The Princely State of Vanala was one of the native states of India during the rule of the British Empire in India. During the 19th century, the territory was appointed as one of the princely states of India under the indirect rule of the British Government. The state covered a total area of 3 sq miles and consisted of a total population of 248 in the year 1931. The former native state of Vanala was located in the region of Bhoika Thana and consisted of only one village. The territory was surrounded by the princely state of Darod in the north; by the British district of Ahmedabad in the east; by the princely state of Kantharia in the southwest; by a remote block of the region of Limbdi state in the south; and by Chanchana in the west.
The former princely state of Vanala or Banala was under the administrative control of the Baroda Agency, which was incorporated as a part of the Western India States Agency. Later the territory was merged with the state of Gujarat. The region was also a part of the Eastern Kathiawar Agency and the Bhoika Thana as well. Bhoika Thana was a corridor of minor estates which detached the princely state of Limbdi to the east from the princely states of Chuda and Wadhwan to the west. The area was bordered by the British district of Ahmedabad in the south. Almost all of the 18 estates in the region, excluding only one estate, were offshoots of Limbdi state.
The Princely State of Vanala was claimed by more than one native ruler, who were formally identified as shareholders. There were only 2 such shareholders in the state. Both the shareholders of the princely state of Vanala were Jhala Rajputs, bhayats of Limbdi.
Vanala state was a non- jurisdictionary native state. The estateholders of Bhoika Thana were primarily individuals of substance, well educated and were politically aware, unlike the shareholders of other Kathiawar Thanas. According to the Attachment Scheme of 1943, the princely state of Vanala was attached to Limbdi state. It was amongst of the 29 units that were attached in the first stage of the scheme which followed the lead of Ghodasar and Bhadwa in declining to recognize the power and authority of the attaching of princely states. In the year 1935, the princely state of Vanala was merged with the District Thana of Wadhwan in order to create the new Wadhwan Bhoika Thana, for convenience purposes. The new territory included around 35 estates, covering a total area of 347 sq miles and comprising a total population of 38,719 in the year 1931.
In the year 1947, the shareholders of the native state acceded the princely state to the newly independent Union of India, also known as Dominion of India, after the withdrawal of British supremacy and partition of India. At present, Vanala is a village in Chuda Taluka, in the district of Surendranagar, Gujarat state, India.
