Western India States Agency

Western India States Agency
Agency of British India
←   ←   ←   ← 1924–1944 →
Map of the area of the Western India States Agency and the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency during the British Raj
History
•	Established	1924
•	Formation of the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency	1944
Area
•	1941	16,558 km2 (6,393 sq mi)
Population
•	1941	5,220,011
	Density	315.3 /km2  (816.5 /sq mi)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:

The Western India States Agency (WISA) was one of the agencies of British India. This agency was formed on October 10, 1924 as a part of the implementation of the Montague Chelmsford report on constitutional reforms. It was formed by merging the areas under the erstwhile Kathiawar, Cutch and Palanpur agencies.

At one time or another between 1924 and 1944, 435 princely states were included in this agency but only eighteen out of these were salute states.

Agencies

The divisions of the Western India States Agency were:

• Eastern Kathiawar Agency (from 1926 onwards)
• Western Kathiawar Agency (from 1926 onwards)
• Sabar Kantha Agency (merged with Eastern Kathiawar Agency on 1 September 1943)
• Banas Kantha Agency (former Palanpur Agency)

History

The city of Rajkot became the headquarters of this new agency and C.C. Watson became its first political agent to the Governor General of British India. Its boundary was modified twice, in 1933 and 1943. On November 5, 1944 it was merged with the Baroda and Gujarat States Agency to form a larger Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency.

In 1924 Palanpur Agency was merged into the Western India States Agency and placed under the political control of the Government of India. The designation of Palanpur Agency was changed to Banas Kantha Agency in 1925 and Palanpur State was transferred to the Rajputana Agency in 1933. Also in 1933, the states of the Mahi Kantha Agency, except for Danta were included in this agency.

In 1941, the area covered by this agency was and the population was 52,20,011.

Agents to the Governor-General for Western India States Agency

• 10 Oct 1924 - 15 Jul 1926 Charles Cunningham Watson (1st time)(b. 1874 - d. 1934)
• 16 Jul 1926 - Nov 1926 A.D. Macpherson (acting)
• 21 Nov 1926 - 17 Oct 1927 Charles Cunningham Watson (2nd time)(s.a.)
• 18 Oct 1927 - 18 May 1928 Edward Herbert Kealy (1st time) (b. 1873 - d. 19..) (acting to 22 Apr 1928)
• 19 May 1928 - Apr 1929 H.S. Strong (acting)
• 3 Apr 1929 - 23 Oct 1929 Terence Humphrey Keyes (acting)
• 24 Oct 1929 - Aug 1931 Edward Herbert Kealy (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 15 Aug 1931 - Aug 1932 A.H.E. Mosse (acting)
• 17 Aug 1932 - 26 May 1933 J. Courtenay Latimer (acting to 16 Feb 1933)
• 27 May 1933 - 13 Oct 1933 J.C. Tate (acting)
• 14 Oct 1933 - 5 Jun 1936 Courtenay Latimer (1st time) (b. 1880 - d. 1944)
• 6 Jun 1936 - 1 Apr 1937 J. de la Hay Gordon (acting)
• 1 Nov 1936 - 31 Mar 1937 Sir Courtenay Latimer (2nd time) (s.a.)

Residents for the Western India States Agency

• 1 Apr 1937 - 10 Oct 1937 Sir Courtenay Latimer (s.a.)
• 11 Oct 1937 - 31 Jan 1941 Edmund Currey Gibson (1st time) (b. 1886 - d. 19..) (acting to 16 May 1939)
• 1 Feb 1941 - 14 Mar 1941 G.B. Williams (acting)
• 15 Mar 1941 - 3 Apr 1942 M.C. Sinclair (acting)
• 4 Apr 1942 - 14 Apr 1942 R.W. Parkes (acting)
• Apr 1942 - Nov 1942 Edmund Currey Gibson (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 2 Nov 1942 - 5 Sep 1944 Philip Gaisford (acting to 3 Jan 1944)
• 6 Sep 1944 - 5 Nov 1944 Cyril Percy Hancock

See also

• Surat Agency