The state of Saurashtra is the state of India , which existed in 1948-1956. The capital is Rajkot .
During the British rule in India, in the Saurashtra region with the Kathiyavar Peninsula, there were more than 200 native principalities - from such large as Baroda , to very small possessions. During the partition of British India, Vallabhai Patel made great efforts to persuade their rulers to join the Indian Union . On January 24, 1948, the Conventant took place, at which most rulers proclaimed the creation of the United States of Kathiyavar . Rajpramukh of the new state was first the former ruler of Bhavnagar, and then the former djam sahib Navanagara .
However, not all were included in this entity. The ruler of Baroda decided to try to make his principality a completely independent state (in the end, he agreed to its integration into the state of Bombay ), and the rulers of Junagadh, Mangrol, Manavadar and several other possessions tried to become part of Pakistan. The young Indian state could not allow the creation of hostile enclaves within the country, so these rulers were overthrown, and the people voted in referenda to join India.
However, there remained a legal snag: although these territories became part of India, but they were not part of the United States of Kathiyavar , they were governed by the Executive Council of Junagadha, whose representatives did not participate in the Convention.
In November 1948, the United States of Kathiyavar was renamed the United State of Saurashtra , which, after an additional Conventant, included the lands of other former possessions. After the second additional Convention, held in January 1949, Junagadh joined the Saurashtra. On February 20, 1949, the governments of Junagadh, Mangrol, Manavadar, Babariavad, Bantva and Sardargarh officially transferred their powers to the government of Saurashtra.
In 1956, in accordance with the State Reorganization Act , Saurashtra was annexed to the state of Bombay.