Rajputana Agency - Subdivisions

Subdivisions

For the purposes of the British, Rajputana was subdivided into nine groups of states, consisting of three residencies and six agencies:

• Mewar Residency, with headquarters at Udaipur, dealt with the state of Mewar (Udaipur).
• Western Rajputana States Agency dealt with the states of Dungarpur, Partabgarh and Banswara. This agency was part of Mewar Residency until 1906, when it was separated.
• Jaipur Residency, with headquarters at Jaipur, dealt with the states of Jaipur State and Kishangarh and the estate of Lawa.
• Western Rajputana States Residency, with its headquarters at Jodhpur, dealt with the states of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Sirohi.
• Bikaner Agency, with headquarters at Bikaner.
• Tarangagadh, with headquarters at Taranga.
• Alwar Agency, with headquarters at Alwar.
• Eastern Rajputana States Agency, with headquarters at Bharatpur, dealt with the states of Bharatpur State, Dholpur State, and Karauli State.
• Haraoti-Tonk Agency, with headquarters at Deoli, dealt with the states of Tonk and Bundi and the estate of Shahpura.
• Kotah-Jhalawar Agency, with headquarters at Kota, dealt with the states of Kotah and Jhalawar State.

All of the states had Hindu Rajput rulers, except Tonk, which had a Muslim ruler, and Bharatpur State and Dholpur State, which had Jat rulers. The small British province of Ajmer-Merwara was also included within the geographical area of Rajputana, but that was under direct British rule. Although Rajputs ruled most of the states, they comprised a small minority of the population; in the 1901 census, of a total population of 9,723,301, only 620,229 were Rajputs, who were numerically strongest in the northern states and in Udaipur.

Other important castes and tribes of Rajputana were the Brahmins, who traditionally occupied the highest rank among castes, and were numerous and influential; the Bhats, who were the keepers of secular tradition and of the genealogies; the Hindu mercantile castes; Jains, who comprised the majority of the merchants; the powerful agricultural groups, such as the Jats and the Gurjars, the tribal peoples, Bhils, Meenas and Meo. In the 1901 census, 7,035,093 persons, or more than 72% of the total population spoke one of the Rajasthani languages.