Cutch Agency


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, not including the Rann of Kutch.
The agency's headquarters were at Bhuj, where the Political Agent used to reside. He reported to the Political Department office at Bombay, Bombay Presidency.

History

The agency was formed in 1819 when Cutch State became a British protectorate.
Captain James MacMurdo was first appointed Political Agent, as Collector and Resident of Cutch. He worked from his office
at Anjar while the capital of Cutch State was located away at Bhuj.
The progressive prosperity of Cutch was devastated by the famine of 1899-1900, 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.
On 10 October 1924 the Cutch Agency was abolished and merged into the Western India States Agency.