Bhadwa

Origin and Foundation

The Bhadwa State was founded in the early 18^th century, circa 1726, as an offshoot of the princely state of Kotda-Sangani. The genesis of this state lies in the traditional Rajput practice of granting appanages (patrimony or giras) to younger sons of ruling houses. Kumar Shri Hakoji, the third son of Thakore Shri Sangoji, the ruler of Kotda-Sangani, received a patrimony of six villages, establishing his independent seat at Bhadwa.

The Jadeja Dynasty and Family Cadets

The rulers of Bhadwa belonged to the prestigious Jadeja clan of Chandravanshi (Yadu) Rajputs, who held dominant sway over the Kathiawar peninsula. Over generations, the estate underwent internal divisions to sustain cadet branches of the family. Out of the original six villages, Hadamtala and Kharrera were partitioned and granted to the family's cadets, Tamachiji and Raghabhai, respectively. Despite these internal land grants, the core lordship of the Bhadwa Taluka remained intact, governed strictly by the rule of primogeniture, ensuring that the main title and remaining estate devolved solely to the eldest son.

British Era and Judicial Administration

During the British Raj, Bhadwa was situated in the Halar Prant (division) of the Kathiawar Agency (later part of the Western India States Agency). Under the British classification system of the native states, Bhadwa was categorized as a Sixth Class State. This classification limited the administrative and judicial autonomy of its ruling Talukdar.

According to the historical records compiled in the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, the jurisdictional powers of the Bhadwa State were limited to:

• Criminal Jurisdiction: Power to award up to three months of rigorous imprisonment and impose fines up to 200 Rupees.
• Civil Jurisdiction: Authority to hear and decide cases involving property or disputes up to the value of 500 Rupees.

Matters exceeding these judicial limits were referred to the court of the British Political Agent stationed at Rajkot.

Post-Independence and Modern Era

Following India's independence in August 1947, the last ruler of Bhadwa signed the Instrument of Accession, merging the state into the United State of Kathiawar (later known as Saurashtra State) in February 1948. Through subsequent administrative reorganizations, Saurashtra was merged into the Bombay State in 1956, and eventually, upon the linguistic bifurcation of the state in 1960, Bhadwa became a part of the Rajkot district in the modern state of Gujarat. Today, the historical legacy of the Jadeja rulers of Bhadwa is preserved through their descendants and local heritage landmarks.