Princely State of Dhrafa

The Princely State of Dhrafa, also known as Dharafa or Drapha, was one of the princely states of India that were administered by native shareholders or Indian princes under the indirect control of the British Government of India. The Jadeja Rajput dynasty was the ruling family of the state. The territory covered a total area of 44 sq km and comprised of a total population of 3,767 in the year 1931. It was incorporated as a part of the Baroda Agency, which was under the administrative control of the West India States Agency. Later it became a part of the state of Gujarat. The territory was also a part of the Western Kathiawar Agency and Dhrafa Thana as well. The state of Dhrafa included around 4 villages that were situated in the Dhrafa Thana.

The native state comprised of only a single block of territory that consisted of the thana headquarters. It also included 2 remote but nearby districts that were detached and enclosed by the princely state of Nawanagar. The larger district on the western region was bounded by the princely state of Gondal towards the southeast. Dhrafa or Drapha Thana, which comprised of a total area of 66 sq miles and had a total population of 14,067, incorporated 4 estates. These estates were located in the in western Kathiawar and almost all of these were virtual enclaves within Nawanagar but were geographically detached from each other.

History of Princely State of Dhrafa
The Princely State of Dhrafa or Drapha was claimed by more than one native prince, who were formally described as shareholders. There were 134 such shareholders, including bhagdars and talukdars, in Dhrafa state. The monarchs of Dhrafa represented a community of mutual proprietors who resided in a single location. Amongst the 134 estate holders, one of the joint rulers acted as the chief.

The Princely State of Dhrafa was a non- jurisdictionary native state. The former shareholders of the region paid an annual tribute to the native ruler of the princely state of Junagadh. According to the Attachment Scheme of 1943, the princely state of Dhrafa was attached to the princely state of Nawanagar.

After the nation attained independence and the withdrawal of the British Government of India, the princely state of Dhrafa was acceded to the newly formed Union of India, which was also known as the Dominion of India. At present, the region is a village in Jamjodhpur Taluk in the district of Jamnagar in Indian state of Gujarat.