Bombay Presidency

Bombay Presidency was a former province of British India. At its greatest extent, Bombay Presidency comprised the present-day state of Gujarat, the western two-thirds of Maharashtra state, including the regions of Konkan, Desh, and Kandesh, and northwestern Karnataka state of India; It also included Pakistan's Sind state and the British territory of Aden in Yemen. It consisted partly of districts, which were directly under British rule, and partly of native or princely states, which were ruled by local rulers under the administration of a governor.

Administration

The Presidency was divided into four commissionerships and twenty-six districts. The four divisions were the northern or Gujarat, the central or Deccan, the southern or Carnatic, and Sind. The twenty-six districts were: Bombay City, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Kaira, Panch Mahals, Surat, Thane, Ahmednagar, Khandesh (partitioned into two districts in 1906), Nasik, Poona (Pune), Satara, Sholapur, Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad (Dharwar), North Kanara, Kolaba, Ratnagiri, Karachi, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Thar and Parkar, and Upper Sind Frontier.

Related Topics:
Deccan - Carnatic - Panch Mahal - Thane - Khandesh - Nasik - Poona - Satara - Sholapur - Belgaum - Bijapur - Dharwad - North Kanara - Kolaba - Ratnagiri - Karachi - Hyderabad - Shikarpur - Thar and Parkar - Upper Sind Frontier

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The native states comprise in all 353 separate units, which are administered either by political agents or by the collectors of the districts in which the smaller states are situated. The chief groups of states are North Gujarat, comprising Cutch, Kathiawar agency, Palanpur agency, Mahi Kantha agency, Rewa Kantha agency and Cambay; South Gujarat, comprising Dharampur, Bansda and Sachin; North Konkan, Nasik and Khandesh, comprising Khandesh political agency, Surgana and Jawhar; South Konkan and Dharwar, comprising Janjira, Sawantwari and Savanur; the Deccan Satara Jagirs, comprising Akalkot, Bhor, Aundh, Phaltan, Jath and Daphlapur; the southern Maratha states, comprising Kolhapur and other states, and Khairpur in Sind. The native states under the supervision of the government of Bombay are divided, historically and geographically, into two main groups. The northern or Gujarat group includes the territories of the gaekwar of Baroda, with the smaller states which form the administrative divisions of Cutch, Palanpur, Rewa Kantha, and Mahi Kantha. These territories, with the exception of Cutch, have an historical connection, as being the allies or tributaries of the Gaekwad until 1805, when final engagements were included between that prince and the British government. The southern or Maratha group includes Kolhapur, Akalkot, Sawantwari, and the Satara and southern Mahratta Jagirs, and has an historical bond of union in the friendship they showed to the British in their final struggle with the power of the peshwa until 1818. The remaining territories may conveniently be divided into a small cluster of independent zamindaris, situated in the wild and hilly tracts at the northern extremity of the Sahyadri range, and certain. principalities which, from their history or geographical position, are to some extent isolated from the rest of the presidency.

Related Topics:
Cutch - Kathiawar - Palanpur - Mahi Kantha - Rewa Kantha - Cambay - Dharampur - Bansda - Sachin - Surgana - Jawhar - Janjira - Akalkot - Bhor - Aundh - Phaltan - Jath - Daphlapur - Kolhapur - Khairpur - Zamindar - Sahyadri

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After the Revolt of 1857, The British East India Company rule ceased, and India came under the control of the British Crown. The government of Bombay was administered by a governor in council consisting of the governor as president and two ordinary members. The governor was appointed from Britain; the council is appointed by the crown, and selected from the Indian civil service. These were the executive members of government. For making laws there was a legislative council, consisting of the governor and his executive council, with certain other persons, not fewer than eight or more than twenty, at least half of them being non-officials. Each of the members of the executive council had in his charge one or two departments of the government; and each department had a secretary, an under-secretary, and an assistant secretary, with a numerous staff of clerks. The political administration of the native states was under the superintendence of British agents placed at the principal native capitals; their position varied in different states according to the relations in which the principalities stood with the paramount power. The administration of justice throughout the presidency was conducted by a high court at Bombay, consisting of a chief justice and seven puisne judges, along with district and assistant judges throughout the districts of the presidency. The administration of the districts was carried on by collectors, assistant collectors, and a varying number of supernumerary assistants.

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