Surgana State

Subdivision of British India

Surgana State

Princely State of British India

Late 18th century–1948

Flag

Coat of arms

Surgana State in Nasik Agency during British India

Capital

Surgana

Demonym

Koli kshatriya

Area

• 1901

932.4 km² (360.0 sq mi)

Population

• 1901

11,532

• 1921

14,912

Legislature

• Upper house

Pawar

History

• Established

Late 18th century

• Independence of India

1948

Succeeded by

India

Today part of

Maharashtra, India

Surgana State was a princely state of the Bombay Presidency during the era of the British Raj.^[1] It was the only state belonging to the Nasik Agency. Its capital was Surgana in Nashik District of present-day Maharashtra. It was ruled by Kolis of Pawar dynasty.^[2]^[3]

Surgana State's last ruler signed the instrument of accession to join India in March 1948.

History

Surgana State was founded before the 1800s. Surgana State became a British protectorate in 1818.^[4] The British made Bhikaji Rao as the new chief as he helped them against the Marathas. Bhikaji Rao was murdered in the riot caused by the mother of Malharrao and her brother-in-law, Pilaji. Pilaji was captured and executed by the British. The descendants of Malharrao were allowed the share in revenues of the state in 1846 and were granted an allowance grant in 1877. The chief of the state had powers to elect a Representative Member of the Chambers of Princes from 1921 to 1947. In March 1948, the last chief Dhairyashil Rao signed the Gujarat States Merger Agreement and ceded the state to India.

Later Dhairyashil Rao also served as the Member of the Rajya Sabha in 1952–1968 and 1972–1978.

The Princely State was bordered on the south by Peinth in Nasik, and in the west by the Bansda and Dharampur States.

Rulers

The rulers of the state bore the title deshmukh. Surgana State's rulers were said to belong to the Mahadev Kolis.^[2]^[3]^[5]^[6]

Deshmukhs

bf.1800 – 1818 .....
1818 – 1819 Malhar Rao (d. 1819)
1819 – 1820 Bhikaji Rao
1820 – 1854 Jashwant Rao I Bhikaji Rao
1854 – 1867 Muvar Rao
1867 – 2 June 1898 Shankar Rao Ravi Rao (b. 1849 – d. ....)
1898 – 22 June 1930 Pratap Rao Shankar Rao (b. 18 August 1880 – d. 1930)
1930 – 1936 Jashwant Rao II Pratap Rao (b. 1902 – d. ....)
April 1936 – 15 August 1947 Dhairyashil Rao Jashwant Rao (b. 1922 – 2003)^[4]

References

^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bombay Presidency" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 186.
^ ^a ^b Nag, Sajal; Gurung, Tejimala; Choudhury, Abhijit (2007). Making of the Indian Union: Merger of Princely States and Excluded Areas. New Delhi, India: Akansha Publishing House. pp. 356: Surgana was ruled by a Koli, probably a Mahadeo Koli by caste. ISBN 978-81-8370-110-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
^ ^a ^b Lethbridge, Sir Roper (2005). The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire. New Delhi, India, Asia: Aakar Books. p. 521. ISBN 978-81-87879-54-1. SHANKAR BAO RAVI RAO DESHMUKH, Deshmukh of Surgana State, Born 1849; succeeded to the gadi in 1867. Belongs to a Koli family (aboriginal) origin, and that had the charge, during the period of Muhammadan rule, of one of the great roads from Surat to the Deccan. In 1818 t 5 the Deshmukh, having g attacked a British force, was con quered and hanged, and his cousin was placed on the gadi, The Deshmukh Murár Rao was succeeded by Bhaskar Rao, and the latter by the present Deshmukh.
^ ^a ^b Princely States of India
^ Pillai, S. Devadas (1976). Rajahs and Prajas: An Indian Princely State, Then and Now. New Delhi, India: Popular Prakashan. p. 4. ISBN 978-81-7154-057-0. Surgana was ruled by a Koli, probably a Mahadeo Koli by caste{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
^ Waghmare, Abhishek (14 April 2018). "Why Maharashtra farmers walked 170 km and how their strike played out". Business Standard India. Retrieved 5 September 2021. In the hilly terrain at the northern tip of Western Ghats, bordering Maharashtra and Gujarat, lies Surgana, an erstwhile princely state ruled by tribal chieftains of the Mahadev Koli tribe. Surgana joined the instrument of accession to be part of the Indian Union in March 1948.