The Feudatory State of Idar

Idar was a princely state in the Western India Agency, currently part of the Indian state of Gujarat. The state issued its first stamps in 1932, during the reign of Maharaja Himmat Singh.

Early History (13th–15th Century)

The state of Idar gained prominence under the Rathore dynasty, a branch of the Rajputs. The Rathores, traditionally from Marwar (Jodhpur), were known for their martial prowess and ruled many parts of Rajasthan. In the 13th century, a Rathore prince named Shivan Singh established himself as the ruler of Idar. His descendants continued to rule the state for several centuries.

The Rathore rule was characterized by frequent conflicts with neighbouring Rajput states and Muslim dynasties, especially the Gujarat Sultanate, which tried to expand its influence over the region. The Rathores of Idar resisted these attempts and were involved in complex alliances and rivalries with other Rajput clans.

The Mughal Period (16th–18th Century)

In the 16th century, when the Mughal Empire was expanding its control over Gujarat and Rajasthan, the princely state of Idar found itself drawn into the larger political landscape of North India. The Mughal emperor Akbar incorporated Idar into the empire as a part of his broader campaign to consolidate power in the region. However, the rulers of Idar, while nominally acknowledging Mughal suzerainty, maintained a degree of autonomy, especially in local governance.

The Marathas and the British Raj (18th–19th Century)

In the late 18th century, the Marathas gained influence over Idar. Daulat Rao Scindia, a powerful Maratha chief, played a key role in appointing a new ruler for Idar, starting Maratha control over the region. However, the decline of the Maratha Empire and the arrival of the British East India Company as the dominant power in India would soon change Idar’s fortunes.

By the early 19th century, Idar, like many other princely states in India, came under the indirect control of the British. In 1818, after the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Idar became a part of the Bombay Presidency under British suzerainty, though the local rulers (now titled Maharajas) retained internal autonomy.

Indian Independence (1947)

In 1947, when India gained independence, Idar, under Maharaja Himmat Singhji, chose to accede to the Indian Union in 1948. It became part of Bombay State, and after the reorganization of states along linguistic lines in 1960, Idar became part of the newly formed state of Gujarat.

Stamps of Idar

Idar started issuing postal stamps in 1932 when Maharaja Himmat Singh ascended the throne. The first two designs were the portraits of Maharaja Himmat Singh. The text read IDAR STATE POSTAGE at the sides in Devanagari and English and the denomination was printed at the top and bottom in the two languages. There were two types of this design where the side panel was coloured in one but not in the other.

Besides the postal issues, Idar also printed postal-fiscal stamps with the portrait of the Maharaja inside a circular frame that was inside a five-point star. The text around the circle read the Maharaja’s name and the state name in English. The star was inside a circular band that had the names in Gujarati. The denomination was printed below in English. 

The next design was much simpler, with just the state name and denomination in English and Devanagari with numeric denominations printed in the corners. 

The stamps were printed in booklet panes of four with the stamps imperforated on one or two sides. They came gummed.