Satara Jagirs
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Satara Jagirs
A group of States in the Bombay Presidency under the political superintendence of the Collectors of Poona, Satara, Sholapur, and Bijapur, comprising BHOR, AUNDH, PHALTAN, AKALKOT, JATH, and DAPHLAPUR, with a total area of 3,247 square miles. Of these, Bhor lies in the north-west of Satara District, Phaltan in the north, Aundh in the east, Jath in the extreme south-east, Daphlapur also in the south-east, and Akalkot in the south-east of Sholapur. The Satara jagirs were feudatory to the Raja of Satara, and became tribu- taries of the British Government on the lapse of that State in 1849.
The jdglrddrs retain all their former rights and privileges, with the exception of the power of life and death and of 'adjudication upon serious criminal cases. Their administration is now conducted on the principles of British law. Criminal and civil justice is administered by the chiefs themselves, with the aid of subordinate courts. In criminal cases, heinous offences requiring capital punishment or trans- portation for life are tried by the Political Agents, assisted by two assessors, the preliminary proceedings being conducted by t\\tjagirdars.
Such cases are committed by the ordinary magisterial courts of the States, whether the court concerned be presided over by the chief himself or by an officer with committal powers. In the latter case the proceedings are forwarded through the chief. No appeal lies to the Political Agents against the decisions of the chief in criminal matters.
The charges are now permanent, though the Bombay Government had occasion to effect transfers in the past. Originally the jdgzrs, with the exception of Akalkot, were placed under the political control of the Collector of Satara. In 1874 Jath and its dependency Daphla- pm, which had been mismanaged, were placed in charge of the Political Agent, Kolhapur and Southern Maratha Country, but were later trans- ferred to the control of the Collector of Bijapur. Bhor was transferred from the Satara to the Poona Agency in 1887. The present chief of Bhor has a personal salute of nine guns.
