Princely State of Kadana

The Princely State of Kadana was appointed as an Indian native state under the indirect supervision of the British administration. The Indian princely state was managed by a native ruler. The state was spread over a total area of 132 sq miles and comprised of a total population of 19,790 in the year 1941. The territory of Kadana was under the administrative control of the former Rewa Kantha Agency. Kadana was incorporated as a part of the Baroda Agency, which was a sub division of the erstwhile Western India States Agency. Later the territory became a part of the modern Indian state of Gujarat.

The Princely State of Kadana was bounded by the princely state of Lunawada in the northwest; by the princely state of Dungarpur (Rajputana) in the north; and by the princely state of Sant in the south and east.

History of Princely State of Kadana
The Parmar of Puwar Rajputs were the native rulers of the territory. A relative of the founder of Sant state, named Limdev, founded the native state during middle of the 13th century. The state was rather small in size and suffered from lack of adequate finance. As a result the princely state did not pay any annual tribute to other native rulers of the British. The native rulers of the state frequently conflicted with the princely states of Balasinor, Dungarpur and Sant (Sunth). The rule of male primogeniture was followed in the succession of the throne or gadi of the princely state of Kadana, through which the eldest child inherited the entire estate of one or both parents, to the exclusion of all others.

The princely state of Kadana was a third class jurisdictional state before the class system was abolished in the year 1928. The native ruler of the region held the title of Thakor and exercised full criminal and civil jurisdiction. The claims that were deduced by Sant state to overlordship of Kadana were declined by the British government of India in the year 1871. Eventually the independence of the state was recognized. After the death of the last native ruler, who died without any male heirs in 1941, the British authorities decided to take advantage of the situation to amalgamate a small and unprofitable unit with a larger and progressive state. The administration of the princely state was in utter chaos.

Kadana state was annexed to the princely state of Sant after 1943, even before the implementation of the general attachment scheme. The territory of Kadana was one of the original constituent members of the Chamber of Princes, a number of smaller states indirectly represented by 12 princes whom they elected periodically. The native ruler held the style of Rana. The rulers who exercised jurisdictional powers were addressed as Meherban.

After the country achieved its freedom from the dominion of the British Crown, the last Rana Thakor of the princely state of Kadana, who was the 23rd of his line, acceded his state to the Union of India, also known as the Dominion of India.