The island formed part of the dower of Catherine of Briganza, queen of Charles Ir., who in 1668 tmusferred it to the English E. I. Company, on an annual rent of £10. But from prehistoric times, people from the S.W. of Asia, of Egypt, and of Southern Europe have in succession been trafficking in territories which are now under tint jurisdiction of this presidency. Besides the aboriginal races whose advent is unknown, this presidency has descendants of Kathi, Getx, Parthians, and Huns from High Asia.
From the early years of the Christian era until the middle of the third century A.D., the Shiba or Sah were ruling at Sehore ; they were dis placed by the Gupta, who in their turn fell before a native race ruling. from Balabhi or Wullubhi, at the foot of the hills of Chamardee. In 770, 1Vullubhipur, the present 1Vulleh, fell to a foreign race. From this time parts of this region were held by the Chaura (746-942), by the Solunki Rajputs, and 3fahmud of Ghazni (1024), Sbahab-ud-Din (1174-1179), and Kutub-ud-Din (1194) harassed the northern parts. The Wagela dynasty was ruling in the 12th and 13th cen turies; in A.D. 1297, Alif Khan, brother of Ala ud-Din, suddenly appeared with a large force, defeated Kurun of the Wagela race, took Anhilwara, sacked Cambay, and destroyed Sidh pur and Somnath. Anhilwara had been to the west of India what Venice became to Europe ; but in 1411 Ahmad Shah abandoned Anhilwara, and occupied as his capital Kuranawati, on the left bank of the Sabarmati. From that time till the opening years of the 19th century, the region has been an arena on which Dehli rulers, the Rajputs, the Portuguese, the Mahratta dynasties, the Asof Jahi of Hyderabad, and the British have been striving for victory and dominion, each leaving some of its followers in the territories.
Its princes and chiefs in alliance with the British are about 363 in number. Their states have an area of 73,753 square miles, and a popu lation of 6,941,249 ; and the region between Kandesh and Sind, a distance of 400 miles, nearly all belongs to feudatory rulers.
• Bombay Native States.
• Area. Popnla- Area. Popula Sq. Don. Sq m. tion.
Kolhtpur, . 3,184 802,691 Sawantwari, 900 190,814 Cuteh (ex- anjira, . 925 71,993 elusive of . 3lahrat the Runn), 6,500 437,305 Jaghtrs (8), 610,434 Biallikanta Satara Agency, 4,000 447,05 Jaghirs, . 3,508 417,295
Sind (Khair- Jauliar, . . 5341 37.406 pur), . . 6,109 127, SuratAgency 1,051 124,80S Kattyawar Savanur, . 70 6,837 Agency, . 20,338 2,312,629 Narukot, . 143 47,033 Palaupur, . 8,000 502,58 • Kandesh Rewakanta, 4,972 505,73 Dangs (23 Cambay, . 350 33,494 Petty States) 3,840 39,111 Amongst these feudatories are their Highnesses the Gaekwar of Baroda, the Rao of Cutch, the Jam of Navanagar, the Thakur of Murvi, the Jetwa Rana of Porebandar, the Gohil Rawul of Bhownaggur, the Jbala ruler of Hulwud-Drangdra, the Bhonsla raja of Kolhapur, the Nawabs of Cambay, Junaghar, Janjira, and Savanur, with many great families in the Southern 3fahratta country whose ancestors held high offices under the Peshwa.
The 1881 census of the Hindus shows 716 castes in 11,438,033 persons. There are 147 subdivisions of the 650,880 Brahmans. The {Dania or I3anya, 391,288 in number, have 68 subdivisions. The Jails, who number 215.033 souls, have 81 sub-sections; and 1,133,927 Mu hammadans are said to have 233 sections.
The trading classes of the Bombay Presidency are the 131rattia, Gujar wania, Gujarati, Jain, Konkani wania, Lohana, Mahrati wards, Lingaet, Marwari wania. The Lohana are chiefly in Sind, with a small number in Gujerat. The home of the Bhattia is in Cutch, a few in Gujerat, and in some numbers in I3embay. city. Wanta is a general term applied to all traders, and there arc Gujar trailers from Gujerat. The Gujarati merchants are the most widely spread of all this trading class, and are styled Wania, Kliedayada, Lad, Modh, Mar wari, and Srimali. The Ilhattia, Jain, and Parsee are keenly engaged in trade ; as also aro the Bohm, the Khoja and Mehman l'iluharnmadans.
Agriculturists are Kunbi, Koli, Jangam, Agria, Illiandari, Dubin, Lingaet, Panchamsali, Bale paik, l uhli, Mali, Mahratta, and Sadar. The Kulava Kuribi are very particular as to their intermarriages. But when a suitable snatch for a girl cannot be found, she is married to a bunch of flowers, which are afterwards thrown into a well. She is then a widow, and can be married with the natra rites. Or she is married to a married man, on the agreement that he divorce her on completion of the ceremony, and she can then be re-married by the natra cere mony.