Cutch Agency
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The Cutch Agency was one of the agencies of British India. The appointed Political Agent looked after only one territory, that of the princely state of Cutch, which had a surface of 19,725 square kilometres (7,616 sq mi), not including the Rann of Kutch.
| Cutch Agency | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency of British India | |||||||
| 1819–1924 | |||||||
Map of the Cutch Agency area | |||||||
| Area | |||||||
• 1901 | 19,725 km2 (7,616 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 1901 | 488,022 | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 1819 | ||||||
• Formation of the Western India States Agency | 1924 | ||||||
| |||||||
The agency's headquarters were at Bhuj,[1] where the Political Agent used to reside. He reported to the Political Department office at Bombay, Bombay Presidency.[2]
History
The agency was formed in 1819 when Cutch State became a British protectorate.[3]
Captain James MacMurdo was first appointed Political Agent, as Collector and Resident of Cutch. He worked from his office at Anjar[4] while the capital of Cutch State was located away at Bhuj.
The progressive prosperity of Cutch was devastated by the famine of 1899-1900,[3] which was felt everywhere with extreme severity; between 1891 and 1901 the population of the state of Cutch decreased from 558,415 inhabitants in 1891 to 488,022 in 1901, owing to the famine.[5]
On 10 October 1924 the Cutch Agency was abolished and merged into the Western India States Agency.[6][1][7]