Princely State of Virva

The Princely State of Virva, also known as Vivra and Virvao, was amongst the former native states during the rule of the British Empire in India. During the early 19th century, the region was appointed as one of the princely states of India under the indirect rule of the British administration. The region was scattered over a total area of 0.76 sq miles and was incorporated as a part of the Indian state of Gujarat. The region comprised of a total population of 149 in the year 1931. The erstwhile princely state of Virva 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 state was also a part of the Western Kathiawar Agency and Lodhika Thana as well.

The taluka of Virva was located in the Lodhika Thana region. It included only a single village, which was around 11 miles towards the south southeast of Rajkot town around 3 miles south southeast of the Pal village. The territory was bordered by remote blocks of land that belonged to Rajkot and Lodhika in the northwest and northeast respectively; by the core territory of Shahpur state in the east; by exclaves which belonged to Rajkot and Pal in the west and south respectively. Lodhika Thana, which covered a total area of 268 sq miles and had a population of 9,783 in the year 1931, comprised of 9 states in the central and western Kathiawar. The region was scattered from Babra in the east to Jamnagar in the west. Most of the areas were branches of the Jadeja states. It included around a total of 196 estateholders, including bhagdars and talukdars in the year 1940. Moreover, the village of Lodhika, which was shared by the 2 jurisdictional talukas of Lodhika, was under the jurisdiction of the thana.

The princely state of Virva was claimed by more than one native prince, who were formally addressed as shareholders. There are 5 such estateholders, including bhagdars and talukdars, in the state of Virva. The Jadeja Rajputs were the shareholders the territory and they belonged a junior branch of the ruling family of Kotharia, an offshoot of Rajkot. Virva state was a non- jurisdictionary native state. The former native state paid annual tribute to the princely state of Junagadh. According to the Attachment Scheme of 1943, the princely state of Virva was attached to the princely state of Nawanagar.

The last native ruler of the princely state of Virva acceded the state to the Dominion of India, also known as Union of India, after the country gained independence from the British Dominion in the year 1947. Later the region was merged with the Indian state of Gujarat.