The Feudatory State of Jasdan

Jasdan was a Princely state in the Kathiawar Agency in Western India, in what is now the Indian state of Gujarat. A small state in size with an area of 730 sq km, Jasdan was the smallest princely state to issue its postage stamps.

Vika Khachar established Jasdan in 1665 CE when he defeated the forces of the Khumans of Kherdi. This started the reign of the Kathi Kshatriya dynasty. The state was a subsidiary of the Baroda and Junagadh states and paid annual tributes. The state came under the protection of the British Raj in 1807  when it entered into a treaty (Walker Settlement of 1807/08) with the East India Company. Darbar Shri Ala Vajsur Khachar signed the accession of Jasdan with the Dominion of India in 1947 and merged into Saurashtra.

Stamps of Jasdan

Jasdan’s postal system was established with the primary purpose of handling official correspondence and petitions from the people. A proposal was made in 1940 to introduce postal stamps so that people did not need to come to the palace to submit their petitions. The first stamps of Jasdan were issued on 15 March 1942. 

L.V. Indap & Co., Bombay was entrusted with the task of printing Jasdan’s stamps. A single design was created but has been assigned six different SG catalogue values due to wide variation in colours and perforation. All the stamps were in the green colour with a denomination of 1 anna. They were typographed and issued in booklets. 

The stamp of Jasdan contains a central motif of the sun enclosed in concentric rings. The inscription at the top reads RAJASTHAN JASDAN and at the bottom – DARBARI TAPAL (royal post), in Gujarati. The denomination (1 anna) is printed in English at the top and in Gujarati at the bottom.