are also 3 missionary schools with 106 pupils. An attempt to induce the Bhils to send their children to school has failtul ; they laughingly say their sons must learn to drive cattle and use the bow. The State contains a hospital and six dis- pensaries, treating annually 19,000 patients.
