Princely State of Vithalgadh

Princely State of Vithalgadh was one of the well known native states that was managed and supervised by a native prince under the guidance of the British authorities. The princely state was under the indirect control of the British Empire in India. The state covered a total area of 56 sq miles and comprised of a total population of 4,073 in the year 1931. The state of Vithalgadh included around 11 villages that were further segregated into 3 districts or mahals, namely Hadala, Pipalwa and Vithalgadh proper. The district of Vithalgadh proper was located around 30 miles due east of the princely state of Dhrangadhra. Hadala district was also known as Rashnal Pipalwa and lied farther south. The districts of Pipalwa and Vithalgadh proper were located in the Eastern Kathiawar Agency, where as Hadala was situated in the Western Kathiawar Agency.

The princely state of Vithalgadh was incorporated as a part of the Baroda Agency, which was a sub division of the Western India States Agency. Later the territory was merged with the state of Gujarat. The native state was also included as a part of the Eastern Kathiawar Agency. The mahal or district of Vithalgadh was bounded by the princely state of Lakhtar, Patdi, Bajana and the British district of Viragam. Pipalwa mahal consisted of 2 separate blocks of land and was bordered by territories which belonged to Amreli, Derdi, Jasdan and Bhavnagar. The mahal of Hadala was bordered by the states of Dhrol, Gavridad and Morvi.

History of Princely State of Vithalgadh
The native prince of Vithalgadh state belonged to the Phanse branch of the Chandraseniya Kayastha caste of accountants and writers. The successor of the Maratha Emperor Shivaji the Great granted the first lands to the founder of the ruling family for his support in combating against Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. In the year 1806, Diwan Babaji Apaji was granted the territory of Vithalgadh proper for providing services in extracting the state of Lakhtar from debts. The restated claims of the princely state of Lakhtar on a few villages were constantly discarded. The district of Pipalwa was obtained from the Babra Kathis during the initial phase of the 19th century, and eventually the taluka was formed.

The native rulers of the princely state of Vithalgadh held the title of Thakor and exercised restricted civil and criminal jurisdiction. The Thakor of Vithalgadh state also possessed a jagir in the princely state of Baroda and numerous villages in the district of Satara of the Bombay Presidency. The former native state did not pay any tribute to other princely states. According to the Attachment Scheme of 1943, the district or mahal of Hadala was attached to the princely state of Morvi and the rest of the princely state was attached to the princely state of Baroda.

In the year 1947, the former native state was acceded to the newly formed Union of India, also known as Dominion of India, after the nation gained independence from the British administration and the partition of India.