Nawanagar

Nawanagar was a princely state of India, located in Kathiawar, within the Gujarat division of Bombay Presidency, situated on the south of the Gulf of Cutch. The district is now known as Jamnagar. It had an area of 3791 square miles and a population estimated at 336,779 in 1901. Its rulers, who used the title of "Jam Sahib", were Jadeja Rajput of the same clan as the Rao of Cutch and followed the Hindu religion. They were entitled to a 13-gun salute. The state flag was a rectangular red flag with a white elephant, near and facing the hoist.

The state had a pearl fishery and much of its wealth came from this. Nawanagar is also famous for its former ruler Jam Sahib K S Ranjitsinhji (d.1933), who was a famous cricketer at Cambridge, Sussex County Cricket Club and for England before his accession to the throne.

Nawanagar was founded in 1540 AD by Jam Rawal, a descendant of the Jadeja ruler of Cutch, and was thereafter in an almost constant state of war with its neighbors and with the Mughal Empire. The Walker Treaty of 1807 brought peace to the Kathiawar states for the first time in several generations. Nawanagar came under British protection on February 22 1812.

Nawanagar was one of the first princely states to sign the Instrument of Accession in 1948 after Indian independence. Afterwards, the former ruler Jam Shri Sir Digvijaysinhji served as the first Rajpramukh of Kathiawar, then represented his country at the United Nations.

In 1949 after the former princely states of Nawanagar and Dhrol, Dhrafa Thana and part of Jalia Dewani in Kathiawar merged into new the state of Saurashtra. On June 19 1959, the boundaries of the district were enlarged by the inclusion of the adjoining Okhamandal, and the district was renamed Jamnagar. This district became part of the new State of Gujarat on the division of the State of Bombay on May 1 1960.

External links

* [http://www.4dw.net/royalark/India/nawana.htm. History and Geneaology of Nawanagar State]